Sports Management Industry International Students Guide

Sports Management Industry International Students Guide Introduction The Sports Management Department has created this guide to assist and inform all incoming and prospective international students, preparing to study sports in America. We believe the key to success in your studies, is gaining an in-‐depth knowledge of American athletic practices and background information on the lucrative industry that is American sports. This guide will help lay the framework for success for any international student preparing to study in America. It covers important topics like American academic processes, the University of New Haven, housing information, and things to do when in America, while also providing the much needed athletics information all students need. American sports are different from the rest of the world, with some of the world’s most successful professional leagues like the NFL, MLB and NBA earning billions of dollars in revenue yearly. The US also has commercialized, nationally renowned collegiate athletics, a practice that is seen nowhere else in the world. Athletics are intertwined with American culture and participated in and watched by millions of Americans every year. The sports industry is growing larger and more successful every year in America, making this the perfect time for international students studying here in the US. About UNH (Information taken directly from newhaven.edu) Welcome to the University of New Haven. The University of New Haven is a private, top-‐tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960. The University operates a satellite campus in Tuscany, Italy, and offers programs at several locations throughout Connecticut and in California. UNH provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-‐world, hands-‐on career and research opportunities. The University enrolls approximately 6,400 students, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Tagliatela College of Engineering, and College of Lifelong & eLearning, UNH offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 50 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-‐athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II’s highly competitive Northeast-‐10 Conference. UNH Fast Facts Location The University is located on 82 acres in West Haven, CT, a suburban hillside community only minutes from the bustling city of New Haven and miles of Connecticut shoreline and beaches. The campus is only 90 minutes from New York City and 2-‐1/2 hours from Boston. Academic Overview The University is composed of five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Tagliatela College of Engineering, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, and the College of Lifelong & eLearning. Approximately 33 percent of students are enrolled in arts and sciences, 21 percent in business, 12 percent in engineering, and 34 percent in the Lee College. The University awards undergraduate associate and bachelor's degrees in over 80 majors, master's degrees in nearly 30 areas of study, and a doctorate in criminal justice. Faculty & Staff The University has 522 faculty members. Among the 200 full-‐time faculty members, 83 percent hold the highest degree in their field and 52 percent have tenure. The student faculty ratio is approximately 16:1. The University has nearly 500 staff members. Students Of the University's 4607 undergraduate students and 1,778 graduate students, nearly 60 percent come from Connecticut, while 33 percent come from other states, and 8 percent are international students. More than 70 percent of undergraduate students live on campus or in University-‐sponsored housing. For fall 2011, the incoming first-‐year students had an average high school GPA of 3.3 and an average SAT score of 1061. Approximately 12 percent of undergraduates and 43 percent of graduate students are enrolled in part-‐time study. Student Life Undergraduate students participate in more than 100 clubs and organizations. Graduate students participate on the Graduate Student Council and several academic clubs and organizations. Student news is provided in The Charger Bulletin, a weekly student-‐run newspaper available in hard copy and online. Students and community members also broadcast on the campus radio station, WNHU 88.7 FM, which is also available online. UNH students show a commitment to community service through club outreach, the Alternative Spring Break program, and the President's Public Service Fellowship program in the summer. Residential Life Over 2,000 undergraduate students live in 10 on-‐campus residence halls, and nearly 600 undergraduate students live in off-‐campus housing leased by the University. Shuttle service to campus is provided from all off-‐campus, University-‐sponsored housing. First-‐year students have the option to participate in Living/Learning Communities, which help foster a greater connection to UNH by allowing students with a common bond to reside together. The University offered 12 themed Living-‐Learning Communities for the 2010-‐2011 academic year. Athletics UNH is a member of the athletically and academically prestigious Northeast-‐10 Conference and NCAA Division II. The UNH Chargers compete in 16 varsity sports. In 2011-‐12, the Chargers enjoyed a record-‐ setting year on the playing field and in the classroom. New Haven had 12 student-‐athletes earn Academic All-‐Conference Honors, and two earned Academic-‐All American honors. Over the same period, UNH athletic teams completed more than 3,000 hours of community service. Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium, the home of the University of New Haven Football team. Experiential Education Study Abroad: Through UNH faculty-‐led study abroad experiences and strategic partnerships with Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) and the Center for International Studies (CIS), UNH students have access to over 50 study abroad placements worldwide for varying durations. The University also offers two semester-‐abroad experience programs for first-‐year students in the fall. In fall 2010, first-‐year abroad placements include Florence and Seville. Seventy-‐six undergraduates participated in fall 2009 study abroad initiatives.. Academic Service-‐Learning, Work Integrated Learning, and Faculty-‐Mentored Undergraduate Research: According to a May 2009 survey of graduating seniors, 78 percent of respondents indicated they had completed an internship while attending UNH. Additionally, 30 percent of respondents had participated in faculty-‐mentored undergraduate research, and 16 percent had participated in an academic service learning project for credit while at UNH. Computer Resources Nearly all of the University's classrooms feature multimedia. Students may connect to the campus network via wireless access points in academic buildings, the Bartels Hall campus center, the Marvin K. Peterson Library, and public residence hall areas. Wired high-‐speed network connections also are provided in all residence hall rooms and major common areas on campus. Students are provided with a permanent UNH e-‐mail account, and all course registration is completed online. Costs and Finances Undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2011-‐2012 academic year are $32,750; room and board charges are $13,700. The University's current operating budget is approximately $160 million. Financial Aid Approximately 90 percent of full-‐time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. For the 2011-‐2012 academic year, 61 percent of undergraduate students received merit-‐based aid, and 79 percent received federal, state, or institutional need-‐based aid. Approximately 272 undergraduate and graduate students participate in the federal work study program both on campus and in off-‐campus community service positions. The average family income for a full-‐time undergraduate UNH student is $94,104. Estimate of Undergraduate and Graduate Yearly Expenses (2013-‐2014) Undergraduate Graduate (2 semesters) (3 trimesters) Tuition and Fees $32440 $21,600 Housing & Food (Room & Board) $14000 $12,000 (estimate) Books and Supplies $1000 $750 (estimate) General Fees, including Health Insurance $2640 $1340 Technology Fees & Graduate Student Fees $135 Total $50,080 $35,825 See expense details here Undergraduate Graduate International applicants seeking F or J visa status MUST submit specific documentation of funds available for study at the university. The university requires proof of approximately $50,080 in funds for undergraduate (Bachelor's degree) students and $35,825 for graduate (Master's degree or Ph.D.) students. If you are to be sponsored by your government, an embassy, organization or company, a recent, original letter from the sponsor will be required. Studying at UNH Information Provided by the University of New Haven Plagiarism —“Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise or resubmitting one’s own work under false pretenses.” 1. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to: a. Copying without proper citation from another student’s paper(s) partially or entirely or from any source, such as a book, article, notebook, video, or other source material, whether published or unpublished. b. Purchasing or securing a paper from any source, to include term-‐paper vendors and Internet sources, and submitting that paper or specific portions of the paper as one’s own work. c. Inserting a passage from the Internet or any computer source into one’s paper without proper citation. d. Copying data from another source without a proper citation. e. Appropriating another person’s computer programming work for submission as an assignment. f. Failing to attribute material that comes from other media sources or failing to obtain proper permission for the use of such material when creating a web page, film, musical composition, or other forms of presentation or artistic expression as a course assignment. g. Any other appropriation of another’s intellectual property without proper attribution. h. Submitting an assignment that was written during a prior semester or submitting the same assignment for more than one class simultaneously, including resubmitting all or substantial portions of previously written work for a current assignment, unless instructors in multiple courses are informed of and approve of the submission. Students should consult their instructors if unsure of what work of their own they may use in preparing an assignment. The student should assume that, unless the instructor specifically permits it, the use of work from one previous or simultaneous course to satisfy the expectations of another course will be perceived as deceptive, and in addition, the work so used fails to qualify as original work for the assignment. i. Citing sources improperly, which includes, but is not limited to, failure to use quotation marks or other appropriate notation for direct quotes or for an author’s distinctive phrases, and following an author’s structure of writing and ideas, but rephrasing the sentences partially to give the impression that the whole passage reflects the student’s structure and ideas. 2. Guidance on proper citation may be found below or through other designated resources indicated by your academic department. Resources on Proper Citation of Sources: American Psychological Association. (2001) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author. Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.).(2003) Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gibaldi, J. (2003) MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. (6th ed.), New York: Modern Language Association. Sources online: (http://library.newhaven.edu/ResearchGuides.html) Strunk, W. & White, E.B. (2000). The Elements of Style (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Turabian, K.L. (2007) A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (7th ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Cheating —“Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.” i Cheating includes, but is not limited to: 1. Having unauthorized notes during an exam or quiz, or communication of information by any means concerning the content of an examination during or after the testing period to anyone who has not yet taken the examination. The only materials permitted during an exam are those that an instructor explicitly instructs students they may use. 2. Copying the work of another during a test or quiz. 3. Obtaining or providing unauthorized prior knowledge of exam or quiz content. 