Anthony Bisner

When asked what attracted him to Russell Sage College for his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Anthony Bisner doesn’t hesitate.

“The internship program,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that you get what you work for, not what you wish for.”

And while hands-on experiences were a major draw, Russell Sage’s inclusive and family-like community also appealed to him.

“My professors would know truly who Anthony Bisner was. I wouldn’t be just another body in a class. It felt like the place where I needed to be.”

Bisner described how his professors helped him with everything from organization and time management when he was a first-year student, to resumes, references, and career advice more recently.

His own initiative opened the next doors — to a great internship with the Albany Firebirds arena football team, an unforgettable experience with the Savannah Bananas baseball team, and to a full-time position with the Firebirds.

Bisner’s internship began in game operations and encompassed everything from scriptwriting for the PA announcer to cueing in-game entertainment. He filled in as the show manager when his supervisor was out, and on one particularly warm day, as Spike, the team mascot, during Albany’s Tulip Fest. His role later expanded to include public relations and ticket sales.

Coworkers at the Firebirds connected Bisner to an opportunity with the Savannah Bananas baseball team, known as “the greatest show in sports” for its high-energy, highly-entertaining take on baseball. He joined the Savannah Bananas merchandising staff during sold-out Banana Ball games at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and at Yankee Stadium in New York.

“Philly was 49,000 fans for two nights, and then Yankee Stadium was 55,000 fans, two nights,” he said. “It was truly beautiful to be able to work in those settings and use my skills. One day you’re navigating through an empty stadium, and the next, a sold-out stadium, making sure people are stocked.”

He learned a new point-of-sale system and inventory management techniques, and loved seeing how the behind-the-scenes operations he experienced with the Firebirds played out on a bigger stage.

“It was awesome, especially being a baseball junkie like me,” said the lifelong Yankees fan. “I made the 6-year-old me proud.”

Back at Sage for fall semester, Bisner volunteered with the Cohoes Spindles United Football Club’s Soccer Tots program for young children as part of the RSC 301: Innovating to Impact class, and began a full-time position in ticket sales for the Firebirds, which he can do as he finishes his business degree.

While Sage offers a Sport and Recreation Management major, Bisner said its Business Administration program’s emphasis on management, marketing, and finance combined with a  sport management concentration offered the best of both worlds: broad business knowledge and a sports-specific focus that supports his long-term goal of working in a professional sports front office.

The Watervliet, New York, native will complete his bachelor’s in May 2026. “I’ve built a very diversified work portfolio, so I feel confident with the knowledge I’ve learned at Sage and hands-on, in the professional world,” he said. “I’m definitely ready.”