WSU Sport Management major Larissa Raigosa had an incredible start to her career in the sports industry by working at the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament held in Wichita.

As a member of the duplication team, Larissa took on the role of a floor runner—a fast-paced position that required delivering printed game statistics to media personnel during timeouts. After games, she returned the final stats to her team leader who coordinated further distribution among the runners. Larissa then delivered copies to the media interview room, ensuring that press members had timely and accurate information.

It was Larissa’s first time working a major sporting event, and it served as a powerful applied learning experience. “This is my first year as a sport management major, so the NCAA tournament was my first experience in sports,” she said. “To be a part of such a major tournament was amazing. To be able to get this experience at a major tournament for my first involvement in sports is something I will be grateful for.”

One memorable moment came when Dr. Mike Ross, her sport public relations instructor, approached her after she completed a stats run. He told her that she had received compliments from colleagues for her performance and thanked her for her hard work. “You want to do your best when given an opportunity like this, and to hear other people believe I was doing good made me feel great,” she said.

Beyond the excitement of the tournament, the experience provided valuable personal and professional growth. “This tournament allowed me to grow as a sport and leadership studies student because it gave me that understanding, and I got to use leadership skills (communication, teamwork, and problem solving),” she explained.

Working alongside professionals also offered important lessons. “I think something I learned from working alongside the industry professionals is that adaptability is key,” Larissa said. “When working on an event, especially an event to this scale, there's going to be things that go wrong. It's important to recognize the problem and then quickly think of a solution.”

Larissa also recognized how meaningful it was to contribute to an event with such wide-reaching community impact. One of her key takeaways as the crucial role of clear, effective communication.
Understanding what goes into a major sporting event—from logistics to teamwork—left an impression on her.

From start to finish, the NCAA Tournament offered Larissa a strong introduction to the sports industry.