Dear McCormack Community,
Reflecting on 2023, it’s clear that our journey has been marked by achievements that underscore our commitment to excellence, innovation, and community. The Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management is more than just a department—we are a dynamic force shaping the future of the sport industry.
The highlight of 2023 was undoubtedly our graduate program being named the world’s #1-ranked postgraduate sport management program by SportBusiness magazine for the second consecutive year. This recognition is not just an accolade but a reflection of our collective effort to foster an environment that prioritizes cutting-edge research, innovative teaching, and a deep understanding of the sport industry.
Our commitment to excellence was further exemplified by our faculty’s achievements, with several members receiving prestigious awards and grants. These accolades underscore our faculty’s role as thought leaders shaping the future of sport management.
In 2023, we celebrated the significant contributions of our alumni, including Christine Franklin, recognized as a Sport Business Journal Class of 2023 Game Changers Honoree; Gloria Nevarez, honored with the 2023 Elaine Sortino Alumna Award for Achievement; Dave Hixon, enshrined at the Basketball Hall of Fame; and Mandy Hixon, named to the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame. Their accomplishments exemplify the leadership and impact our graduates continue to have on the world of sport.
with unparalleled professional development and networking opportunities but also cultivated a sense of community and collaboration at the heart of our department’s ethos.
As we look to the future, our vision is clear: to maintain our leadership in sport management education while evolving to meet the changing dynamics of the industry. We aim to further our research impact, expand our global footprint, and continue to innovate in how we prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the sports industry.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone in the McCormack community. Your dedication, support, and passion for sport management inspire me every day. Together, we are not just navigating the present but are actively shaping the future of the sport industry.
With warmest regards,
Our student organizations have been at the forefront of innovation and service. From the Women in Sport Management (WISM) and the McCormack Strategy and Analytics Club (MSA) to the McCormack Student Leaders (MSL) and the Association of Diversity in Sport (ADS), these clubs have not only provided our students
E. Nicole Melton Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Sport Management
McCormack was named the world’s #1-ranked postgraduate sport management program by SportBusiness magazine for the second consecutive year in 2023. In addition to the global recognition, the surveys ranked McCormack as the top sport management postgraduate program in North America, and as graduates’ top choice. In addition, the program ranked #1 overall as voted by its peer institutions, and this top “Peer Review” ranking is one McCormack has consistently received for most of the last decade.
Sport business executive
Jeffrey Pollack MS ‘03 has been appointed to an initial two-year term as professor of practice for the McCormack Department of Sport Management. The 2022 Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award winner is teaching, mentoring, and supporting industry engagement initiatives. Pollack is an Emmy Award winner with more than 25 years of leadership experience, who most recently served as president and CEO of the XFL.
Amherst College’s longtime head basketball coach Dave Hixon MS ’79 was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2023. After a 42-year stint at Amherst College
resulting in two national championships, two Division III Coach of the Year nods, and participating in Division III NCAA championships 20 times, Hixon is the first Division III coach to make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
MANDY HIXON NAMED TO UMASS ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Mandy Hixon MS ’91 was inducted into the 2023 UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Hixon collected Atlantic 10 Diving Coach of the Year honors 18 times, having coached 11 Minutewomen and 6 Minutemen to Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Diver honors during her 17-year career.
GLORIA NEVAREZ RECEIVED 2023 ELAINE SORTINO ALUMNA AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
The Elaine Sortino Award recognizes a UMass alumna who has made significant contributions in leadership and has obtained excellence in their respective field. Over the past 25 years, Gloria Nevarez ’93 has made monumental impacts at San Jose State University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Oklahoma; the West Coast Conference; and the Pac-12 (then, Pac-10) Conference. Most recently, Nevarez has assumed the role of Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference.
CHRISTINE FRANKLIN NAMED A SPORT BUSINESS JOURNAL GAME CHANGERS HONOREE
Christine Franklin ’00 was named a Sport Business Journal Class of 2023 honoree for her almost 25 years of work with Octagon. The now-executive vice president’s time with Octagon has led her to cover global sponsorship strategy for a variety of brands, specialties, and leagues.
