NEWS
Recent University of Oklahoma Price College of Business graduate Luke Carrell is one of five student-athlete teams from universities in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) selected for the league’s inaugural SEC Start Up -- Student-Athlete Pitch Competition, a spin-off of its Student Pitch Competition.
The SEC Start Up -- Student-Athlete Pitch Competition aims to expand its business and innovation efforts. The mission of the start-up competition is to foster student entrepreneurship. In addition to Carrell, contestants were student-athletes from Auburn, Florida, Missouri, and Louisiana State University. The contestants competed for a list of awards including a $10,000 grand prize.
The event took place on June 26 and 27th. Results from the competition are not made public, but the event will be aired on the SEC Network on July 15th.
Carrell represented his team, Side Coach Sports, which includes Carrell’s brother, Zach, and Colton Sundloft. Side Coach Sports was founded in 2022 and bridges the gap between college athletes seeking valuable guidance with a streamlined scheduling system. The intent is to connect current college athletes with former college athletes as mentors in athletics, life, academics and the professional realm.
“Recognizing that entrepreneurial education and experiential learning are important parts of post-secondary training, we are proud to expand our existing academic competitions to support student-athletes and their entrepreneurial endeavors,” said Associate Commissioner for Academic Relations, LeNá McDonald. “The SEC frequently sets the standard for academic, research and athletic success, and this program underscores the conference’s commitment to providing quality programming and opportunities for our students.”
Carrell, a May 2024 graduate, was a relief pitcher for the Sooner baseball team that finished as the national runner-up in the College World Series in 2022. He achieved academic success at Price with a degree in business marketing. His prowess in the classroom helped propel him into a position to compete for a spot at e-Fest, the premier national business competition for undergraduate students held annually in April.
The SEC Start Up competition is comprised of five-minute pitches delivered by the contestants. Question and answer sessions followed with final scoring by the judges.
“As we celebrate the University of Oklahoma becoming a member of the SEC, SEC Start-Up provides a great opportunity for OU to make its debut in a premier competitive environment as Luke Carrell looks to make a different kind of perfect pitch,” McDonald said.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
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