The sports management emphasis was offered for the last time at Cornerstone this school year, only to be replaced by a sports management or marketing track.

According to Michael Young, professor of business and division chair, the emphasis was eliminated from the business department because it did not make it through evaluation by the undergraduate academic council (UAC) in charge of what programs at CU are added or cut.

Part of this evaluation, provost By Baylis said, was the amount of faculty for the degree and “the idea of sports management or marketing could be viewed as part of marketing and management skills.” Since this was the case and there was only one full-time faculty member for the emphasis, eliminating the program was the best choice, he said.

“If you are a good marketing student, and you have a little bit of sports acumen and sports course work, one should be able to be successful in sports marketing and the same for sports management,” Baylis said. Thus, having a specific emphasis is not necessary to have a career in sports management or marketing.

But in the fall 2009 catalogue, a sports management or marketing track will be offered.

“It was felt that it would benefit students if they have some kind of credential,” the provost said. Students could already choose to focus their electives in sports, but by adding the track, it gives the students “some way of identifying what they were doing already,” Baylis said.

The differences between a track and emphasis are few because both are focusing students’ electives in one area and giving it a name for about 12 credit hours, according to Baylis.

But by having a track, “Students will have a way of validating the statement ‘I studied in sports management (or marketing),’” said Baylis.

Young said with this the sports management or marketing track will appear on the student’s transcript. In addition to it showing up on the transcript, students taking the track would focus their electives in four sports courses.

The four courses are Sports Marketing and Sales, Introduction to Sports Management, Sports Media Relations & Event Management and Sports in Society. All of these are new courses at CU except the introduction course, which changed from a kinesiology course to a management course.

While Baylis said it is OK to label what an individual is focusing on, it is more important to gain hands on experience in the field you are studying.

“An internship in that area can be of much greater assistance,” Baylis said.

Dave Grube, athletic director, teaches sports management and marketing classes.

“When he teaches, his class has always required a practicum,” Young said, speaking of Grube. This provides the hands-on experience Baylis is looking for within the track.

In fact, three of the four classes require some sort of practicum. Introduction to Sports Management is the only one that does not require one.

“When being interviewed for a job, it’s good to be able to tell [about your experience],” Young said.

Grube is not the only professor who teaches these courses. Mike Riemersma, CU women’s basketball assistant coach and Champions of Character Representative, also teaches some of these courses.

After giving students the recognition for the area they are studying in, the program was also brought back because around 25 percent of the student body at CU is involved in intercollegiate or intramural sports, Young said.

He said prospective students have also shown an interest in this program. Five students visiting this past fall chose the sports management or marketing track.

Thus, Young said, “I believe there is a demand for this.”