University of Tasmania and Tasmania Devils Announce Partnership

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has expanded its commercial integration with the Tasmania Devils, signing a multi-year deal to become the expansion AFL club’s Official Higher Education Partner.

The formal agreement organises over two years of operational collaboration across tertiary education, workforce development, executive training, and shared high-performance infrastructure ahead of the club’s entry into the national Australian Football League and AFLW competitions.

Central to the partnership is a focus on developing local industry capabilities and providing dual-career pathways for dual-gender athletes, sports administrators, and allied health professionals across the state.

Emphasising the alignment between the state’s flagship tertiary institution and the expansion franchise, GM of commercial and partnerships at the Tasmania Devils, James Creak, said: “We’re proud to have the University of Tasmania, our state’s premier tertiary education provider, as our Official Higher Education Partner.”

“Our Devils’ purpose is to ‘Honour the Map and Inspire the Future’. Our partnership with the University of Tasmania brings that purpose to life, connecting two organisations with a shared ambition to create opportunities for Tasmanians.

“Together, we have an exciting opportunity to connect education and sport, open new pathways for students and athletes, and make a meaningful contribution to communities across our state.

“We’re excited about what we can achieve together and the lasting impact this partnership can have for Tasmania,” Creak said.

Highlighting the importance of creating off-field career pathways within the regional sports economy, executive director of global marketing and recruitment at UTAS, Michelle Weir, added:  “There is an entire workforce behind an elite sporting organisation, and this partnership gives our students the opportunity to explore those careers and build connections to an industry that is growing here in Tasmania.”

“Whether their future is in business, events, marketing, health, performance or another part of the industry, we want students to see that there are exciting career pathways connected to the game that go well beyond playing it.

“Both the University and the Devils are deeply connected to communities across Tasmania.

“By working together, we have an opportunity to use education and sport to create pathways, build aspiration and contribute to communities across our state,” Weir said. 

The agreement builds upon UTAS’s existing support for the Blundstone Tasmanian Academy of Leadership and Sport (TALS), an initiative established by the Devils in 2025.

Under the existing TALS framework, UTAS and the club launched an accelerated 2.5-year degree program offering graduates 1.5 years of advanced standing toward a Bachelor of Business.

The formal alliance will grant UTAS students direct access to work-integrated learning placements across various club operations, including business management, event delivery, sports marketing, sports science, and high-performance health services.

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