2023 was a fulfilling, productive year for McCormack students, particularly those who lent their time and talents to our department clubs. Service and creativity were on display throughout the spring and fall semesters, with networking opportunities, mentoring, and outings to Worcester, Springfield, Boston, and New York:
Students gather to listen to Dr. Charles Macaulay at the WISM Kickback.
Women in Sport Management had an incredible year filled with growth and club development. Led in the spring by president Brianna Fevrier and in the fall by co-presidents Anna Litteer and Maddie Hay, WISM reached new heights in 2023.
To kick off the semester, WISM hosted the third annual Kickback with McCormack! All students from the department were welcomed outside of Isenberg to play games, meet professors, and find a home within sport management. The McCormack Student Leaders Club (MSL) also graciously hosted a field day before the event, inspiring belongingness for all students regardless of class year.
In greater efforts to ease students’ return to campus, WISM provided members with an ice cream social. Whether discussion was club-related or class-related, members were more than excited to kick off another semester.
Undergraduate and graduate students enjoyed a day in Worcester when they headed to a Worcester Red Sox game. WISM again partnered with Women in Sports and Events (WISE) to provide members the opportunity to hear from professionals in a panel setting and gain insight on how to succeed as a woman in the industry, all while enjoying a WooSox win!
To cap off the year, WISM hosted a Dinner and Discussion at Berkshire Dining Commons. Women in the department networked with industry professionals and alumni while eating from the nation’s #1 best college campus food! The event strengthened student’s connections to the department and the resources it provides.
WISM journeyed out to Westover Municipal Golf Course this fall to hit the driving range one last time before the New England cold weather came. After a successful golf lesson with Professor Melton in the spring, the club wanted to provide students the opportunity to practice before the next season. As always, all sport management students were welcome, and students enjoyed a wonderful 60-degree day on the greens.
During class registration, WISM members attended a meeting surrounding community service. Color-A-Smile gave WISM a chance to de-stress by coloring, but also help to distribute smiles to senior citizens and troops overseas. Members also had the chance to ask upperclassmen questions about classes and registration, as well as to enroll in classes with other club members.
Students hit the range with Dr. Melton.
WISM and McCormack Strategy and Analytics Club (MSA) collaborated to host a professional workshop for students in the sport management department. By hearing from upperclassmen Dhruv Ganapathy, Anna Litteer, Alexa Potack, and Drew Stahl, students were able to ask questions and increase their awareness of internships in the sport industry. To prepare for the career fair, topics such as how to dress professionally, how to deliver an elevator pitch, and how to update your LinkedIn throughout the semester were also discussed.
WISM hosts Dining and Discussion at the Berkshire Dining Commons (top); WISM members participate in the Color-A-Smile community service event (middle).
McCormack Strategy & Analytics had a monumental year of growth and sustained success under the co-presidency of Matthew Holdgate and Nate Archambault.
In May, MSA launched the NFL GM Challenge. With many students having dreams to be a general manager, this event provided a mock NFL Draft simulation that allowed participants to draft existing NFL players to build the best possible roster. In December, this event was rerun, hosting 50 undergraduate and graduate competitors.
The club had various guest speakers who came in to speak about research and analytics at the highest level. Members were able to learn from industry professionals and network with them as well. The speakers included:
• Matt Cassell: NFL Pro Bowler
• Peter Engler: Football Research Assistant, Seattle Seahawks
• Marc Ross: NFL Analyst, NFL Network
• Michael Benson: Director of Business Intelligence, Boston Celtics
When MSA wasn’t hearing from guest speakers or hosting an event, their general body meetings introduced various topics, covering research question formulation, coding skills, and in-depth analytics on basketball, football, baseball, and soccer.
MSA holds their annual NFL GM Challenge.
2023 was a year filled with success for McCormack Student Leaders. Led by a superb executive board, headed by president Eric Grady, MSL accomplished some of the club’s greatest feats to date!
This year, MSL launched Service Through Sport. Victoria Zajda, the director of the program, kickstarted the initiative in the fall and is excited to see it grow. This past semester, MSL connected with Team Unity in Holyoke to provide opportunities for the club to share their passion for sports with children competing in local sports leagues. During the Pioneer Valley Tip Off, all money raised through philanthropy went to Team Unity.
