From Notre Dame to Vice President of Marketing

Heather Obering – Notre Dame Alum; Marquee Sports Network VP of Marketing

From Notre Dame to Marquee Sports Network

Heather Obering’s own journey into a career in sports started with a degree at the University of Notre Dame.

So as Marquee Sports Network’s vice president of marketing, she pointed to her path as she spoke to the ND MSBA Sports Analytics students during a field trip to Chicago in December 2023. As an undergrad, Obering wrote for The Observer, minored in journalism, and majored in accounting. After several years as a certified public accountant for Deloitte, she got a job at Northwestern University in basketball operations. That led to roles in marketing and then as Associate Athletic Director. In April 2022, she went to Marquee, the network that broadcasts the Chicago Cubs games in Chicago and the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana, to become director of marketing and now Vice President, Marketing.

The students met Obering during their visit to Wrigley Field and the offices for Marquee and the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

MSBA Sports Analytics Students Excel and Impress in Chicago

She made the connection between what she learned as an undergrad and what she’s doing as a vocation. “First of all, accounting provides you with a foundational understanding of a P&L statement and that’s important when you’re in marketing is to understand the business side of it,” she said. “And then second, there’s the analytical nature, the nature of what you do. And so as I told the students, we launched a new direct-to-consumer product last summer towards the end of the season. And then now we’re taking the data that we’ve gleaned from this and trying to make more decisions moving forward.”

Marquee Sports Network Logo

The students were talented and passionate. They asked great questions during the visit, but have also followed up with her since seeking advice. The preparedness and interactions have impressed her and others in Chicago who seek future employees. Marquee needs people who can analyze data for the direct-to-consumer product that has been in the market for just a few years. “These students are the types of folks that you want to have on your team as you’re not just thinking about data, you’re interpreting that data and then extrapolating it in a way that’s usable to make business decisions,” she said.

One decision that’s easy for Obering to make is helping students at her alma mater. Someone she worked with connected her to Brandon Erlacher, assistant teaching professor and academic director of the MSBA in Sports Analytics. “I just try to give back a little bit to the school that prepared me well. It was a pleasure to host the group,” she said.

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