UCFB students to gain industry experience working for American baseball teams

UCFB students will once again be spending the summer working across the United States after we partner up with a host of Minor League Baseball franchises.

After a successful pilot programme in 2025, students will work at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Columbus Clippers, Albuquerque Isotopes, Durham Bulls, Rochester Red Wings and Oklahoma City Comets.

The selected students, taken from both UCFB Wembley and UCFB Manchester, will spend a week at a franchise and go behind the scenes for a series of home games, working in departments such as broadcasting, ticketing and fan engagement.

Simon Fitzjohn, senior employability and career planning manager at the Wembley Campus, said: “Working at a minor league franchise really allows the students to get a hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of how they operate on a day-to-day basis.

“It also allows students to immerse themselves in the American sports market and gain an appreciation of the differences between US and European sports – and sports fans.”

The US baseball system sees minor league teams operate as development squads for Major League franchises, so the students also get the chance to see the Major League stars of tomorrow up close and personal.

And staff at the Minor League franchises were highly impressed with the calibre of UCFB students that visited during the pilot programme of 2025.

Scott Kornberg, director of broadcasting at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, said: “We had a wonderful time with Will and Ben, who visited us last year. They were two extraordinarily kind and enthusiastic people.

“I am sure they have a bright future in the sports industry and we are loving the opportunity to do it again in 2026.”