They're a team of five first-year Tamil-Canadian undergraduate students at the Schulich School of Business, York University who have made it to the final round of the prestigious 2024-2025 MLSE Case Competition.
The MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) Case Competition is an annual business challenge hosted by MLSE—the company behind Toronto’s biggest sports franchises, including the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), and Toronto Argonauts (CFL).
But here’s what makes their achievement even more extraordinary: None of them have ever taken a marketing course or had any prior exposure to marketing before competing in this sponsorship marketing case competition.
Yet, against all odds, they have advanced further than Schulich’s MBA and Master of Marketing teams, becoming the only Schulich team to reach the final round.
Check out Season 1 of our Identity podcast!
- Shakthi / Theatre, Intergenerational Trauma and Australian Tamil Identity
- Identity Podcast: Anuk/ Language, Grief and Tamil Community
- Maral/ Art, Belonging & Armenian-Iraqi-Canadian Identity
- Identity Podcast: Shuba/ Music, Feminism and Dual Identities
From an initial field of 1,350+ students across 279 teams from Canada, the USA, France, and Spain, this South Asian "dream team" is now one of the final 16 teams. On February 1 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, they will compete for the championship title and the opportunity to land a paid Summer Associate Internship in MLSE’s Global Partnerships department.
Their journey is a testament to determination, talent, and the incredible diversity of Schulich students.
Keep an eye on these rising stars—they’re just getting started!
