Cage Fury Fighting Championships Announces 5-Year Partnership with Rowan University
CFFC to join forces with the University's fast growing Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact
Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is known to make big moves in the MMA scene. From being one of the top developmental MMA promotions in the world, to providing rising talent to the UFC, CFFC is non-stop. With a new year underway, CFFC is proud to announce that they are once again making moves in an even bigger way. CFFC is joining forces with Rowan University, for a five-year partnership that will allow students the opportunity to learn and develop their passion and skills for what goes into producing an MMA event.
Home of the Professors (Profs), Rowan University is located in Glassboro, NJ and is the perfect place for CFFC to remain in close proximity to its headquarters and more to give hands-on mentoring to students. Partnering with Rowan’s Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, CFFC hopes to add to their creative team as they embark on another year of electrifying events showcasing the next set of top talent in MMA.
Set to start on March 1st, CFFC will officially begin their partnership with Rowan University. This alliance will allow students from Rowan to have the opportunity to complete an internship with CFFC. Students can apply for internships across five departments with a total of 30 open positions available. The areas of focus include Public Relations, Graphic Design, Sports Management, Advertising and Production/Broadcast.
Within each program comes a variety of positions that students can fill. In Public Relations, students will be given the opportunity to write press releases, articles for the CFFC website and media outreach with placement of feature articles on CFFC events, athletes and veterans. For graphic design, students can work as a production artist, produce social media content and create motion graphics. Students interested in sports management will be given the inside look at what goes into the daily operations of running a top regional promotion ranging from matchmaking to securing and activating sponsorships, to handling the athlete experience, to being a part of the live-event operations during CFFC fight night. With advertising, students can make their mark on the MMA scene with ad campaign development and be a part of the creative team. For those who are interested in either being behind or in-front of the camera, students can join the production/broadcast team where they can help shoot, edit and log video from live-events. Or they may have the occasion to be in the spotlight with the possibility of some on-air opportunities.
Neil Hartman, Senior Director of Rowan’s Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact, shared his excitement about the opportunity CFFC will give his students.
“This multi-faceted partnership will have a massive impact on our program,” Hartman said. “CFFC will offer Rowan students unparalleled exposure to the sports industry, which makes Cage Fury an ideal partner. We are committed to providing unique experiential learning opportunities for students, allowing them to learn by doing. CFFC is helping us fulfill that mission.”
The internships will be split into two phases depending on the student’s application and experience. The first phase will allow students the opportunity to work 120 hours and earn a total of three credits, where most of the students’ work will happen on-campus with CFFC staff visiting to mentor students. The second phase allows students to have a paid-position within the company where they will be on-site and attend live CFFC events.
CFFC CEO, Rob Haydak said the decision to partner with Rowan University was a no-brainer. The university is constantly producing high-caliber talent and is the perfect place for CFFC to continue to expand its infrastructure and forward thinking approach to production excellence.
“Our friends at Rowan University stand out because of their commitment to engaged learning - proactively finding opportunities for their students to take the theory of the classroom and get the practice necessary to be ready for the modern economy,” Haydak said. “As such, we're honored to celebrate this partnership by bringing CFFC and BFA to campus and tapping into the incredible talent that resides there."
Coming along with the partnership is BFA Productions, which features a premiere sports media broadcasting and streaming platform, BFA Sports Media. Like CFFC, BFA has continued to grow through the years and Doug Stasuk, managing partner and executive producer of BFA, believes that this joint partnership with both CFFC and Rowan University is another step to help continue their growth.
“BFA has experienced exponential growth in the past three years in an industry that is uber competitive,” Stasuk said. “Our track record of developing talent both in front and behind of the camera lens with Rowan students has been paramount in our quest to scale our business while simultaneously exceeding both client and fan expectations.”
Recently, CFFC acquired an equity stake in BFA Productions and Sports Media platform. This newly acquired ownership is something that Stasuk believes will allow even more opportunities for Rowan students, especially when it comes to sports communication and media.
“Our relationship with Cage Fury Fighting Championships is a beacon of how much impact our long standing relationship with Rowan University has had on our business,” Stasuk said. “Cage Fury Fighting Championships acquired an ownership stake in what is now known as BFA Sports Media. This exciting new partnership paves the way for BFA to further invest and provide even greater opportunities for Rowan students on what has become a global stage.”
With the already long-standing relationship between BFA and Rowan, Hartman believes that partnering with CFFC will open the door for a plethora of opportunities and experiences for Rowan Students interested in making their mark on the MMA scene.
“Two years ago, BFA and Rowan students joined forces to produce high-quality television broadcasts for the Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers G League affiliate,” Hartman said. “Today dozens of our students are involved on a daily basis working production at BFA events. The experiences they have gained has been immeasurable, and now we can’t wait for new opportunities with CFFC.”
Dean of the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, Sanford Tweedie, shared his excitement for this partnership and the opportunities his students will be able to have working for CFFC.
“We are excited that CFFC and BFA Sports Media are partnering with our Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact,” Dean Tweedie said. “This collaboration creates so many opportunities for our students in the Sports Communication and Media degree and beyond. The commitment to numerous internships covering all aspects of programming dovetails with the College’s mission to combine theory and practical application that prepare students for post-graduation career opportunities. This is a win-win-win for everyone involved.”
Haydak said he’s thankful for the opportunity to not only work with hard-working dedicated students through this partnership, but also being able to give students an unforgettable real-world working experience. More importantly, Haydak is grateful for CFFC being able to help both Hartman and Dean Tweedie make differences in students’ lives. "Special thanks to the many Rowan leaders, especially Neil and Sandy for their commitment to make life better for generations of Rowan students”.
ABOUT CAGE FURY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Considered one of the best developmental mixed martial arts organizations in the industry, Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) hosts events across the United States with an emphasis on cultivating the best and brightest talent in the sport. CFFC events are broadcast live on UFC FIGHT PASS, the leading digital subscription service for fight fans.
Founded in 2006, CFFC has served as home to a variety of UFC stars, including Anthony Smith, Jimmie Rivera, Aljamain Sterling, Kimbo Slice, Paul Felder, Jim Miller, Nick Catone, Lyman Good, Katlyn Chookagian, Shane Burgos and Jared Gordon, among others. Led by its respected CEO Rob Haydak, CFFC’s executive team consists of sports and entertainment industry executives who have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in the world.