Context
Facing a challenging period both on the field and in terms of player recruitment nationwide, McGill University tasked Celsius with providing an external perspective on their football program and guiding them in the development of strategic pathways leading to a potential internal recovery plan.
Concept
The benchmarking exercise aimed to provide a comprehensive 360-degree view of the student-athlete experience, including sports, administrative, financial, academic, and student life aspects. To achieve this, Celsius identified 10 football programs across the country and conducted interviews with the sports department officials of these institutions, from which McGill could draw inspiration or validate their own institutional approach. Additionally, efforts were made to solicit input and feedback from important stakeholders in the Redbirds fandom, including alumni, parents of players, student fans via social media networks, and, of course, the players of the current 2024 Redbirds team.
Deliverables
Among the project’s audit deliverables are:
A synopsis table summarizing the key findings from the 10 surveyed universities.
An executive summary containing the most significant points regarding Football operations, student-athlete experience, and fan experience.
A detailed audit of approximately 100 pages, including our assessment of the situation, information gathered during the audit process, some creative ideas, and associated initial recommendations.