University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), the innovative higher education institution delivering sports degree programmes from campuses based inside Wembley and Etihad stadiums in the UK, has today announced a partnership to create a UCFB Global Hub at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the largest and most iconic stadium in the southern hemisphere.
The hub will see Melbourne host week-long educational summits for UCFB students and alumni from the UK, Australia and around the world, based inside the MCG.
Seminars, networking opportunities and matchday experiences at the summits will complement UCFB’s unique football and sports degree programmes. Attendees will be able to learn inside the 100,000 capacity venue that delivers the biggest events in world sport and entertainment, including past Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, AFL Grand Finals and next year’s men’s and women’s ICC T20 World Cup finals.
The MCG is one of four venues worldwide that UCFB is partnering with to create its new hubs, with each city and sports partner having been identified as a leader in its area. The stadium will sit alongside New York City’s Red Bull Arena, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Toronto FC’s BMO Field to form a new global network for UCFB students and alumni to enhance their industry expertise and learn from professionals at the world’s best sports businesses.
With its first university campus opened in 2011 at English Premier League club Burnley FC’s stadium, Turf Moor, UCFB currently delivers 13 undergraduate and five Master’s degrees in the football and sports business, media and coaching sectors to over 2,500 students from its UK stadium campuses. UCFB Wembley, London, opened in 2014 and UCFB Etihad Campus, Manchester, in 2016 – now hosting over 1,500 and 1,000 students respectively.
UCFB also offers its MSc Football Business and MSc International Sports Management degrees online, allowing Australians to learn flexibly with optional visits to UCFB hubs at its UK, Australian and North American stadium partners throughout the academic year.
James McKeown, Head of Global Marketing & Communications at UCFB, commented: “We are very excited to create this incredible UCFB Global Hub at the MCG, an iconic stadium at the heart of the best sports city in the world. As a proud Melbournian and having been part of UCFB since its campus opened in Wembley Stadium, it’s amazing to be able to take our first steps into Australia and open up unique opportunities to experience the best that its sports industry has to teach.
“This is a city that is unbelievably passionate about its sport, and with UCFB’s passion for providing an immersive sports education where people can learn from the best in inspirational locations, we couldn’t have found a better partner than the team at the MCG.”
The hub educational summits will have a distinct Melbourne flavour. With students from Australia, the UK and across the globe expected in attendance, Melbourne Cricket Club staff will be working closely with UCFB to showcase everything that makes Melbourne a special sporting market, recently voted ‘Ultimate Sport City’ by SportBusiness magazine.
Lewis O’Flynn, Commercial Partnerships Manager at Melbourne Cricket Club, added: “The MCG is one of the world’s landmark sports destinations and it makes sense to partner with UCFB as part of their global expansion. The Melbourne sports scene is the envy of the world and we’re delighted that we’ll be able to showcase this to UCFB students and graduates. All of us look forward to an exciting partnership with significant growth potential over the coming years with UCFB.”
Brendan Flood, UCFB’s Chairman, added: “My ultimate vision is for UCFB to be the ‘Harvard of Sport’. Creating a hub at the world-famous MCG with its tremendous history and pedigree, at the heart of what I believe is the leading sports precinct in the world, will help drive us towards this goal and to producing the best professionals working in football and sport.”
We’re sure you have questions about UCFB and our global hubs, so we’ve put together some handy FAQs which we think tells you everything you need to know about our events.
