The Univ. of MA's Sport Management Program is "among
the most highly regarded sports business programs in the
country," according to Gregg Krupa of the BOSTON GLOBE, who
reports that more than 700 Univ. of MA alumni "are at work
for professional sports leagues, franchises, college
athletic departments, and other sports businesses." Celtics
Exec VP/Marketing & Sales Stuart Layne calls the program
"almost like a feeder system for us at this point." Krupa
adds that the Sport Management Program "may be about to
become more heralded," as it has "created" the PRISM Awards,
"which will draw nominees from sports businesses across the
country." The awards -- in partnership with Chicago-based
Team Marketing Report -- will "recognize excellence and
commitment to quality management." Meanwhile, program
members are "hoping for a second coup next year," with the
possible creation of the Center for the Study of Spectator
Sport. Sport Management Program department head Lisa Pike
Masteralexis: "All of us on the staff are interested in
audiences and the people that watch sports ... Our goal is
to create a center where media and organizations can come to
us for assistance, and it gives us an opportunity to study
some of these things in more depth" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/22).
