Feb. 11, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
On Feb. 6, 22 Western students had the opportunity to attend a career fair at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, followed by a game between the Trail Blazers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Tickets and transportation were provided by the Center for Professional Pathways, and students were also given the option to travel to the event on their own. Western students were not the only ones in attendance, with students from multiple universities around the area attending, as well as individuals looking for more information regarding the industry. The career fair was focused on career fields within the sports industry and featured local teams as well as other sports-related organizations. Upon check-in, attendees were given the chance to receive complimentary professional headshots. The event continued with a panel of current Portland Trail Blazers employees. The department most represented was the sales team, although it was made clear that there were many different options within the Trail Blazers’ organization for employment. These career options include, but are not limited to, media communications, fan engagement and game day operations. The panel was subject to questions about their path into the sporting industry as well as advice for aspiring professionals. Questions lasted for about 45 minutes, after which students were able to go up individually to introduce themselves to the three panel members and have a discussion about what they might do in the coming years to achieve their career goals.
Just down the Veterans Memorial concourse from where the panel was held, representatives from multiple teams and companies were present, sharing information about their upcoming career opportunities. Along with the Trail Blazers, representatives from the Portland Timbers, Rip City Remix, Portland Fire, Portland Thorns, Seattle Storm, Corvallis Knights and Portland Bangers were also in attendance. As for non-team-affiliated representatives, the University of Oregon Sports Product Management and Oregon Golf Association were in attendance along with others. Attendees were not only allowed, but encouraged to bring paper copies of their resumes to the event to share with representatives from different tables. The career fair portion of the event lasted just over an hour and was an excellent opportunity for students to put themselves in front of professionals and decision makers within organizations they aspire to become a part of.
After the conclusion of the fair, students were then able to make their way to the other part of the Rose Quarter to see the 23-28 Trail Blazers take on the 20-29 Grizzlies. Both teams sat next to each other in the Western Conference standings going into the game, with the Blazers at 10th and the Grizzlies at 11th. The Grizzlies were without point guard Ja Morant due to an elbow injury and were fresh off of trading 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr., to the Jazz. As for Portland, it was point guard Scoot Henderson’s first game of the season after suffering a torn hamstring in the offseason. With 7:39 left in the first quarter, Henderson subbed in for Shaedon Sharpe, prompting heavy cheers from Trail Blazers fans who’ve been waiting for months to see Henderson return to the lineup. Henderson struggled a bit, which is typical of players returning from a long layoff. He was still able to make some decent contributions, especially in setting up shots for teammates, finishing with nine assists. In addition to the assists, he concluded the game with 11 points, five rebounds, one steal and five turnovers, which the Blazers will hope to see cleaned up in the coming weeks as Henderson reacclimates to the intensity of NBA competition. Students at the game were also able to witness the Trail Blazers debut of Vit Krejci, who came over from Atlanta in a trade that included Blazers fan favorite Duop Reath. Krejci made an impact early, scoring 11 points and adding two blocks. Krejci may turn out to be a steal of a player and provide quality three-point shooting, which the Blazers have lacked in recent seasons following the initial departure of Damian Lillard. At six-foot-eight, Krejci might provide some defensive versatility to the team as well. Up big towards the end of the game, the Blazers subbed in Yang Hansen, the Blazers’ 2025 first-round draft selection. While the crowd was smaller and a bit less interested due to the lopsided score of the game, it was rejuvenated when Hansen entered the court and absolutely erupted when he found his first points of the game off an assist from Blake Wesley to put the Blazers ahead by 30. The game ended in a 135-115 Blazers victory — capping off a fun night for students in attendance.
The next upcoming event from the Center for Professional Pathways is the HEXS ProConnect. The event will take place Thursday, Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the upstairs portion of the Student Success Center. The event will include food, bingo and the ability to earn Paw Points that can then be redeemed for prizes. ProConnect events are similar to a career fair and a way for students to meet with professionals in a field of their interest; HEXS ProConnect is geared towards anyone who is interested in a career in health and exercise science and would like to learn more about it. Even those who’ve never considered a career in the HEXS field can attend and see if something piques their interest. Students who would like to attend the event can register on Handshake and email any questions regarding the event to pathways@wou.edu.
Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu
