From left: HSP and teams’ owner Baye Adofo-Wilson, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, William Paterson President Richard J. Helldobler and New Jersey State Senator Benjie Wimberly.<br />
– William Paterson University
William Paterson University (WP) has announced a new strategic partnership with Hinchliffe Sports Partners (HSP), operators of historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson and owners of the New Jersey Jackals baseball team and New York Cosmos soccer team.
Under the agreement, William Paterson University will serve as the official university partner of both professional teams.
The partnership:
- Provides on-campus housing for Jackals and Cosmos players, along with access to University athletic facilities for training and practice, and University dining services
- Creates priority internship opportunities for WP students across multiple disciplines, including marketing, communications and social media, sales, accounting, stadium and team operations, sports data and analytics, merchandise and licensing, athletic training, website management and graphic design
- Establishes a staffed University presence on the Hinchliffe Stadium concourse during games to support community outreach in Paterson
- Offers discounted game tickets to William Paterson students and employees
“This innovative new collaboration reflects our shared values of opportunity, access and excellence,” said Richard J. Helldobler, president of William Paterson University.
“We are excited for this partnership and what it means for William Paterson and our students; for Hinchliffe Sports Partners and these two storied professional sports teams; and for the City of Paterson, where our institution began more than 170 years ago.
“We continue to maintain strong community ties throughout Paterson, and we are excited by the opportunity to forge new ones, like the partnership we celebrate here today.”
The partnership further reinforces William Paterson University’s long-standing relationship with the City of Paterson, where the institution began as the Paterson City Normal School in 1855.
“We are really excited about this partnership,” said Baye Adofo-Wilson, owner of Hinchliffe Sports Partners, the Jackals and the Cosmos. “It’s important that you have institutions like William Paterson that are engaged in the community and in our cities.
“[William Paterson] is a spectacular campus in close proximity to the stadium. And I wanted us to grow together and for the players to have a space where they feel safe, where they feel comfortable, and because of their ages, I think it’s important for them to be in an educational environment.”
As part of the agreement, the Jackals and Cosmos will live and practice on the University’s campus before playing home games at Paterson’s restored Hinchliffe Stadium, deepening the connection between the University and its native city.
