Purdue Sport Management in Indianapolis graduate program recruits 30-year pro to lead student experiential learning

Susan Baughman

Written by: Tim Brouk, tbrouk@purdue.edu

Downtown Indianapolis has become a premier stage for major sporting events — from Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and now hosting the 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four. Each has drawn capacity crowds and nationwide attention, fueling a vibrant, high-impact sports economy. The Super Bowl alone generated $278 million for the city.

Few know that landscape better than Susan Baughman.

A longtime leader behind the scenes, Baughman has helped bring many of these marquee events to Indianapolis. A former vice president of Indiana Sports Corp and now an independent consultant, she has built a career executing world-class sporting events — experience that has led to her newest role as Purdue’s inaugural director of experiential learning and industry engagement for the Master of Science in Sport Management program in Indianapolis.

Baughman officially begins April 1, based in Purdue’s Indianapolis location.

“The hands-on experience is a real, unquestionable difference-maker,” Baughman explained. “I think the academic courses really lay the background, and they help people even understand these jobs exist, which is the first step to figuring out if you want to do it. And it creates awareness, but I think the opportunity to go in and actually work with someone to create event plans or to watch people who are working full-time, how they enact their strategies, how they integrate all this learning into a real-life experience — it makes all the difference.”

Her role is designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world application — developing internships, consulting projects and partnerships that connect students directly with leaders across the sport industry. With more than 30 years of experience in Indianapolis’ sports community, Baughman will help shape graduates who are ready to lead in a fast-paced, high-stakes field.

Purdue’s sport management master’s program reflects that same philosophy. Launched in West Lafayette in 2025, the program blends academic rigor with applied learning and will expand to Indianapolis in August. It joins a growing Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences presence in the city, alongside athletic training and hospitality and tourism management programs launching in fall 2026.

Indianapolis itself serves as a living laboratory. Home to the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Indianapolis Indians and Indy Eleven — as well as the NCAA headquarters — the city offers unmatched access to professional venues such as Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Since leaving Indiana Sports Corp, Baughman has continued shaping the industry through consulting work with the NCAA, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and Visit Indy. She has also mentored countless early-career professionals and understands what it takes to succeed.

Baughman said Purdue sport management graduates must be prepared to make quick, informed decisions while working across diverse teams — skills best developed through meaningful, hands-on experience.

“The learning opportunities that we could set up for these students include helping run a media room at one of these major events, helping load in and out of a venue, helping train volunteers or do uniform and credential distribution — things as simple-sounding as maybe helping run a parking lot. But all these are key factors, from the smallest detail up to some of the larger things because we all know how it feels when we can’t get in the parking lot, right? If you can’t get in or get out of it, that’s your beginning and ending impression.”

With millions of dollars — and reputations — on the line at major events, those details matter. Through Baughman’s leadership, Purdue students will gain the experience needed to deliver at the highest level — before they ever graduate.

Li-Shan Chou, head of the Department of Health and Kinesiology (HK) that houses the sport management program, is looking forward to the sport management program benefitting from Baughman’s decades of successful experiences.

“Combined with her proven ability to execute, mentor and identify professional skill gaps, she will help students build practical experience, develop workplace readiness and confidently transition into competitive sport industry careers,” he said. “She will help them learn critical skills like networking, leadership and adaptability while aligning their experience with evolving industry demands, making them more competitive and career-ready in the sports landscape.”

Jeanne Boyd, executive director of Purdue’s sport management program and HK professor of practice, concurred.

“Susan’s leadership elevates everything we are building in Indianapolis,” she stated. “She brings unmatched experience and insight, along with a clear understanding of how to prepare students for the realities of the industry. Through her work, our students will gain the kind of hands-on experience that sets them apart and positions them to lead early in their careers.”