Entrepreneurial major examines the NFL’s German fan base expansion with Instagram

Ever wonder how you take such a culturally embedded product and transport it to another country? Ashlyn Casey ’25, a student-designed entrepreneurship major used her Independent Study at The College of Wooster to find out. 

Casey’s I.S. incorporated both her major and a lifelong passion for sports by examining how the NFL expanded its fan base in Germany through the use of Instagram. The Oakton, Virginia native played on Women’s Lacrosse as a starter and served as the chapter president for ​​Morgan’s Message, a nonprofit organization that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community.   

“I love that my project doesn’t just sit in one discipline—it blends marketing, culture, sports, and communication.” 

—Ashlyn Casey ’25 

MY I.S. 

Casey: Sports have long served as a global cultural bridge because of their ability to connect people of different backgrounds through shared traditions, competition, and collective experiences. I wanted to understand how American Football—a sport that’s huge in the U.S. but not traditionally popular in Germany—has managed to attract fans in another culture. I analyzed five weeks of posts from the main NFL page and the NFL Germany account to see how they use different marketing strategies for each audience. It’s kind of like figuring out how a brand successfully promotes itself in a new country with a different language, humor, and sports traditions. 

EXCITING ASPECTS 

Casey: What excites me most about my I.S. is the vast potential for expansion. The NFL in Germany is just one case study, and it opens the door to exploring how other sports might grow internationally or how social media is transforming fan engagement across cultures. My study also raises bigger questions about cultural adaptation. For example, what works in one country might not work in another and figuring it out is like solving a puzzle. Ultimately, understanding how culture shapes content is not just a marketing advantage. It’s essential for successful market integration. 

EMPOWERED IN MY FIELD 

Casey: My I.S. gave me the chance to take full ownership of a topic I care about and really dive into it on my own terms. I was able to research issues I have always been curious about. Most of these questions arose during my time in my study abroad program and my travels throughout Europe during that semester. It was truly amazing to be able to take a topic I had pondered in passing and develop a whole project around it. 

SUPPORTIVE SCOT COMMUNITY 

Casey: The biggest thing was that the community around me engaged in conversations about my project. They allowed me to discuss my findings and seemed genuinely interested in the project itself. My advisor, ​​Dr. Peter Abramo, let me run with my idea and really see where the project would take me, and for that, I am forever grateful. 

MY TAKEAWAYS 

Casey presenting her I.S. Photo courtesy Ashlyn Casey.

Casey: My I.S. taught me to be independent, resilient, and adaptable. I learned how to manage a long-term project from beginning to end regardless of the obstacles that arose. It taught me how to ask sharper questions, sift through research critically, and analyze real-world content in a meaningful way. Most importantly, it showed me the value of connecting my academic work to real-life interests and gave me confidence that I can contribute something original to the field.

CELEBRATION! 

Casey: I spent I.S. Monday with my teammates. We went downtown and then just hung around at the house all day. I also celebrated earning I.S. honors with my family at the end of the year by going to City Square Steakhouse. 

WHAT’S NEXT 

Casey: I will be attending the Fox School of Business at Temple University to receive my M.S. in sports business while simultaneously earning an MBA in sports administration from the Real Madrid Graduate School.  

Featured image: Ashlyn Casey ’25, photo provided by subject.

Posted in Independent Study on June 20, 2025.