MSL’s premier event, the Pioneer Valley Tip-Off reached new levels this year. In its third year held at the Mullins Center, PVTO director James Piesco and his team worked for months to reach their accomplishments, including, but not limited to, an event-record audience, new and more sponsors, and the first-ever PVTO livestream. The PVTO continues to grow more and more each year, with each year setting a new standard for future events.
MSL continued their annual Spring Sales Summit this year, allowing students the opportunity to dive into the world of sales and network with field professionals. This year, the sales summit was sponsored by Strategy Red, a company that held a pitch competition that provided students the opportunity to give a business pitch and connect with the company.
The summit brought in professionals from four other companies and sports teams: Boston Celtics, New England Revolution, Worcester Red Sox (Woo Sox) and Peak Sport Management.
The club was able to network with industry professionals all year, highlighted by a trip to the Bronx to meet with staff from the New York Yankees, a trip to Boston to network with front office executives within the Boston Celtics organization, and holding a sports marketing panel, where five marketing professionals were brought in.
Understanding the value of teamwork, MSL made an effort to connect more as a club this year. The club began biweekly pickup basketball, held the MSL Olympics, and often spent time together outside of club events.
This year, ADS continued their mission to promote diversity across all sports. Their work, led by president Dhruv Ganapathy, gave students from diverse backgrounds opportunities to connect and find welcoming environments in the sports industry.
In March, ADS brought in the head coaches of the UMass women’s lacrosse, soccer, cheer and club hockey teams. The coaches discussed their thoughts and experiences coaching in women’s sports in a panel discussion to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Clockwise from top: Speakers present at the ADS career fair; recruiters chat with attendees at the fair; UMass Athletics head coaches speak on diversity and coaching women’s sports during Women’s History Month; and the ADS hosts UGames.
ADS Understudies put on a fantastic UGames, an annual video game tournament organized by ADS, with exciting prizes from major league teams.
This year’s career fair was a booming success, bringing 32 professional sport organizations to UMass to meet and network with students interested in a career in the sports industry. The fair was highlighted by teams in the NBA, NHL, collegiate summer baseball leagues, and sports events and operations organizations. Prior to the fair, a panel of industry rookies spoke to students about what to expect in the first year of your professional career. The panelists included:
• Donny Porcaro, Director of Fan Experience, Worcester Bravehearts
• Joe Fallon, General Manager, Mullins Center
• Nia Fredrich, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Mass Golf
• Tyler Maisonet, Inside Sales Manager, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
In the fall, the club brought in Jason Weinhaus, Madison Perlmutter, and Abdullah Khanzada, all former ADS presidents. The trio shared their thoughts and experiences on DEI in the sports industry, their time at UMass and ADS, and their advice for students interested in careers in sport.
ADS also met with Davon Charles, manager of people, inclusion & culture at the Baltimore Ravens and former employee of the Department of Justice. Charles provided a unique background, giving insights on DEI in the sports industry and where the industry is headed in the future.
KATIE SVEINSON NAMED A NORTH AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR SPORT MANAGEMENT (NASSM) RESEARCH
The NASSM Research Fellow Award honors NASSM scholars’ achievements in sport-related scholarship. The designation distinguishes the fellow within NASSM and their own academic community and encourages high standards of scholarship among NASSM members.
During the 2023-24 academic year, Yiran Su and her co-authors were one of four research teams to receive a grant from NCAA to conduct projects designed to enhance student-athletes’ psychosocial well-being and mental health. Su’s research focuses on creating wholeness in athletic branding, which would support student-athletes on personal branding and mental well-being.
Looking back at 2023 allows us to reflect with gratitude on an action-packed and enriching year for our #1 globally ranked MBA/MS graduate programs. I always want to start by thanking the many dedicated alumni who helped shape this program into what it is today!
Our spring semester was highlighted by the successful launch of our international sport business immersion trip, with twenty graduate students touring London and Manchester during spring break in March. This inaugural trip leveraged the full weight of both our alumni base and IMG’s McCormack legacy in the UK and was designed to bring students closer to the global sports ecosystem. Business tours at Wimbledon, F1, London Olympic Park, Premier League Productions, Lord’s Cricket Grounds, the FA, Rugby World Championships, and Manchester City Football Club highlighted an action-packed learning experience for the students. Three live soccer matches, a West End showing of Hamilton, and, yes, a visit to the Ted Lasso pub in Richmond rounded out other experiences enjoyed during our week abroad. This trip challenged students to expand their sport management knowledge base and observe how international sport operates, thus bolstering their academic experience.
