Robert Prior Wins Big at Red Sox Fantasy Camp
How the Academic Lead of the Sports Leadership Program Went From the Classroom to a Championship Ring
For Robert Prior, Academic Lead and Associate Teaching Professor for Northeastern University’s Master of Sports Leadership program, baseball has always been more than a game. A former college ballplayer, he later built a long career in professional sports communications. Along the way, Prior promised himself that someday he would experience the ultimate fan’s dream: Red Sox Fantasy Camp.
This past winter, he finally checked that bucket-list item off, and came home with a championship ring.
Boston Red Sox Fantasy Camp, held in Fort Myers, Florida, brings nearly 100 participants together for a week of baseball. Players are drafted onto teams, coached by Red Sox legends, and compete in daily games. “It’s the full experience,” Prior explained. “We had rookie evaluations, a draft, and then played nearly 50 straight innings. Our roster was short due to injuries.”
Despite setbacks, Prior’s team thrived, finishing 5–1 atop the Williams Division. In the playoffs, they trailed 2–0 heading into the final inning of the Division Championship game. Prior stepped to the plate with runners on base. His clutch hit drove in two runs and sparked a walk-off win that sent his team to the Fantasy Camp Championship. That night, they sealed the title with a 6–2 victory at JetBlue Park.
Despite having been to two World Series during his time working with the Atlanta Braves, this win felt different for Prior. “That was thrilling as part of my job,” he reflected. “But this; this was personal. This was over the top, so personally gratifying.”
The celebration doesn’t end in Florida. On Thursday, September 18, Prior and his teammates will step onto the field at Fenway Park to receive their 2025 Fantasy Camp Championship rings before the Red Sox–A’s game. The next day, they’ll return for a reunion game at Fenway.
The moment also connects back to the Northeastern Sports Leadership community. One of Prior’s former students, Cora Climo ’21, was a standout soccer player at Bucknell before joining the program in Boston. She landed internships with Harvard Athletics and the Red Sox, then was hired full-time by Fenway Sports Management. The Red Sox Fantasy Camp became part of her professional portfolio. “It’s amazing to see former students shaping the industry,” Prior said. “To experience it firsthand as a participant was incredibly special.”
“It’s amazing to see former students shaping the industry,” Prior said, “and then to experience it firsthand as a participant was incredibly special.”
For Prior, the Fantasy Camp win is more than a personal milestone, it’s a story he brings back to his students. “In this program, we emphasize leadership, teamwork, and resilience,” he said. “This experience was a reminder that those lessons are just as valuable on the field as they are in the classroom or in the front office.”
