S3 Graduate Profile: Drew Mitchell

Job: Chief Revenue Officer, Associate Commissioner, Conference USA
Hometown: Porterville, Calif.
Education: BBA, Baylor University, 2006

What got you to Baylor?

My brother was a year ahead of me at Monache High School in California. We met some Baylor ambassadors at a college fair and fell in love with the folks we met. My brother ended up making the decision to go to Baylor, and I followed a year later after hearing about the fun he was having and all the great things about Baylor.

How did you learn about the S3 program, which started while you were a student?

It was getting to that point where I needed to decide what specifically to major in: Is it finance, real estate, management? I remember walking down the hall in Hankamer and seeing one of those as basic as it gets 8.5-by-11-inch pieces of paper that said, "Baylor, want a career in sports? For more information, contact Dr. Darryl Lehnus." He invited me to his office and shared with me the goal and vision of the program. I was sold right off the bat.

What is your role with Conference USA?

Anything to do with generating revenue for the conference, primarily corporate partnerships. When the conference's sponsorship deal was expiring, the board of directors and our commissioner decided to create the position because there really is a disconnect in having a third party handle those rights. Previously, there was never a dive into the conference's overall strategic partnerships.

Does the S3 program prepare a graduate for sales in a non-sports environment?

I recently had lunch with a guy who is in commercial real estate, and that was part of our conversation. Sales is sales. The skill is kind of specifically learned through the sports selling classes at Baylor, but it can be applied in any industry. It teaches you that it's more about relationship selling. That is very applicable and the same thought process whether you're selling a sponsorship or commercial real estate.