An Inside Look at the Harvard Undergraduate Sports Lab

Two Harvard students had an idea to build a sports business community.

In 2022, Tai Tatum and Ayah Al-Zubi launched Harvard Sports Undergraduate Sports Lab (HUSL).

One year later, they coordinated the first sports business conference at Harvard College. 300+ people attended and the community continues to grow.

HUSL focuses on 3 things:

1. Sports Business - partner with sports executives & companies to provide opportunities for students

2. Academia - launch a sports scholar fellowship program and podcast series

3. Philanthropy - partner with the community to increase awareness of the positive impact of sports & fundraise

The inaugural November conference featured executives from Amazon, New Balance, Boston Red Sox, WHOOP, and Under Armour to name a few. Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony was the keynote speaker.

Kirby Porter, a sports entrepreneur and ‘18 Harvard graduate, launched a podcast series with HUSL to talk about college athletes and branding. She was a Harvard student-athlete, having played basketball for the Crimson. Porter is now the founder of New Game Labs, a creator-driven platform that connects athletes and tech through strategic partnerships.

More colleges need to leverage their brand and create sports communities like HUSL. As we witness the growth of NIL, it’s likely more universities will invest more resources into the sports industry.