The launch of a sleek new website, advances for its pending master's degree program, and a powerful Tweet from ESPN reporter Darren Rovell were just a few of the exciting December events that set the stage for what promises to be an excellent second year for the University of Oregon's Sports Product Management (SPM) program.
SPM's proposed master's degree program is making rapid process through the required approval process. In early December, the University Senate unanimously approved a proposal to launch the 18-month, Portland-based program. Later that same month, the UO's Board of Trustees gave it their approval. On January 8, the Oregon University System's Provosts" Council endorsed the proposal.
Early 2015 will see the program moving through the final step of the approval process: a review by the state's Higher Education Coordinating Commission. If approved, the program will welcome its first class of 30 students in fall 2015. Groundbreaking for the new building in Portland's Old Town Chinatown that will house the program is scheduled for January 2015.
Potential students can learn more about the pending master's program online or in person at the UO White Stag Block at an information session on January 16 or February 12.
Also in December, a group of footwear executives and UO students were able to sample the proposed program's offerings when SPM staged a weeklong mini-session. Portland Business Journal reporter Matthew Kish attended several sessions and described SPM doings in several articles. The nascent program gained an additional burst of attention when ESPN reporter Darren Rovell linked to one of Kish's articles in a Tweet to his more than 535,000 followers.
During the mini-session, project leader Ellen Devlin announced plans for a 2,500-square-foot retail store where master's-level students will gain nitty-gritty experience with all aspects of merchandising. The store will be housed in the new building in Old Town Chinatown. A second store is planned for the Erb Memorial Union (EMU) on the UO's Eugene campus. It will be a learning space for undergraduates pursuing certificates in merchandising. Both retail stores will partner with the Business Research Institute—the college's leading-edge marketing research facility—and provide experience in consumer behavior, merchandising, inventory management, and margins.
Throughout the upcoming year, SPM will continue to offer the workshops and networking events that have made it a force to be reckoned with in Portland's vibrant sports product industry. This year's lineup adds workshops and events in Singapore and Hong Kong as well as a full schedule in Portland—including a reprise of September's sold-out shoemaking workshop.
Visit the new SPM website and read Portland Business Journal articles about the proposed program, its global focus, the new retail space in the White Stag, and Nike innovator Tobie Hatfield's talk during the mini-session.
See Upcoming SPM Info Sessions
Pre-Apply to the Sports Product Management Program