WSU’s sport administration programs are seeing big changes as the spring semester begins. The degree programs will have a new title—sport management, and those programs are now housed in the newly-formed Department of Sport Management.

The new degree title reflects what is now considered as the most commonly used term to describe academic programs that prepare students for administrative careers in various sport settings. Evidence of this can be found in the name of the leading academic organization in the field, the North American Society for Sport Management, and the organization which evaluates sport management programs, the Council on Sport Management Acccreditation.

The new department, which houses both the bachelor’s and master’s sport management programs, was formed after the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Studies was re-organized into two units—Sport Management and Human Performance Studies

“The two new departments were created because of the divergent nature of the two disciplines and the rapid growth in career opportunities and student enrollment in both areas,” Dr. Sharon Iorio, dean of the College of the Education (COE), said.

The department will continue to be a part of the COE, and while a move to new offices in the Heskett Center is in the works, sport management faculty and staff will remain in their current office assignments for the time being.

Courses will continue to be listed in the university catalog under the old KSS designation for the spring and summer semesters. The new SMGT department code will be in place when the 2008-09 university catalog is released.

Sport Administration students enjoy many opportunities to enhance their professional preparation. A few of these opportunities are summarized below.

Click here (attach mp3 file to text) to listen to Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman talk about WSU student and Reds' intern Shun Miyamura.

Dallas Trip: Sponsored by the Sport Administration Student Association in partnership with WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning in 2005
-NBA's Dallas Mavericks
-AFL's Dallas Desperados
-The Cooper Institute
-The Baylor-Tom Landry Fitness Center
-The Big 12 Conference
Click here to see the group in front of American Airlines Center, before attending sportcareer fair and Mavericks - Grizzlies game

Houston Trip: Sponsored by WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning in 2005
-Houston Astros
-Houston Rockets and Comets
-University of Houston

Colorado Trip: Sponsored by WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning in 2006
-Colorado Avalanche
-Colorado Rockies
-Denver Broncos
-Denver Nuggets
-U.S. Olympic Training Center

Sport Administration Career Fair: Co-Sponsored by the Sport Administration Student Association and WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning each year. The event features sport businesses from throughout the area who are looking to hire WSU students as interns or regular employees.
Click here to see some of our Sport Adminstration Student Association students helping out
Click here to see one of the company booths that came to the fair