4. Using another student’s work for a homework or lab assignment or presenting the work of another as one’s own. 5. Using unauthorized materials or information from others for a take-‐home exam. It is expected that students do independent work for exams whether they are take-‐home or in-‐class. Students are expected to comply with the guidelines set by the instructor. 6. Seeking, receiving, or giving aid during examinations through electronic means (e.g., cell phone, e-‐ mail, text messaging). 7. Purchasing papers, research, reports, etc. from commercial services or other individuals for use in any manner other than research for which the source of information is appropriately referenced in the student’s work. Resources on Campus The International Services Office (ISO) provides assistance to the University's diverse international student population, which is composed of more than 800 students from 50 countries. The staff generally assists students with immigration matters, coordinates campus and community services, and promotes interaction between the international population, the University, and the communities of greater New Haven. The presence of international students at UNH helps make the University truly a global village: our campus community may be small in number but we are vast in cultures, ethnicities, languages, nationalities, politics, religions, and traditions. To encourage multicultural awareness through the interaction with international students, the ISO coordinates and organizes various programs and activities. Karima Jackson Director kjackson@newhaven.edu Christopher Moise International Student Advisor cmoise@newhaven.edu Jaime Parlato Secretary jparlato@newhaven.edu Echlin Hall 200 300 Boston Post Road West Haven, CT 06516 Ph: 203.932.7475 Fax: 203.931.6054 iso@newhaven.edu Graduate Peer Tutoring Program Hours and Locations -‐ Fall 2013 Contact Megan Fimbel, Peer Tutoring Program Coordinator, at (203) 479-‐4856 or Grad-‐ PeerTutoring@NewHaven.edu, or Ms. Malewicki, Director, at (203) 932-‐7415, for more information. Look for us on the UNH website and Facebook. Visit http://unh-‐web-‐01.newhaven.edu/accusl to schedule an appointment with any our tutors. 9/5/2013 Locations Compute r Science Mond ay Tuesd ay * CLR 12:30-‐ Computer 2:00 Lab Wedne sday Buri 10:30-‐ nda 12:30 Thurs day Buri 7:00-‐ nda 9:00 Frida y Buri nda Computer Science Course: CSCI 6604 Criminal * CLR 5:00-‐ M 2:00-‐ Ma Justice Math Lab 7:00 a 5:00 5:00-‐ 7:00 Ma Criminal Justice Courses: CJST 6601, CJST 6611, CJST 6617, CJST 6637, CJST 6651, CJST 6656, and SPSS Engineeri ng * CLR Math Lab 12:00-‐ 2:00 & 5:30-‐ 10:00 Ya 2:00-‐ ng 3:30, 4:00-‐ 6:00, & 6:30-‐ 10:00 Yan g 10:00 -‐1:00 Yan g Engineering Courses: EGRM 6604 and EGRM 6613 Forensic Science * CLR Math Lab 7:00-‐ 8:00 Fim bel 1:00-‐ Fi 2:30 mb el Forensic Science Courses: FORS 6614, FORS 616, and FORS 6697 MBA ^ Maxcy 3:00-‐ North 5:30 Porch 2 * CLR Math Lab Li ^ 5:00-‐ 8:00 Li* 3:00-‐ 5:30 Li* 3:30-‐ 5:30 Li* MBA Courses: ACCT 6620, ACCT 6621, ECON 6601, ECON 6629, FINC 6601, FINC 6602, FINC 6610, INTB 6644, MGMT 6637, MGMT 6645, MKTG 6609, and QANL 6604 If a tutor cannot work out of his/her scheduled space, that person will usually move to the CLR Math Lab. You may call (203) 932-‐7215/7214 with questions. Additional tutoring support is available out of the Writing Lab; the Computer Lab; and the Math, Science, and Business Lab. Check our tutor bios. on our website at http://www.newhaven.edu/clr. English Language Requirements As of the Fall 2013 Term, all non-‐native English speaking undergraduate and graduate international applicants must demonstrate English language competency in one of the following 4 ways BEFOREthey can enroll in a degree program at UNH: • A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 OR • A minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the internet based test (IBT) OR • A minimum Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 53 OR • An ELS Certificate of Completion of Level 112, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program. Exception: For the following graduate-‐master's level-‐engineering degrees, the minimum TOEFL score will remain at 75 IBT and the minimum IELTS score will remain at 6.0. These programs will also accept a minimum Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 50 or the ELS-‐EAP Certificate of Completion of Level 112. • M.S. Computer Engineering • M.S. Electrical Engineering • M.S. Engineering and Operations Management • M.S. Environmental Engineering • M.S. Industrial Engineering • M.S. Mechanical Engineering • M.S. Network Systems The University of New Haven School Code for TOEFL is 3663. A Letter to Incoming International Students Dear Incoming International Students, I would like to congratulate and welcome all of you to the Management of Sport Industries (MSI) program at the University of New Haven. I am very excited to meet with all of you. With this short write-‐ up, I want to share my seven years of experience as an international student in the United States with hopes of bettering your experience in America. I have had a wonderful journey in the United States and my experiences/lessons learned can help you make your educational stay that much more productive. I want to start with brief overview of my educational journey in the U.S and then I will touch on academic success, daily life, socialization and adaptation to American culture. I came to the U.S. as a master’s student in MSI program at the University of New Haven (UNH) seven years ago. My