Will Norton, Director
As we concluded the spring semester, we celebrated the class of 2023 at our annual grad student send-off. McCormack graduate students continue to set the bar high, and we took the time to toast to their growth and accomplishments in Amherst while also celebrating the impressive array of sport industry jobs they secured upon graduation, including roles with Manchester United, Nike, Wilson Sporting Goods, Excel Sports Management, the McLendon Foundation, Good Sports, the Bay Area WC26 Host Committee, Harvard Athletics, Streamsong Resort, Barstool Sports, Special Olympics NYC, and the Nashua Silver Knights.
Our transition to the fall semester started with a bang, as SportBusiness awarded the program with the #1 global ranking for the second consecutive year! Across over 40 measurement metrics, McCormack was at the top of the class again in quality of faculty, exit salary, female-to-male student ratio, return on investment, and job placement. This ranking is a function of our amazing ‘McCormack Family’, and a distinct source of pride in the halls of Isenberg! We could not accomplish this without the unwavering and unbelievable support of our alumni.
Fall 2023 welcomed to campus a diverse and talented student cohort of 22, with career interests in professional women’s hockey, baseball operations, college athletics, sport philanthropy, sponsorship consulting, and player representation. McCormack graduate students continue to bring a diverse range of professional interests, lived experience, and career aspirations into the halls of Isenberg. This year’s group was the first to experience Professor of Practice Jeffrey Polack in their professional development seminar, replete with industry guests from the NHL, Boston Celtics, and ESPN.
Our fall New York City professional development trip included trips to Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and Excel Sports Management, followed by a networking happy hour in Manhattan.
McCormack students and faculty pose for a photo in the Wimbledon press conference area on the international sport industry immersion trip.
The WNBA’s business, MLS’s new Apple media rights deal, and the challenges of athlete representation were themes covered throughout the day. Special thanks to alumni Greg Guerman, Josh Neier, Brody Mankus, and Preetam Sen for making this trip a success. To conclude the semester, seven graduate students traveled to Nashville to interview and network at the MLB Winter Meetings.
Turning towards spring, we are excited to extend our international sport business immersion trip to Spain in March, where students will tour Madrid and Barcelona. A La Liga match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid should be a distinct highlight of the trip, while students are excited to attend a sport business symposium at La Liga Business School and hear from various panels consisting of sport industry practitioners. Students will settle into elective coursework in the spring, compete at the National Sports Forum’s Case Cup Competition in Pittsburgh, network with front office alumni at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and engage in an MBA consulting practicum with the NCAA.
This is a small snapshot of the activity taking place in Amherst! Be sure to follow along with the department’s activity on our LinkedIn page, and join our LinkedIn alumni group for job leads and openings. I would love to connect with fellow alums who wish to get in contact and engage with the department.
Will Norton GraduateProgram Director, Director of McCormack Center for Sport Research and Education, and Senior Lecturer
DeMaurice Smith has always been a fighter. Throughout his life, the pursuit of justice and equity has set the tone for his approach to his career. As the 2023 McCormack Executive-In-Residence, Smith gave a powerful keynote address on October 30, 2023, in which he recounted the historical development of sports labor relations and the ongoing fight that labor undertakes to protect players. During his visit, Smith met with faculty, spoke with student leaders, and gave multiple lectures during which he shared his life story and valuable lessons regarding leadership and labor issues in the sports world.
Unanimously elected as executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) in 2009 despite a lack of any sports experience, Smith served three terms totaling 14 years. His tenure at the NFLPA included the monumental negotiation of two CBA deals that ended the 2011 NFL lockout, guaranteed players their highest share of NFL revenue, revamped safety measures against concussions, and insured players, deemed helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Smith got ahead of the Name Image and Likeness (NIL) movement when he spearheaded the creation of Onetime Partners, a joint private equity collective with the player unions of the MLB, WNBA, USWNT, MLS, and NWSL worth almost $2 billion that has allowed players to profit through licensing and marketing deals.
