Tiffin University continues to strengthen career readiness and industry-connected learning through its ongoing partnership with TeamWork Online as part of the TeamWorkU campus network, which has been in effect since January 2025. The collaboration provides students and alumni across all majors with expanded access to recruiting tools, professional development resources and direct connections to careers in the sports industry.
Based in Cleveland, TeamWork Online facilitates more than 20,000 hires annually and maintains connections with more than 85 percent of professional sports organizations, including NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB and MLS teams. The organization also works with collegiate athletic departments, sports and entertainment venues, talent agencies and sports media companies.
Through TeamWorkU, Tiffin University students and alumni have access to a suite of career development resources designed to increase visibility to employers and strengthen professional readiness. Founder Buffy Filippell, a former IMG (a leading global sports marketing company) agent, has noted that the platform’s enhanced services help candidates connect with employers more efficiently and improve hiring outcomes. Available tools through the partnership include a certified profile badge verifying skills and qualifications, personalized resume and profile reviews, mock interviews with industry professionals and direct virtual conversations with leaders in sports and live events. Participants also gain access to digital business cards with QR code sharing, weekly industry updates and analytics that provide insight into hiring trends and career pathways.
Dr. Bonnie Tiell, Professor of Sport Management, was instrumental in bringing the partnership with TeamWork Online to campus, drawing on her long-standing professional relationship with the organization’s founder to help advance the initiative and expand opportunities for TU students. “I am proud of our partnership with TeamWork Online to expand career opportunities and professional connections for our students and alumni, she noted.
“Buffy and I have been connected for more than a decade through our involvement with Women in Sports and Events (WISE), where we developed a shared passion for helping students enter and advance in the sports industry. This partnership is another important way Tiffin University is creating meaningful advantages and career pathways for our students and alumni.”
Since the launch of the partnership, student engagement across TeamWorkU has continued to steadily increase. Over the past 12 months, 154 Tiffin University students have been active on the platform, submitting an average of nine job applications per student and demonstrating consistent use of its career tools and resources. Participation in programming has also grown, with 58 students attending TeamWorkU events and 29 mock interviews completed as part of professional development opportunities.
The partnership also supports ongoing student engagement, including opportunities to serve as TeamWorkU Ambassadors and participate in experiential learning within the sports industry network. TeamWork representatives also continue to engage with students through on-campus programming, with visits scheduled for August and November of the fall 2026 semester, reinforcing hands-on access to industry professionals and platform support.
By connecting students with established professionals and organizations in the sports industry, this partnership strengthens the transition from education to employment. It also reflects the value of collaboration between higher education and industry in expanding access to meaningful career pathways.
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