McCormack's Will Norton Shares Updates From Graduate Programs
I always like to start this update by thanking the many dedicated alumni who make our graduate program what it is today. Our alumni empower our success and create a unique and aspirational culture on campus, wherein students look outward into industry and not only envision a career in sports, but also understand the road map of how to get there and the people who will support them along the way. And that is across every function of our business: marketing/sponsorship, sales, event management, business intelligence and analytics, corporate consulting, player development, and more. This unwavering community support across every corner of our industry is an immense source of pride.
We had another action-packed and enriching year in 2025 for our top-ranked graduate program. As a testament to our rich history, the 999th student to come through the program graduated in May! There will be more to come on how we get to #1,000 and beyond, and some ways alumni can help celebrate the history of McCormack. In August, we finished third globally in the alumni survey portion of the SportBusiness post-graduate program rankings, and #1 globally in the peer choice portion (how other sport management institutions rank us). Across more than 40 measurement metrics, McCormack remains best-in-class. Measurements such as faculty expertise, exit salary, female-to-male student ratio, return on investment, research, and job placement are distinct areas of strength. This ranking is a function of our amazing ‘McCormack Family,’ and we could not accomplish this without the unwavering and unbelievable support of our faculty, staff, and alumni.
A spring semester highlight was another successful international immersion trip, with twenty-one graduate students touring London and Liverpool during our March break. Many thanks to alumni Fiona Breeden ’03MS and Dhvanil Gagvani ’18MBA/MS for helping host the students at Two Circles’ London office! The group was also able to take in a VIP pre-game experience alongside the River Thames at Fulham’s Craven Cottage before watching the Potters secure a 2-0 win over Tottenham, while sharing the day with alumni Adam Tuval ’13 (Playfly) and Michael Lees ’18MS (FORME). Connecting to alumni overseas is a special way to reinforce what we often say in class: UMass/McCormack is everywhere!
Other stops along the tour included Wimbledon, IMG’s Premier League Productions, an Arsenal WSL match, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Wembley Stadium, Anfield, a city tour of Liverpool, and a West End play. This was the third year of our international immersion trip, and it continues to be a highlight of the graduate student experience. The social bonds built through the program are strengthened after traveling abroad together, and it serves as a key recruiting tool and proof that we are invested in taking students out of Amherst to experience the sports and entertainment industry’s front lines. Careful fundraising efforts will be communicated in the future, as we think about ways to make the trip sustainable for years to come.
As we concluded the spring semester, we celebrated the class of 2025 at our annual grad student send-off at department chair Matthew Katz’s home. McCormack graduate students continue to set the bar high, and we took the time to toast their growth and accomplishments in Amherst while also celebrating the impressive array of sport industry jobs they secured upon graduation, including roles with the New York Jets, FSM, Octagon, Kraft S&E, Boston Celtics, Portland Timbers, LA28, Hockey Canada, Wake Forest Athletics, Michigan Athletics, The Players Impact, Hometown Soccer Holdings, MKTG, Vision Insights, Texas Rangers, and VEL Sports Management, to name a few.
After summer planning, the fall semester welcomed to campus another diverse and talented student cohort of twenty-two (10 MBA/MS ‘duals’ and 12 MS), with career interests in professional women’s soccer, sport finance, event management, community impact, college athletics, business intelligence and social media storytelling. These students joined our rising second-year dual-degree cohort to form a total program of thirty-two graduate students, with a range of professional interests, lived experience, and career aspirations. The group includes international presence, with two students from France, three from India, and two from Canada joining a diverse mix of students with an average age 24, over half of whom are women. We are proud of how consistently we can recruit and attract talented and exceptional students.
Our annual New York City fall semester professional development trip included trips to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, followed by networking at the Barclays Center and tickets to a Brooklyn Nets game. Special thanks to alumnus Greg Guerman ’10 for hosting the group at the NBA for the third year in a row, and to BSE alumni Adina Erwin ’95MS, Catherine Carlson ’98MS, Heather Hall ’05, and Paul Kavanaugh ’07 for putting in the work to organize an educational panel and generous hospitality for the game!
This is a small snapshot of the activity taking place within our graduate program! Be sure to follow along with the department’s activity on our LinkedIn page, and join our LinkedIn alumni group for job leads and openings.
In the coming months and years, our faculty team will work hard to keep our program at the top. This will be a group effort and we’ll need the support of alumni as well as the right resources to help drive positive student outcomes and meet the challenges of flexing to online offerings when that time comes. As always, I would love to connect with fellow alumni who wish to get in contact, catch up, and engage with the world’s premier destination for sport management education!
Will Norton
Graduate Program Director