Smith’s fighting spirit was cultivated from a young age as the child of parents from the segregated Jim Crow South who moved north to Washington, DC, willing to embrace the unknown of a new life. Smith said during his speech, “They knew whatever life they were going to have up there was better than the one they left. I think that that creates a certain toughness if you’re
willing to do something without really having all the answers.” This early encounter with uncertainty helped Smith foster a unique ability to confront moral dilemmas, leading him to go to law school and pursue a career as a federal prosecutor.
He began his law practice locally at the district attorney’s office and the Department of Justice as counsel to Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, dealing with issues of security and prison construction. Smith then transitioned into private sector and became recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in the country, serving as the chair of Latham & Watkins and Patton Boggs’s government investigations and whitecollar practice group.
His experience opened the door to opportunities to lead, such as through serving on the transition team to then President-elect Barack Obama. Soon, Smith found his name being floated as the next U.S. Attorney. It was the job of a lifetime: an African American lawyer working under the soon-to-be first African American president. However, one night, Smith got back from the office and had a message on his answering machine from the NFLPA: they had identified him as a candidate for an unknown position. Smith deleted the message.
The NFLPA persisted, despite Smith ghosting two more calls, until a former partner of his bluntly asked if he was interested in being the executive director of the NFLPA, to which Smith replied, “That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Smith had never done anything remotely related to sports or sports law and felt unqualified and confused as to why the NFLPA would want him to represent them. It was only when
the committee explained to Smith the scope of the issue—describing how the owners had massive leverage that they were willing and ready to use to lock the players out—that Smith realized how he could make a difference. “That doesn’t sound like a negotiation problem,” he said. “That sounds like a war problem,” a situation entirely synonymous with Smith’s career and precisely what the NFLPA wanted.
Smith dove headfirst into the challenges of fanning the flames surrounding the impending NFL lockout. Recognizing that winning this battle required gaining his constituents’ trust and finding common ground with his adversaries, Smith faced a formidable task, especially as a first-year director. In dealing with players, Smith adopted an educational approach, assuming the role of a teacher. Like any dedicated educator, he aimed to leverage his past experiences and grasp of the subject matter to establish the necessary authority, all while seeking to teach and engage his “students.”
Acknowledging the dual nature of his role became his Swiss army knife in earning players’ respect, as he asserted hierarchy with the words, “I’m not looking to meet you on your level, and I’m not here to talk about football.” Recognizing the significance of collaboration, Smith also enlisted the support of an exceptional group of player leaders, including Drew Brees, Dominique Foxworth, and Jeff Saturday. As their general, Smith made it clear that he’d lay everything on the battlefield to claim what rightfully belonged to the players. Notably, he understood that victory was a collective achievement, and once the players grasped the emergence of a true leader, success was inevitable.
Smith had to negotiate and persuade throughout his professional career. The difference between a football and a homicide case is that the NFL is a defendant, judge, and jury. The owners were a unique opponent; as Smith said, they had a lofty goal: “being the ultimate victors in the war with no chance of losing.” They weren’t interested in compromising or winning; the $4 billion unstoppable force was meeting the immovable object.
With an uphill battle imminent, Smith knew he couldn’t approach this the same way. He realized, “we had to change the paradigm to where they realized that there was a possibility that they could lose in a way that they hadn’t contemplated.” Smith made the owners understand that there are no winners in war, and by not playing football, the owners would be harming everyone, including themselves. This change in dynamic set a precedent in which Smith and the owners could sit together with their differences, conflicts, reservations, and animosities and find common ground that had seemingly never been there.
The lockout ultimately ended, and, after 14 years at the helm, Smith successfully negotiated two new CBAs, making being a football player a fairer, more equal, and safer career. His adaptability and gift of gab made everyone around him think differently than before; he never settled and constantly looked for new angles.
Smith’s next chapter takes him from the conference room to the classroom as a professor. As a visiting professor at Yale Law and at other academic posts, his goal is to inspire students to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. “Find your fights, champion and embrace life’s challenges head-on to make the world fair and equitable.” Smith encourages students not to run from challenges but welcomes the struggles of life’s big questions. “The real answer here,” he says, “is maybe I’ll find out where I fit in this whole thing. And if there’s things that I find that I don’t like, maybe I can find a way to change them.”
