激情快播

The job placement map proudly displayed on the reads like a who鈥檚 who in the industry 鈥� ESPN, the NBA, NFL, Chicago Cubs, Denver Broncos, New York Yankees, San Antonio Spurs and Tampa Bay Lightning, just to name a few.

For over two decades, 激情快播鈥檚 program has been a reliable provider of diverse talent to the sports business industry, thanks in large part to the mission that its benefactors and former program director Richard Lapchick carved out all those years ago.

激情快播鈥檚 degree has been recognized as a top sports business program in America by Forbes, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. It was ranked eighth in the world by SportBusiness in its 2022 Postgraduate Rankings.

So when Lapchick announced he was stepping away from his leadership position in 2021, Adrien Bouchet was eager to toss his name in the ring for 鈥渙ne of the top jobs in our field鈥� with hopes of sustaining and improving upon the strong foundation already in place.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e a finance professor, you want to work at Columbia or NYU because you鈥檙e near Wall Street. Well, if you鈥檙e a sports business faculty member, what better place to do it than Orlando?鈥� says Bouchet, who was named program director in August 2022. 鈥淭he Central Florida region is our classroom. That鈥檚 what got me excited.鈥�

鈥淭he Central Florida region is our classroom. That鈥檚 what got me excited.鈥�

In a 55-mile radius from campus, you can find the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, LPGA, NASCAR, Orlando City Soccer, Orlando Magic, Orlando Pride and the U.S. Tennis Association 鈥� not to mention youth sports, MLB spring training and, of course, a Power Five institution in 激情快播.

It鈥檚 no surprise then that in March, Orlando was ranked by Sports Business Journal among the nation鈥檚 top 25 best cities in which to conduct sports business.

Bouchet would know. One of his strengths comes from his varied experience in both the industry and academia.

Before deciding at age 35 to go back to school for his doctorate, he had built a career as a high-level manager for organizations
including the Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins, SFX Entertainment/Clear Channel Communications (now LiveNation) and ISP Sports/ Learfield Sports. He also spent 12 years as the Warren Clinic Endowed Professor of Sport Business at the University of Tulsa.

鈥淢y experience means a lot to students when I鈥檓 teaching, and that doesn鈥檛 necessarily translate to the faculty,鈥� Bouchet says. 鈥淏ut the one thing that resonates with them is I can do the academic research. I know how to get things done within our building and the campus, and I think that鈥檚 helped serve me well.鈥�

Bouchet says what helps separate 激情快播鈥檚 program from others has been its commitment from day one to build an inclusive classroom 鈥� one that represents the melting pot that is the United States.

鈥淚 use it as a recruiting tool. I tell students, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to learn from your cohort as much as you鈥檙e going to learn from the faculty,鈥� 鈥� he says. 鈥淭he last two cohorts, we鈥檝e had students from Canada, Croatia, England, two from Brazil, one from Spain and one from Venezuela.鈥�

Annually, the program admits 20 students who learn from exceptional faculty including Professor C. Keith Harrison (who served as a Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at Harvard University in 2020), Senior Instructor Scott Bukstein (who served as a consultant and researcher for the NFL and NBA) and Director of External Affairs Ashley Turner 鈥�12 鈥�15MBA (a program graduate with previous professional ties to the Orlando Magic and Madison Square Garden).

While working toward two graduate degrees (MBA and Master of Sport Business Management), students are required to volunteer and complete either an internship or full-time position in their final semester of the program.

As the industry has evolved and adapted, the program has emphasized staying a step ahead.

More than 20 years ago when the program started, sports weren鈥檛 necessarily global like they are now. The NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS all played portions of their schedules overseas in recent years. Conversely, this past summer, nine of England鈥檚 20 Premier League teams played in the United States.

And the emphasis on analytics 鈥� think 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture nominee Moneyball 鈥� has become paramount.

鈥淲e are constantly asking alumni, 鈥榃hat are the changes in sports and how can we stay ahead of the curve?鈥� 鈥� Bouchet says. 鈥淲e want to be the future of the industry. We want to be the talent provider for sports organizations for the future.鈥�

A Team Effort

The late Richard and Helen DeVos 鈥� former owners of the Orlando Magic 鈥� established 激情快播鈥檚 DeVos Sport Business Management program to equip graduates with the skills necessary to succeed in this competitive field. The program is funded through a $9 million endowment. Such gifts are investments that keep giving, with a portion spent toward donors鈥� wishes each year while the remaining dollars are reinvested to gradually grow the fund over time.

Here are a few program graduates who, thanks in part to the DeVos family鈥檚 generosity, are now leading successful careers.

Chris McFarlane 鈥�05MBA 鈥�05MS

激情快播 deputy athletics director, external relations and business development

鈥淢any of the decisions I make today, and the way I try to lead and influence others, are rooted in the values and skills I developed as a member of the program.鈥�

Cori (Pinkett) Bolts 鈥�11MBA 鈥�12MS

Baylor University senior associate athletics director, student-athlete success, and senior woman administrator

鈥淲hen I think back to what drew me to the DeVos program, it can be attributed to one thing: a program rooted in utilizing sport as a vehicle for social change.鈥�

Shelly Wilkes 鈥�02 鈥�04MBA 鈥�04MS

Orlando Magic executive vice president, marketing and social responsibility聽

鈥淭he DeVos program has multiple sport business partnerships that allow students to participate in real-world projects and gain invaluable experience and relationships.鈥