BBA In Sport Entertainment Management

Secure a front row seat to the sports entertainment industry.

The BBA degree in Sport Entertainment Management (SEM) is your ticket to a dynamic career in the most exciting industry in the world. Strategically and exclusively located in 'Sport City USA', this world-class program provides students with unparalleled access to a network of professional teams, leagues, and sport entertainment executives.

The Degree

A specialized curriculum provides students a direct path to a career in sports entertainment. The degree combines general business courses that introduce students to the business skills required to run a business, with specialized sport concentration courses that cover cutting-edge business practices.

Informed in real-time by the professional sport ecosystem in Frisco, Texas, the BBA SEM degree is grounded by a transformative and ever-evolving curriculum that develops industry thought leaders poised to create opportunity in the sport entertainment industry.

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The Network & Location

The SEM program maintains formal partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys, the PGA of America, and Stadia Ventures and supported by an advisory board with top executives from the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, FC Dallas, the Dallas Sports Commission, Learfield, Topgolf, Texas Motor Speedway and numerous minor league franchises throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. These connections provide students with unparalleled networking opportunities.

Classes offered at UNT Frisco -- located in the epicenter of one of the most exciting sport and entertainment markets in the world, classes are offered at UNT Frisco.

Academic and professional development content built, curated, and delivered by leading sport business and management faculty.

AACSB Accredited business school, housed in a Carnegie I ranked research university – two top distinctions for USA public universities.

Project-based learning is part of the program DNA. SEM concentration courses are project-centric with a sport industry partner serving as the ‘client’ for the class.

Examples of projects with industry partners

SENM 4240 – Corporate Partnerships:
Students conducted research on new product sponsorship category for the Dallas Cowboys. The course deliverable was a sponsorship pitch deck.

SENM 4230 - International Brand Strategies:
Students worked on a marketing campaign for the Dallas Mavericks. The course deliverable was a brand strategy plan for the Mavericks to pursue.

SENM 4020 – Ticket operations:
Students visited with the Frisco Roughriders and worked their call center to sell tickets.

SENM 4325 – Fan Engagement:
Students developed a theme-based promotional event the Allen Americans hockey team. The course deliverable was a promotional and activation plan for the event.

The Pillars

The BBA degree in Sport Entertainment Management is grounded in four foundational pillars. All of which, serve as important communication conduits and filters through which the program initiatives flow.

Educate
Core business content, grounded in business theory, reflected in business practice, deployed by business faculty and sport entertainment executives.
Prepare
Applied, competency (skill-based) training through project and case learning, immersive experiences, and experiential activities.
Inspire
Captivating insights from top executives and business faculty help advance thought leadership and unlock creative potential.
Connect
Unparalleled access to sport industry executives, thought leaders, and peers to build network capacity.

Meet The Team

Bob Heere
Bob Heere, Ph.D., is the current Director of Sport Entertainment Management at the University of North Texas, and a Full Professor in the Department of Management in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. He is a leading scholar in the field of sport management, and has conducted research on sport on five continents, with scholars from more than 20 different nations. His work focuses on fan engagement and the societal value of sports and has been published frequently in the leading sport management journals. He has worked closely with many different sport organizations around the world, including the Royal Dutch Soccer Federation, AFC Ajax Amsterdam, the Shanghai Sports Federation, Fulham FC, the World Golf Foundation, and locally with the Dallas Cowboys and the PGA of America. He previously held academic appointments at the University of South Carolina, the University of Texas, Florida State University, the Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies and Auckland University of Technology.

Matt Walker
Matt Walker, Ph.D., is a Professor of Management at the University of North Texas and directs curriculum development across the degree tracks. Dr. Walker teaches classes in business planning, talent management, and corporate partnerships. His research and consultancies focus on social program evaluations and the strategic processes underpinning organizational outreach efforts across numerous industry sectors. He has participated in more than 50 funded research projects for sport (and related) organizations domestically and around the world, including the PGA of America, National Football League, World Golf Foundation, Nike, Barclays Bank, USA Archery, Easton Sports Development Foundation, Fundación Conconcreto, Fulham Football Club Foundation, England Institute of Sport, Fight-4-Change (among others). Walker has co-authored a scholarly text book, numerous marketing book chapters and industry reports, and has written or contributed to more than 75 peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. His research and consultancy work has offered marketing and management solutions to businesses, NGO’s, and government agencies helping to improve and enhance social and strategic programming efforts.

Jeff MacCharles
Jeff MacCharles is an Assistant Professor in Management at the University of North Texas. He obtained his PhD in Management (Sport Management Concentration) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he focused on studying Organizational Behavior and Human Resources concepts in the sport workplace. Specifically, his research interests lie in understanding how sport organizations can improve their workforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and how they can develop more equitable hiring processes and practices that will attract and retain top talent that is more representative of the communities in which they operate. His work has been published in the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal and the Sport Management Education Journal, and he has presented his research as the North American Society for Sport Management and Academy of Management conferences. He has consulted with non-profit sport organizations and national governing bodies regarding their DEI initiatives, with a start-up company about their organizational culture, and has developed training modules for the National Alliance for Youth Sports. Prior to his appointment at UNT he held academic appointments at Michigan State University, Bridgewater State University and Dean College.

Misun Won
Misun Won, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Management at the University of North Texas. Prior to her appointment at UNT, she pursued her PhD at the University of South Carolina and taught sport marketing related courses. Her research focuses on ticket pricing and consumer behavior to better understand sport consumers and assist sport teams in choosing optimal pricing strategies. Her research has been published in Sport Marketing Quarterly and Sport, Business, Management: An International Journal and presented at North American Society for Sport Management, Sport Marketing Association, and European Association for Sport Management conferences. Won has worked in the industry over 9 years in various fields, including youth sports camp, college athletics, martial arts school, and the Olympics. Using her expertise in sport marketing, she has provided marketing consultancy to a martial arts school. Won currently serves as a reviewer at two sport management journals.