Smith meets with McCormack Student Club leaders for lunch (top); and delivers the McCormack Executive-in-Residence lecture on labor unions and leadership (bottom).
It all began with a simple question. Sport Management dual degree alumna Zaileen Janmohamed, then the senior vice president, and head of commercial development and innovation for LA2028, asked an Isenberg development officer what the McCormack Department was doing to prepare our women students for some of the unique challenges they were sure to face in an industry still dominated by men.
The short answer was that, while our women had access to the same resources as our men (most notably the services of the Chase Career Center) and the Women in Sport Management club occasionally tackled some of the issues, there was no dedicated curriculum or training to prepare our women students for entering the sport industry and, perhaps more importantly, eventually moving up the ladder into positions of leadership.
Given that answer, Janmohamed began to sketch out the possible ways that the McCormack Department could provide the sort of preparation she saw as a crucial need, while drawing on her own career ascension that had included stops at Major League Soccer headquarters, agency GMR, VISA, and LA2028. At the same time, Janmohamed enlisted the enthusiastic support of fellow west coast alumnae Karina Herold (then the vice president of major events at Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission) and Karen Peters (senior women’s administrator at the University of Portland). Several video calls followed, as the alumnae, McCormack faculty members, and the Isenberg development team brainstormed a path forward.
What would eventually emerge was the Women in Sport Business Initiative, a multi-pronged plan built upon this primary objective: Position McCormack as the leading sport management educational institution in the training, development, and support of women leaders in the sport industry.
What led the McCormack Department to believe it could achieve such lofty positioning?
“We had already built the pillars of credibility,” said Professor Steve McKelvey, who was the department chair at the time. “Not only did our department have more full-time women faculty than any other sport management program, they were well-known and highly respected for their research on gender and equity issues in sport—not only in academia, but also in the industry. For instance, our program was an inaugural member of the Wasserman Collective and consulted for ESPNW, among others. And on top of this, we boast an unparalleled roster of women alumnae in leadership positions in the sport industry.”
The first prong of the initiative was the creation of a first-of-its-kind course titled “Women in Sport Business,” with topics and guest speakers identified with the help of Janmohamed, Herold, and Peters. The course debuted in the spring 2021 semester for 25 undergraduate seniors and graduate-level students, under the exceptional guidance and vision of professors Nicole Melton and Nefertiti Walker. The case-study driven course, which remains a spring semester elective, features women who have managed complex business issues from across the commercial sports landscape and who succeeded in industry by breaking into roles that have long been dominated by men.
Given the practical and interactive nature of the class, it has attracted a “who’s who” of women leaders in the industry. Guest speakers have included the likes of Angela Ruggiero (co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab), Jessica Gelman (CEO of Kraft Analytics Group), Kate Johnson (Google’s director of global sports, media and entertainment marketing), alumna Li Li Leung (president and CEO of USA Gymnastics), and alumna Heidi Pellerano (chief commercial officer at CONCACAF), to name a few.
“UMass continues to be a pioneer in the education of the next generation of leaders in the sports industry, and there is no better time than now to provide a master class on the practical and professional development women need to navigate this business,” said Janmohamed at the time of the course launch. “While the industry has come a long way in gender equality in sports, we still have so much work to do. I’m honored to participate in this course, to engage with and support the next generation of female sports executives.”
In 2020, when the alumnae group mapped out the Women in Sport Business Initiative along with faculty and Isenberg’s development team, the spring course was positioned as the first prong. The team also envisioned programming aimed at women at both ends of the spectrum: mid-career women on the cusp of ascending to leadership positions in the sport industry and high school girls who may not yet be aware of the pathways into a career in sport business.
In May, the second prong of the department’s Women in Sport Business Initiative was realized thanks to the generous support of sport management alumna Sandy Barbour, who established an endowed fund with a $500,000 gift that will launch the Barbour Institute for Advancement of Women in Sport Business in May 2025.
While research and industry service projects are eventually envisioned as Barbour Institute outputs, its linchpin will be a four-day, on-campus gathering of 10 to 15 sport industry women nominated by their organizations as future leaders. Applicants will consist of both alumnae and non-alumnae, and it is hoped that alumni will play an enthusiastic role in nominating up-and-coming women that they collaborate with for participation in the Barbour Institute. These exclusive gatherings will consist of workshops, academic and practitioner presentations, and networking activities (details on application process and programming are still being worked out).
