"The U of M Sport Commerce graduate program has been a complete career changer for me. It has allowed me the opportunity to learn the academic side of what it takes to work in sports, as well as the professional aspect from my experience working in the Memphis Athletics Marketing Department. The connections that I established, along with the skills and experience I gained here, are the perfect combination that will allow me to be successful in this career."

Brynn Conapitski, MS 2012

"The University of Memphis Sport and Leisure Commerce program was a wonderful experience for me. I was able to learn from some amazing professors. It helped me gain more insight into working in intercollegiate athletics. Long term, I would like to be an athletic director. The program allowed me to learn about so many different facets of the sports industry. The faculty and staff in the department were amazing and very helpful during my time at Memphis."

Zachary Lane, MS 2012

"I heard about the quality of the professors and their knowledge of the field. I visited before I made my final decision and was so impressed with the faculty that I choose the U of M."

Charles Fasnacht, BS 2009

"The prospect with the sales class is what sold me. The opportunity that the sales class provided to gain experience right away and a program that makes it possible to graduate in 12 months is what makes the program the right fit for me."

Courtney Munson, MS 2009

“The University of Memphis sport and leisure management program not only provided me with the educational framework necessary to start my career in the professional sports industry, but it also equipped me with the skills and experience necessary to advance it.”

Amber Bryant, BS 2008

"Working with the sports management program at the university of Memphis was the launching pad for my career in sports. The knowledge and experience I gained in this program opened the door to so many great career opportunities and is the reason I was able to land a full time marketing position with a minor league baseball team."

Lauren Truax, BS 2007

“The decision to earn my master’s degree in the department of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Memphis proved to be a great one as I was able to spend quality hours learning from some of the sports marketing industry’s best researchers and teachers. I was well prepared to enter the workforce after earning my degree and completing an internship with Learfield Sports, a company recommended to me through the master’s program. In the years since graduation, I’ve worked within college sports and the non-profit event-planning world, and now I’m happy to have landed in a career within Minor League Baseball where I’m allowed to be creative and reach into the pool of knowledge fostered while at the U of M. Go Tigers!”

Jenna Kubesch-Raizes, MS 2007

"The graduate program in Sport and Leisure Commerce, and the encounter with my mentor in particular, provided me with a life-changing opportunity to start my career as a competitive scholar in the field of sport studies. As an international student, I faced difficulty due to the difference in language, culture, and education system, but was fortunate to have a lot of support from my advisor, faculty members, and classmates. My student life in Memphis was full of diverse cultural experiences, excitement for intellectual development, and passion for sport."

Koji Kobayashi, MS 2007

The graduate program in the Department of Health and Sports Sciences helped launch me into an outstanding career in sports and marketing. I feel fortunate to have been in the program at a time when there was major expansion occurring, and the students were involved in a number of cutting-edge opportunities. We began working with the Memphis Redbirds, the Memphis Grizzlies, Ford Motors, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and many others, performing duties such as selling tickets, creating marketing campaigns, and getting hands-on experience in business. I was able to use those skills to help land jobs at the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, NCAA Certified tournaments, and the Super Bowl. It was specifically through the help of instructors in this department that I was able to land my position with the Super Bowl and this will be my sixth year working the game. I will forever carry the knowledge and relationships from the Department of Health and Sports Sciences into my future.

Ryan Luttrell, MS 2007