Dear Bentley community,
I’m excited to announce that Bentley University is now an official university partner of the 17-time world champion Boston Celtics, a founding member of the NBA and one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports.
This win-win agreement gives Bentley direct access to team executives, operations and experiences and allows the Celtics to tap into some of the nation’s brightest young business minds. The partnership furthers our long-standing commitment to providing students with exciting experiential learning opportunities. It also represents a significant stride in Bentley’s Falcons Forward 2030 Strategic Plan, which calls for developing mutually beneficial partnerships with diverse organizations of all kinds.
The partnership will provide multiple benefits for our community. Students will have the opportunity to learn from executives from the Celtics and CLTX (the team’s NBA 2K video game affiliate) to examine and develop solutions to real-life business situations. This will help them develop a behind-the-scenes understanding of the esports market, which is projected to reach $4.47 billion by 2030. By analyzing trends and tapping into their own business knowledge, students will make recommendations to the Celtics on how CLTX can reach new markets and grow its audience. This will be the first in a series of classroom-based case studies that Bentley will develop with the Celtics and CLTX in different academic areas. Our community will also benefit from regular visits from Celtics executives, who will share their experiences in discussions and panels, providing an inside look at what it’s like to work for one of the top franchises in sports.
The partnership will also have a positive impact on the local community. Bentley and the Celtics will team up to empower Boston-area high school students to learn about careers in the business of sports at an annual career day at Celtics headquarters. The local students, many from traditionally underrepresented communities, will participate in a day-in-the-life experience working with the Celtics front office, gain career development advice from the #1-in-the-nation Pulsifer Career Development Center, and receive helpful guidance about the college admission process from members of our Undergraduate Admission Office. Bentley and the Celtics share a deep commitment to access and opportunity, and we’re excited to bring this educational experience to deserving students.
With today’s announcement, we’ll begin assembling a team from across the university to bring this new effort to life, recognizing that the benefits of this important collaboration will spread well beyond a single team or division. I look forward to working with many of you as we take full advantage of the positive impact this will have for Bentley.
This is a partnership that goes far beyond cheering for wins and losses on the court. I’m proud that this new collaboration between Bentley and the Boston Celtics will extend the power of good business to new audiences and raise our national profile as a university that prepares graduates for exciting careers in the changing global marketplace.
Most sincerely,
Brent