Twenty years ago this April, an audacious new idea became a reality: the Lundquist College launched the world's first sports business program housed within a college of business.

Fast-forward two decades, and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center has more than fulfilled its early promise.

"Bringing together for the first time a team of strong researchers, top educators, and industry expertise, the Warsaw Center quickly rose to world-class status faster than our football team changes uniforms," said Paul Swangard, the center's managing director. "In creating a category of education," he noted, "the center has become a lasting legacy for Jim Warsaw's vision and a point of pride for the college--just as athletics has become a point of pride for the larger university."

Here at the University of Oregon, student interest in the center's programs and courses is at an all-time high. More than 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students have enrolled in sports business courses during the past three years.

Beyond the Eugene campus, the Warsaw Center's reputation extends far and wide. In 2012 alone, faculty members have been featured in or on ABC's Nightline, ESPN's Outside the Lines, and CNBC's Money Talks, as well as in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg Businessweek. The center's renown draws a wide array of industry-savvy speakers to the Eugene campus each year--and opens doors around the nation and abroad for current students and alums alike.

As it enters its third decade, the Warsaw Center continues to take on new challenges. A recently forged partnership with the Singapore Sports Council has already expanded the college's global reach while opening up new opportunities for our students. And plans are already afoot to launch a new program to meet the growing needs of the sports products sector.