Barbour, who earned her MS from UMass Amherst in 1983, recently retired after an eight-year run as vice president of intercollegiate athletics at Penn State University, capping an illustrious career of leadership
in college administration. She served as director of athletics at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2004-14, and as athletic director at Tulane University from 1996 until 1999, having joined the staff as an associate athletic director in 1991. Barbour, a recipient of the department’s Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award, has also served in coaching and/or leadership positions within the athletics departments of Northwestern and Notre Dame.
“In order to remain the top-ranked undergraduate and graduate sport management program in the world, the department needs to continually assess and address the challenges that face the sport industry,” said Barbour. “Among the most pressing and important of those challenges is effectively preparing women to succeed in the industry and to ascend to a variety of leadership positions, as well as inspiring high school girls to pursue career paths in the sport industry. I am confident that my support of the department’s Women in Sport Business Initiative, and the professional development summit in particular, will help to meet these challenges.”
With the Barbour Institute now a reality, the department will start looking at the third prong of its initiative: how to interest more high school girls in aspiring to careers in sport, which includes pursuing an undergraduate degree in sport management— specifically at McCormack. The department’s high school summer program has had a modest impact, but more opportunities are on the horizon.
Ambitious and multi-pronged initiatives like these cannot happen without financial support. For instance, the success of the Women in Sport Business course was due in part to multi-year gifts from the aforementioned alumnae, which enabled us to cover some expenses related to guest visits and in-class materials. Similarly, launching the Institute and hosting a four-day conference will also require financial support. If you would like to learn more about how you can support the Women in Sport Business Initiative, please email Professor Steve McKelvey at mckelvey@isenberg.umass.edu
In 2023, our former “Executive Roundtables” got a reboot. These semi-monthly Zoom calls, hosted by alum Dennis Mannion, BS ‘82, were created to connect small groups of our senior level alums from across a broad range of sport industry sectors who likely know of each other by name, yet had often actually never met in person.
We’ve shaken things up by re-branding these virtual gatherings as McCormack Connects, including younger alums to bridge the generational gap, and connecting individuals based on broad themes (for example: alums who work on the brand side, alums engaged in entrepreneurial projects, and alums who work in league offices). Most recently, we held a McCormack Connects event with a group of women who have all received our VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award (the Vandys) or the Stephen McKelvey Alumni on the Rise award (the Macker). Usually joined by a mix of faculty and staff, these gatherings still serve the over-arching purpose of bringing alumni together who likely don’t already know each other.
All McCormack Connects are casual, with each participant sharing a brief personal introduction, including their career path and favorite UMass memory. They then share what they are currently up to professionally.
Mutual connections are often discovered, with many people sharing former workplaces. In a recent call featuring alumnae who had previously won awards from the department, Adina Alford Erwin, MS ’95, shared that “[McCormack] built my confidence. The program let my voice be heard. It made me feel like I had something to contribute, and I needed that coming out.” Erwin is currently the GM of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and the Executive VP of Business Operations for BSE Global.
On another call, 160over90’s Brenna Dykta recalled having recently hired an athlete for Russ Speilman’s representation agency, with both having attended the commercial shoot. It wasn’t until our Zoom call that they realized that they both had a McCormack degree!
If you’re interested in joining one of our future McCormack Connects, please let us know by emailing Professor Steve McKelvey at mckelvey@ isenberg.umass.edu
Five deserving McCormack Department of Sport Management students embarked on internships this summer as recipients of the prestigious Tokio-Marine HCC (TMHCC) Scholarship Awards. Founded by sport management alumnus Bill Hubbard, in conjunction with Tokio-Marine HCC, the scholarship program provides $5,000 to each recipient. In addition to supporting students with the expenses of their internships, the award program seeks to make students more aware of the significance and impact of risk management, risk transfer, and promotion insurance within the sport and entertainment industry, as well as of the career opportunities within this critical and growing segment of the industry. “Internships are a crucial part of our students’ learning experience and resume building as they prepare for full-time jobs within the sport and entertainment industry,” said Steve McKelvey, professor
and former chair of the McCormack Department of Sport Management. “The opportunity to receive substantial financial awards through Bill Hubbard’s generous gift further encourages and incentivizes our students to pursue summer internships that they might not otherwise be able to pursue.”
