Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at Isenberg Celebrates 40th Anniversary at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – The Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. Created in 1972, the McCormack Department of Sport Management is the second oldest of its kind in the world, and the largest and most academically diverse department in the nation. As part of celebrating the milestone, the department will host several alumni events on Saturday, Oct. 27 during Homecoming weekend.

 

The McCormack Department of Sport Management 40th Anniversary Homecoming weekend alumni celebration will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday with an alumni career panel followed by a 2012 London Olympics panel at 1 p.m. Both panels will be hosted at Isenberg and will be followed by a 40th anniversary reception at 2 p.m. Alumni are also invited to tailgate and attend the UMass vs. Boston University hockey game at 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center. More information about the Homecoming program of events, registration details and hockey ticket purchase information can be found at http://www.isenberg.umass.edu/sportmgt/.

 

The McCormack Department of Sport Management is one of few sport management departments housed in an AACSB accredited business school and has been hailed by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sports Business Journal, and other publications as a leader in its field. The department is also home to the McCormack Center for Sport Research and Education which focuses on research and educational partnerships between the sport industry and academia.

 

“This 40th anniversary milestone gives us a wonderful opportunity to express that we are extraordinarily proud of our achievements in pioneering, developing and advancing the sport management academic discipline,” said Mark Fuller, dean at Isenberg. “Isenberg is committed to providing an innovative business education and facilitating corporate and executive engagement with our students. The McCormack Department of Sport Management has been an outstanding proponent of these important educational principles and is an internationally recognized leader in its field.”

 

“We are happy and honored to be celebrating our 40th anniversary,” said Lisa Masteralexis, sport management department head. “The McCormack Department has achieved and maintained a leadership position in the advancement of teaching and research in the field, while actively preparing our graduates to excel in careers in the highly competitive sports business landscape. We are grateful for our alumni who continue to make substantial and lasting contributions to the sport industry and we look forward to welcoming them back on Homecoming weekend to celebrate this special anniversary.”

 

McCormack faculty have pioneered new approaches to study, research and teach the sport management discipline, influencing past, present and future generations of sports industrialists. A hallmark of the program is experiential learning, where faculty bring “real world” industry projects into their curriculum to better prepare students for careers in the sport industry. Graduates pursue a wide range of careers in the sport industry, impacting every segment of the business; from college athletics administrations and professional league front offices to television, from sport marketing agencies and corporate sponsors to press row.