Sport management, a new major from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, has quickly become one of the fastest-growing majors on campus.
Since its approval in February, it has grown to more than 270 students under its banner.
The major focuses on teaching students the different aspects of sports that occur on and off the field, which can range from finances and sponsorships to statistics and player representation.
Nick Watanabe, one of the sports management professors, correlates the popularity of the major to the massive job potential it has.
Watanabe said between professional teams, sporting good companies, colleges and recreational facilities, sports management has thousands of jobs available.
“You could work as an administrator, general marketer, accountant, engineer, the list goes on and on because each of those sports companies need people with specific knowledge of the business of sports,” Watanabe said. “It’s one of the few fields in the job market that is still growing in our country.”
Academic adviser Patrick Patterson described the classes the major would require.
“You would start with an intro class taught by Dr. Bryan Maggard (senior associate athletic director of student services) where you would learn the basics of business, finance, economics, law and anything else that has to do with a sport company,” Patterson said. “That class is open to everyone on campus, so take it if you think you may be interested.”
From there, students move on to emphasis classes, internships and shadow programs.
“We try to get students the all-around experience before they graduate,” Patterson said.
Several sports management majors have already found success interning for major corporations, including senior Clark Williams, who interned for the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s office during the investigation of the Los Angeles Dodgers over the summer.
“They needed an intern while they were looking at the Dodgers finances, and luckily I was accepted,” Williams said. “It was an incredible experience.”
Williams also said he understood the popularity behind sport management.
“Sports are incredibly popular, especially for our generation,” Williams said. “I wanted to be a part of the other aspects of sport, the things that happen behind the scenes. If students want that too, they should look into it.”