What This Fellowship IsThe College Basketball Operations Fellowship is a 1-on-1, applied training program designed to prepare future Directors of Basketball Operations. Built specifically for the realities of college basketball, it focuses on the skills, judgment, and decision-making required to succeed in an operations role.
This is not a lecture-based course or a traditional mentorship. It is structured, practical, and outcome-driven—built to reflect the real demands of a college basketball operations role.
Who This Fellowship Is For- Sport management students preparing to break into college basketball operations
- Graduate assistants seeking deeper, job-ready training
- Early-career operations staff who want to sharpen their skills and confidence
Who It Is Not For- High school students (due to NCAA regulations)
- Current women's college basketball players (due to NCAA regulations)
- Individuals pursuing coaching-focused roles
How the Fellowship WorksThe Fellowship consists of 12 total modules—eight required core modules and four electives—delivered through 45-60 minute 1-on-1 instructional sessions. Instruction is personalized, practical, and paced flexibly, with most participants completing the program in 3-12 months.
Each module focuses on a specific area within college basketball operations and includes a required pre-work assignment completed in advance of the session. Pre-work is intentionally challenging and not designed to be completed perfectly. Its purpose is to build anticipatory thinking, expose participants to real-world constraints, and develop sound judgment through problem-solving—mirroring how operations professionals actually learn on the job.
Pre-work is due 72 hours prior to each session, allowing Sarah time to review submissions and use them as the foundation for discussion, feedback, and refinement. Through this process, participants revise their work into polished portfolio pieces that can be used in interviews and as practical reference materials in future operations roles.
Each module session typically includes:
- Instruction on the module’s topic
- Review and discussion of the pre-work assignment
- Analysis of real-world operations scenarios
- Q&A
What Makes This DifferentMost sport management programs provide an overview of
what the job is.
This Fellowship teaches specifically how to do the job—and why decisions are made.You’ll work through realistic scenarios, make mistakes in a low-risk environment, and receive direct feedback that helps you think like an operations professional. The emphasis is not just on completing tasks, but on developing sound judgment that transfers across divisions, institutions, and resource levels.
What You’ll Leave WithBy the end of the Fellowship, participants typically have:
- Interview-ready portfolio materials
- Practical reference documents for future roles
- A clear framework for operations decision-making
- Increased confidence navigating real-world situations
- A stronger professional foundation for college basketball operations careers
Explore MoreWhat is the Difference Between the Fellowship and Foundations?The Fellowship provides comprehensive training and decision-making development designed to fully prepare participants to step into a college basketball operations role.