The Sports Industry Club (SIC) offers students an inside look at what happens in the sports industry field, from lunch with industry professional to behind the scenes tours of sport centers. This year they are looking to increase their campus outreach and break into the top 20 percent of student-run organizations, giving them voting rights in the Undergraduate Student Government Association.

SIC was founded in 2006 as the Sports Management Club, according to Garrett Handley, senior sports management major and SIC president, but was soon rebranded as SIC. Handley said that, three years ago, the club achieved gold status, and the has seen a “steady increase” since then. Last year was their first year with a budget and this year it is even larger. He wants to continue that growth and has additional long-term goals of SIC members being more active on campus and turning the club into a networking tool for current members.

This year SIC is expanding its outreach both internally and campus-wide. They’ve added positions to their E-Board and event-specific staff. Handley says this is all in the spirit of giving the club members more experience and help figuring out what they want to do.

“That’s another goal, to help people find what they’re actually passionate about in sports,” said Handley.

Chris Fernicola, sophomore sports management major, is the Marketing Chairman for SIC, one of the added E-Board positions. Fernicola joined SIC his freshman year to increase his involvement on campus. He remembers one event in particular, when the club had lunch with the National Lacrossa League Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz, which he described as a great event “especially for a freshman who was just getting his feet wet in the major and college life.”

Fernicola says his experience as Marketing Chairman has greatly influenced his time in SIC and on campus.

“Only being a sophomore and seeing what we have accomplished so far and seeing the direction where we are heading is such a rewarding thing and it only makes us work harder,” said Fernicola.

In terms of increasing their on-campus outreach, SIC is planning a larger event this semester, which Handley explains as being the club’s “staple event.” According to Handley, although SIC has held events in the past, they have never held a larger one that is known by many students, and the goal for this semester is to make that happen. Handley said it will increase SIC’s presence on campus as well as provide “a more realistic experience for members.”

Students can look forward to this staple event sometime in April, along with the club’s next travel event, happening on April 11th.

SIC meets weekly on Mondays at 9 p.m. in Maxcy 124.