Published on July 24, 2024 by Dakota Rice  
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This summer, several Samford University Brock School of Business students and leaders served at the Daniel Summit in Carlsbad, California.

The Daniel Summit is a leadership conference that attracts hundreds of men and women within the sports and entertainment industries who share a common goal of using their platform for God.

Samford sports marketing and analytics students played an important role in planning and executing the event. Darin White, executive director for the Center for Sports Analytics (CSA), said, “We are deeply honored to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving at the Daniel Summit. Our involvement in this event allows us to actively live out our faith and contribute to the growth of Christian leaders in the sports industry. It is profoundly impactful for our students to engage with senior-level executives from the sports industry who seek to leverage their influence in sports for the Kingdom of God.”

Marshal Smith ’22, a current student in the Master of Business sports business concentration, has been running the summit’s social media, while White is on the summit’s leadership team. In addition, several students served at the summit in hospitality and transportation roles.

The 2024 Daniel Summit boasted prominent national Christian speakers, such as Christine Caine, Jon Gordon and Rich Wilkerson, Jr. Other speakers included executives from professional sports teams, inspirational authors and sports broadcasters.

Alyssa Ryals, a rising senior, attended the summit, where she created and built relationships with others who share a passion for faith in athletics.

“The Daniel Summit was truly a remarkable experience,” Ryals said. “I was able to connect with several individual professionals that could boost my Olympic aspirations, relate to my trials, and support my faith. Since that weekend I have hosted LinkedIn conversations and personal phone calls with those that I met. I am starting a new journey with ‘Uncommon Sports Group.’ which is an organization of Christian sports professionals. They host weekly devotions, book recommendations and have a mentorship program that I am excited to dive into. I certainly look forward to future years at the Daniel Summit.”

The variety of resources and expertise presented at the Daniel Summit reflect Samford’s intersection of faith and learning. It’s imperative to raise Christian leaders into the sports industry to utilize their influence for God’s glory, and these students are already rising to the challenge. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.