The 2023 Tokio-Marine HCC Award winners include Julia Ortiz, a senior from Stoughton, Mass., who interned in CAA’s brand consulting and marketing experiential group; Kaleo DeStefano, a senior from New York City, who served as an intern for Sports Philanthropy Network; Brooke Osmanski, a graduate student from North Kingstown, R.I., a WiST Fellow who interned at Gamechanger as a market analyst; Connor Wallace, a graduate student from Baltimore, Md., intern at Excel Sports Management; and Richard Larkin, a graduate student from Cranford, N.J., who interned at The Players Impact as a business analyst intern.
“It is a tremendous honor to be a 2023 Tokio-Marine HCC Scholarship recipient,” said graduate student Brooke Osmanski. “The scholarship has opened new doors for me that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to walk through. This past summer, I was able to attend networking opportunities related to elevating women’s sports, particularly with the NWSL. This is pivotal to my internship experience as it helped focus my summer on taking the next best steps towards shaping my future career after UMass.”
“The risk management and sport promotion industries only continue to grow and touch every single segment of the sport and entertainment industry,” said Hubbard. “For today’s students, there can be financial challenges that can arise especially from unpaid internships. This program not only helps alleviate some of these financial challenges but also introduces students to our segment of the sport and entertainment industry.”
As part of the educational process, the award recipients were provided the opportunity to present a risk management assessment or proposal to TMHCC executives based on key learnings from their respective internship experiences for the chance to be awarded an additional $5,000. Larkin was chosen as the winner for this presentation on The Players Impact.
The McCormack Department of Sport Management today unveiled its newest class of alumni award recipients. The class includes four alumni who will receive the program’s highest honor, the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award, and four alumni who will receive the program’s Alumni on the Rise Award:
Since 1993, the McCormack Department of Sport Management has awarded the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award in honor of Dr. VanderZwaag’s unwavering dedication and commitment to the department. Honorees are alumni who display professional excellence, outstanding achievement in the sports industry, and dedication to the McCormack Department of Sport Management.
This award, which was launched in 2013, recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past five to ten years and have demonstrated exceptional achievement within the sport industry while giving back through time and resources to the McCormack Department of Sport Management at Isenberg. In 2022, the award was renamed in honor of Professor Steve McKelvey in recognition of his passion for industry engagement and the career development of McCormack students and alumni.
Student scholarships and Top Senior awards were presented at the McCormack Awards Banquet.
Winner
Meghan Horan
Julia Curto
Isaac Passett
Madelyn Witte
Sami Benredda
Brandon Rusinque
Braedan Cunningham
Maura Gillis
Kate Bulger
Jonah Kozub
Scholarship Name
47 Brand Scholarship
Erik K.M. Kjeldsen Scholarship Fund
Glenn M. Wong Sport Law Scholarship
Harold J. VanderZwaag Scholarship
Joan and Ed Barr Memorial Scholarship
Joan and Ed Barr Memorial Scholarship
Joan and Ed Barr Memorial Scholarship
Kristian J. Rose, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Marilyn and Richie Tannenbaum Scholarship
McCormack Center Scholarship
Jared Swanson McCormack Center Scholarship
Jibrael Harrell
Danielle Cook
Garrett Frattali
Sport for Social Change Award
Sport Management Alumni Scholarship
Sport Management Alumni Scholarship
The department has moved our unrivaled and inspiring alumni network database over to a new and enhanced platform that unlocks the true power of your McCormack network. Email alumnisupport@isenberg. umass.edu to retrieve your alumni ID, and set up your account. Emailing this address with your request will provide you with your unique alumni ID number; registering your information only takes 5 minutes, and sets you up for life! Please take the time to fill out the information fully—we really appreciate it! Spread the word to your classmates, and be sure to select the field of specialty (industry segment) you’re currently working in. Capitalize on the value of your sport management degree today, and help us keep our database strong.
Do you have photo memories from your time at UMass?
We want to share them! Please email your photo memories to sportmgt@umass.edu. Only have a print file? Don’t worry—snap a photo of the photo and send it our way!
isenberg.umass.edu/programs/depts/sport-mgmt