SFA's sports business program is a leader in Texas higher education

Stephen F. Austin State University is the only public higher education institution in Texas that has a sports business program at the undergraduate level in an AACSB-accredited college of business. Dr. Jason Reese, sports business program director and advisor at SFA, has been a leader in establishing this program within the Rusche College of Business.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University's sports business program, housed within the AACSB-accredited Rusche College of Business, is making a name for itself in higher education in Texas.

AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and less than 5 percent of the world's business schools have earned this recognition, according to the AACSB website. Dr. Jason Reese, sports business program director and advisor at SFA, explained how SFA's program is a leader in the field.

"Most programs like this around the country and Texas are in non-business or non-accredited business schools," Reese said. "In fact, SFA is the only public higher education institution in Texas that has a program like this at the undergraduate level in an AACSB-accredited college of business."

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the program in 2015, and SFA's extensive alumni network of sports business professionals helped create the program and its content.

"Courses were created with the input of current sport industry executives," Reese said. "We wanted to create a program that provides students with tangible skills that can help them in entry- and management-level sport industry careers."

SFA students who graduate from this program obtain a Bachelor of Business Administration in sports business. The program utilizes experiential learning, where classes provide students with opportunities to work with real businesses in the industry to solve real-world problems.

Course content includes case studies to help students connect content to application. Students learn from scenarios and apply their understanding of the subject to help solve them.

The core courses taught in the program include: sports marketing, sports analytics, international sports business and sports economics. Students also are required to complete an internship, as well as select a track of interest. Students can choose from five tracks, including sales and management, athletic administration, mass communication, hospitality administration, and outdoor recreation management.

For more information about SFA's sports business program, contact Reese at reesejd1@sfasu.edu.