Southampton Solent University logo
Southampton Solent University logo

Working together

Solent University and Southampton FC have a long history of working together, enabling student success and developing work ready, world ready, future ready graduates. Located a stone’s throw away from St Mary’s Stadium, the home of the Saints, Solent is proud to be the Club's official university partner.

In July 2021 we announced a strategic partnership with the club, building upon the strong foundations already established. The partnership will see Solent and Saints collaborating to attract, retain and develop future learners and sporting talent while growing Southampton’s reputation as a leading global destination for sports coaching and development.

Growing participation among under-represented communities in football

With ambitious plans to grow Saints' presence in the women’s game, Solent and Saints are working together to recruit, retain and develop the women’s game. Our partnership will see Solent and Saints develop and promote education and career pathways, offering exclusive opportunities and taster experiences that attract and retain leading talent to the South coast.

This activity will be amplified throughout the season, with Solent’s logo sitting proudly on the sleeve of Southampton FC’s women’s team. Our Test Park facility will also host training sessions for Saints Regional Talent Club throughout the season. We’ll be getting behind the team throughout the year, celebrating success and offering academic insight and enrichment activities. 

Attracting, developing and retaining future talent

Students from a range of courses across the University will gain access to real-world industry experience at the Club, with some experiences now embedded within our curriculum. Students studying on the BSc (Hons) Football Studies course will receive over 20 hours of professional coaching and development from the Southampton FC coaching team. Meanwhile students studying on our BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching degree have the chance to participate in a range of volunteering projects with both young people and older adults, positively impacting the community and supporting student learning

Many of our students have gone on to secure employment at the Club, with our alumni community working in a variety of roles at Saints, from supporting the first team at the Club's training ground, to back-office support functions.

Here are just a few of the success stories from our time working together

saints-foundation-10-yearsSolent celebrates a decade of volunteering with Saints Foundation
Since 2014, students on the University's sport coaching degree have participated in a range of volunteering projects with both young people and older adults, positively impacting the community and supporting student learning.

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st-marys-externalSports journalism students experience Southampton FC match days
BA (Hons) Sports Journalism and MA Sports Broadcast Journalism students have received the unique opportunity to experience multiple matchdays from a press perspective. 

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adam-whyteSolent alumnus: Adam Whyte
Adam Whyte, Social Media Lead at Southampton FC and sports journalism graduate, tells us how his degree opened the doors to a successful career in the football industry.

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international-womens-dayCelebrating International Women's Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Anya Higgins, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, sat down with Martina Heath, General Manager at Saints FC (Women and Girls), to discuss the importance of more women taking up a career in professional sport.

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Leading impact-driven knowledge exchange and research activity

With research and knowledge exchange a priority for Solent, we’ll be working with the Club to develop academic-led research projects that will help to influence the future of the game. Working in partnership through the Football Science and Performance Research Group, we are combining academic research with applied learnings and insights from the Club to shape the game both on and off the pitch.

Our student community will also be at the forefront of our research and knowledge exchange activity, working with the Club’s charitable arm, the Saints Foundation on community-focused projects that deliver long-term impact to our local communities. Fans and the local community will also get involved through our public engagement activity.

Telling our story and recognising success

Throughout the duration of the partnership Solent and Saints branding will be clearly visible at St Mary’s Stadium, creating a sense of community and togetherness. Our student, staff and alumni community will also be getting involved in matchday activity.

Celebrating the success and achievements of those involved in activity on and off the pitch will play a central role. A number of Saints legends are Honorary Doctorates at the University, with  Matt Le Tissier, Francis Benali and Lawrie McMenemy among those who have received recognition.

We’ll be regularly sharing stories on how our communities are benefiting from the partnership - keep an eye on this page for updates.

Interested in discovering more about the partnership or getting
involved with the activity? If so, get in touch with our
Communities Development Team.

Email us now