Evening building supervisor and USI alumnus Ben Griggs is planning on applying to the new sports management graduate program in hopes of working in collegiate athletics as a facility or athletic director.

As a former baseball player for the Eagles, Griggs obtained his undergraduate degree in sports management from USI in 2011.

The new sports management graduate program will have a lot to offer, he said.

“Because the program is just starting, students will be able to have a lot more hands-on classes and they will be able to shape the program into what it can become, and it can become something great,” Griggs said. “One of the best aspects of this program is working with and under Dr. (Glenna) Bower. She has done so much for USI and students also get a good education with a small school feel.”

Bower, assistant dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education, department chair and associate professor of kinesiology and sport, said this program is unique when comparing it to other sports management graduate programs in Indiana.

The program will offer two different tracks. One will be an accelerated track that allows students to obtain their undergraduate and graduate degree within five years or they will attend the program for two years after finishing their undergraduate degree.

“The 4 plus 1 model gets the students that much closer to achieving their goal of having a master’s degree and being able to raise their human capital to competitive in the sports management industry,” Assistant Professor of Sport Management Dawn Norwood said.

Norwood said she can see a bright future for the program.

The program is also seeking to utilize other graduate programs such as business administration, public administration, and a course from the communication program, Bower said.

“One of the biggest things in moving forward, especially in our program, is that collaborative effort across campus, which is the way you make things happen while also giving students a broader perspective to sports management, and that is important to us,” Bower said.

In order to be accepted into the program, students must have completed their undergraduate requirements with at least a 2.5 GPA from an accredited university in addition to completing the admissions forms, three letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

Bower said she is hoping to see 20 to 25 students enrolled in the program when it starts in the fall.

After completing the graduate program, students would be trained for various careers Bower said, including intercollegiate athletics, recreational sports, sports communication, Olympic sports, sports business, sports with individuals who have disabilities, ticketing sales, sports broadcasting, facility management and more.

Norwood said she hopes to see the program be a leader in Indiana and throughout the Midwest among other sports management programs, as well as obtain accreditation through the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation.

If a student in currently in the undergraduate sports management program, they will be able to enter the accelerated program because they will already be on the correct track.

Considering a lot of students work, Norwood said the best part of the program is the flexibility of the distance education because many do not have time to sit in the actual classroom.

The program will consist of 36 credit hours. In-state tuition will be around $12,000 while out-of-state tuition will be around $23,000 in addition to university, service, distance education, and university fees.