The Business Ballers

When it came time to choose an MBA program, Kaya Ingram weighed much of the same information any student thinks about.

She visited schools to get a sense of campus and community. She considered the reputations of their academic offerings. She thought about their locations and the possible career networks they could offer.

But she also had one factor at play that set her apart from most MBA candidates: a year of eligibility to play NCAA basketball. 

The mix of location, curriculum, reputation — and the chance to represent the Broncos on the court — led Ingram to Santa Clara and the Leavey School of Business. After graduating from Cornell, where the guard led the basketball team in both scoring and assists, she brought her basketball and business skills to the West Coast.

“I knew I wanted to go the business route because I think it opens up a lot of doors,” Ingram says. “And a Leavey MBA, I think, would open a lot of doors in Silicon Valley.”

Xs and Os of Leadership

Ingram is just one of an abundance of student-athletes who call the Leavey School of Business their academic home. 

Her teammates, Hannah Rapp and Lauren Grover, are undergraduate business students. So are men’s basketball players Johnny O’Neil, Jake Ensminger and Allen Graves. For another example, a whopping six members of the superstar women’s soccer team are business students: Mia Adams, Daniela Cervantes Moner, Karly Reeves, Alexandra Reynolds, Kylie Stiles and Addie Whitehouse.

Like Ingram, men’s basketball star O’Neil chose Santa Clara after starting his athletic and academic career elsewhere, at American University. 

“I was looking for a better basketball program and an opportunity to play at a higher level,” O’Neil says of his decision to enter the transfer portal. “Then my visit here let me know how prestigious the Leavey School of Business was, and I knew it was going to be a good fit.”

In his first season as a Bronco in 2023–24, the forward O’Neil led the team in rebounding, steals and blocks and was the only player to start all 33 games. Ask him about career highlights, and he’ll quickly point to beating Gonzaga at home in his first  season here — and then again on the road this season. 

“We went and beat them at their place this year,” he says, “so that was maybe even a better feeling just being able to go into their arena and beat them in front of all their fans. But it was great, too, being able to celebrate with the Santa Clara community when we did it at home.”

He’s made his mark on the court, but he says his studies in marketing have also made their mark on him.

“I’ve learned marketing is so much more than what I thought it was when I started school, especially the psychology,” O’Neil says. “I think it's helped me personally as an athlete, as well. Learning how to build a brand and the different things that go into that, and figuring out what you want to represent.”

Both Ingram and O’Neil note that the lessons from athletics and academics work both ways. When the time comes for a group project or other classroom activity, their on-court team dynamics and hard-earned leadership skills often come in handy.

“We do learn about the X's and O's of leadership, if you will, in my classes,” Ingram says. “But I think my real experience with leading people comes from athletics.”

Balancing Act

As he winds down his senior year, O’Neil’s daily course load is not as heavy as it once was. But his in-season days are still long — and typical of the dedication of student-athletes.

Wake up. Work out. Go to class. Go to another class. Eat, preferably something reasonably healthy. Head to practice. Watch game film on the next opponent. Go home and tackle any class assignments that need doing. Sleep. Wake up and repeat.

Ingram’s schedule shares many similarities, but with a twist: She’s studying online in Leavey’s asynchronous MBA program, which gives her the freedom to view class materials or do other academic tasks when it’s most convenient. The MBA program, built for working professionals, ends up suiting the life of a student-athlete quite well.

“Still, you are able to really build relationships with your classmates,” Ingram says. “So much of the work is group projects. And I think also the in-person residency that we do at the beginning of the program really helps connect you with your cohort of classmates.”

Ingram and O’Neil have different goals for their post-collegiate lives, but both still feel the inevitable draw of sports.

“Ideally, I'd like to play over here in the NBA,” O’Neil says. “So I'm going to be doing workouts and going through that process. But I'm also open to playing professionally overseas, because there are also a lot of opportunities there.”

Ingram, on the other hand, is less interested in playing pro but still can’t fully imagine herself moving away from the court entirely. 

“It’s been a part of my life all my life,” she says. “I think it would be kind of cool to stay in the sports industry — but on the business side of sports.”