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USC Marshall’s Leventhal School of Accounting Partners with USC Football for Financial Wellness Workshops

USC Marshall’s Leventhal School of Accounting Partners with USC Football for Financial Wellness Workshops

Faculty experts help Trojan student-athletes through workshops centered around financial literacy, investment, taxation, and more.

by: Alexander Bernard
03.26.26
football student-athletes at the financial wellness workshop

The USC Football Team attends financial wellness workshops on prudent investing strategies.

[USC Photo / Grayson Adler]

Featured

  • Shane Heitzman

    Shane Heitzman
    • Associate Professor of Accounting
  • Andy Call

    Andy Call
    • Dean, USC Leventhal School of Accounting
    • Alan Casden Dean’s Chair
    • Professor of Accounting

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USC Leventhal School of Accounting at the Marshall School of Business is partnering with the USC Football program for a series of financial wellness workshops centered on sound financial habits, investing, and long-term planning. The workshops support student-athletes navigating the new landscape of paid college athletics and name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.

Since the passing of the California Student-Athlete Bill of Rights in 2013, the Trojan athletics department has embraced student-athlete financial literacy through educational programs and resources. Yet, across the country, many college players lack the resources to make prudent financial decisions. According to a 2018 NCAA report, the majority of student-athletes don’t have a basic financial education when first entering college, with only 21% keeping a personal budget.

Through the workshop series, Leventhal faculty members impart essential lessons in credit management, resource ownership, and fiscal responsibility to ensure players’ financial well-being.

“Identifying and cultivating game-changing partnerships is critically important to the success of USC Athletics, and this collaboration with Leventhal and Marshall is a textbook example of how our department can leverage on-campus expertise and resources to ensure our student-athletes continue to reach their full potential in all they do,” said Jen Cohen, USC athletics director.

Leventhal Dean Andy Call believes the partnership exemplifies the university's holistic approach to education. The workshops, Call explains, demonstrate how USC takes care of its student-athletes beyond the gridiron.

“Leventhal and the athletic department are going to take an interest in each student-athlete as a whole person, not just what they can do on the field,” Call said. “That says a lot about the university. It says a lot about the athletic department. And I think there are student-athletes, including prospective student-athletes and their families, for whom that message will resonate.”

The student-athletes have already attended two workshops on investment strategies, taught by Shane Heitzman, associate professor of accounting. Through examples of long-term stock trends, Heitzman showed how a small investment today can compound into a massive return down the road.

“[The goal is for] your money to make more money than you do,” Heitzman said to the team.

Leaving the session, Braylan Shelby, a senior defensive end and Marshall student, was excited about applying the financial teachings to his own life.

“As a football player, we’re so focused on what happens on the field that it’s easy to overlook what’s happening off it, but we have a platform and an opportunity, and these presentations give us the tools to actually understand our money, how to manage it, grow it, and protect it,” Shelby said. “That’s something that matters way beyond our playing careers, and I think every athlete, no matter where they are in their careers, needs that foundation.”

Leventhal and the athletic department are going to take an interest in each student-athlete as a whole person, not just what they can do on the field.

— Dean Andy Call

Leventhal School of Accounting

Heitzman urged players to take advantage of USC’s wealth of resources, emphasizing their access to the top accounting and finance experts in their fields. Routinely ranked at or near the top of American accounting schools, Leventhal offers invaluable expertise for developing financial security, the professor says.

“We train the finest finance and accounting professionals in the country. We want to bring some of that knowledge to you guys,” Heitzman said in the workshop. “Now’s the time to make it grow. Now’s the time to start creating that financial enterprise and we’re going to walk through how to do that.”

In just two sessions, Heitzman was encouraged by the players, who brought eager participation and enthusiasm to the lesson.

“This is an amazing group of students,” Heitzman said. “I wish more classrooms were like that.”

Khalilah Lauderdale, associate athletic director for student services, highlighted how the workshops fit into Leventhal, Marshall, and the athletic department’s shared culture of excellence.

“Winning is simply what we do, fueled by unbeatable teamwork,” Lauderdale said. “When you combine Marshall and Leventhal — two top-ranked programs renowned for academic excellence, career trajectory, industry influence, and global reach — the outcome speaks for itself: this partnership is built for those who expect to win the era.”

In future workshops, visiting Leventhal and Marshall faculty will expand lessons to include tax planning, insurance, and other critical subjects. Dean Call relishes the opportunity to partner with USC Athletics and hopes to expand financial workshops to other Trojan teams and the broader student population. After all, as Call says, financial literacy is anything but optional.

“It’s mandatory to go to the weight room because your physical health and strength is important to your success, and I would say their financial health and well-being is also important to their success,” Call said.

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