As the nation’s first sports marketing program housed in a business school, the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Center is renowned as a proving ground for the next generation of sports business industry leaders. And the center’s expertise has always been more than marketing. So we are changing our name: The Warsaw Sports Marketing Center is now the Warsaw Sports Business Center.
The name change better reflects how the center connects students with opportunities and showcases the breadth of what our alumni are doing in the sports business industry. Our Warsaw Sports Business Center is the nexus that ties our students directly to the sports industry in a real, ever-evolving way.
The center is about hands-on, experiential learning to educate future leaders in the business of sports by connecting students to the teams, leagues, brands, and agencies that are pushing the boundaries of sports engagement. This includes not only guest speakers and site visits around the world, but immersive experiences like working on the ground at Hayward Field helping to host Oregon22, the World Athletics Championships, and the Olympic Trials supporting Seattle’s MLB All Star 2023; and consulting with Riot Games, Stadium Drop, and Wasserman.
The sports industry has evolved and the Warsaw Center has been at the forefront for the past 30 years teaching business through the lens of sports, educating those who have gone on to lead change across the industry. The center’s name now aligns with the amazing work our students, faculty, and staff do every day.
“Warsaw is already the first name in sports business education,” said David Bruce, who most recently served as chief marketing officer at Major League Soccer. “Now, the next generation of top sports business professionals will be able to connect with us and our mission more easily, and I can’t wait to see what is next.”
Our alumni are already driving innovative fan experiences and groundbreaking sport and athlete branding at every level around the globe. Ducks are everywhere, both in the front and back offices of traditional sports like basketball and soccer, but also leading emerging opportunities like eSports and women’s sports.
Staying current with new trends and technology impacting the business of sport is just one element of the UO sports business evolution.
The center itself has even undergone some dramatic changes in the past year. We welcomed a new director, Lauren Anderson, herself an alumna of the program. Additionally, the center’s physical space is getting a refresh. We are installing engaging displays showcasing the center’s history, brand, and alumni, and upgrading technology and furniture. Those renovations will make further enhance the center as an inviting space for students to work and for alumni to visit when returning to the University of Oregon campus.
—AnneMarie Knepper-Sjoblom ’05, Lundquist College Communications