goal was to be become an academician. Therefore after earning my master’s degree from the UNH, I started a doctoral program in Sports Administration at the University of New Mexico and completed all degree requirements for my PhD in summer 2013. I have recently started the new chapter in my life as an Assistant Professor at my alma mater – the University of New Haven. Although I achieved my goal of becoming a faculty member at a higher education institution, I must confess that it was a challenging journey. Within these seven years, I have had good and bad days, many days in tears, and challenging, but rewarding experiences. I will try to share some parts of my experience to give you an idea of what it is like to be an international student in the U.S. I want to start with my academic life. I came from Turkey and the university I had attended in Turkey followed American education system and classes were taught in English. Therefore, I did not have hard time understanding degree requirements, course expectations, registration system, or online teaching systems utilized in classes. Although I came with experience in listening to a lecture in English, the biggest challenge during my master’s degree at UNH was still the language barrier. As an international student coming from a non-‐English speaking country, it was tough. In my first semester at UNH, I took Sport Law class, and I think that was the hardest class I took in seven years including my master’s and PhD. Paying attention to understand the content in English was one thing, trying to understand discussions was another; but the hardest part was understanding the legal jargon. I thought my professor and classmates were speaking a language other than English. I had to study long hours to understand and familiarize myself with legal concepts and language in the U.S. If you are up for putting in hard work and studying for long hours, you are likely to succeed. Also, I suggest joining a study group when you take a challenging course. And you can always ask your professors for additional resources that will enhance your learning. Same situation might apply to all classes you might take. Maybe the challenge is not the jargon in every class, but the examples used to teach the class. Not knowing American sports or famous American athletes diminishes the knowledge you can gain in class. I felt like I was coming from another universe when I first started because I knew nothing about baseball and football. It is very helpful to follow news, watch sports on television and attend sporting events whenever possible. However, the more you know about truly American sports such as college football, NASCAR, WWE, and even travel youth teams the better you will be prepared to thrive at UNH. You will then start understanding the language of sports in America and it will positively impact your learning. Another challenge in academics might be writing in English. I would advise you to rewrite your papers a few times and get some help with editing assistance on campus. Also, make sure you understand what plagiarism is and how it applies to your work as a student. One last advice that I have for you pertaining to academics is to ask questions. Often times, international students process and interpret information in different ways due to culture and their upbringing. Make sure you understand the presented information correctly by asking questions, and it is your responsibility to ask questions as a student. Remember there is no dumb question! Let me talk a little bit about life in America and the importance of socialization. Depending on where you are from, life in America might be very different. Maybe, it will feel like day and night. One characteristic of American culture is individualism. Everyone is very independent and if you are coming from a country with collectivist values, you are likely to feel lonely and home-‐sick. Being friendly and getting to know your classmates and faculty members better will help you immensely. One thing to avoid is isolating yourself and sticking only with other international students from your country. You should be friends with other students from your home country, but you should not limit your friend circle with international students. Socializing with American students will help you adjust to the life style and have a better experience in the U.S. during your studies. Attending social gatherings, field trips, sporting events organized within the sports management program and also on campus improves social life. It should be noted that networking is very important in the sport industry and numerous jobs and internship opportunities are only found through your network, so grow your network immediately. Say high to as many people as possible and do not be shy to introduce yourself to others. Some of the friends I made at UNH are now professional colleague sof mine and a great source of friendship and professional growth. During this socialization process, the challenge will normally be the language barrier. Even though it might be hard to speak English fluently, it should not stop you from being social. During my first year, I was not very social, and I was mostly hanging out with other Turkish students and Turkish-‐American locals. I thought Americans were very distant and not very friendly. I thought they had no interest in making friends with international students or making the effort to listen and understand an international student. It was actually my fault, but not theirs, because I was isolating myself and staying in my comfort zone by interacting with Turkish people. Once I opened myself up and understood American culture better, I started making friends. And improvements in my social life made my life enjoyable and academic life much easier. Culture and language barrier sometimes may create misunderstandings. Clear any misunderstand right away if it occurs anytime during your stay in the U.S.. Be honest and open, and do not be too sensitive. Remember that you are here to get an education, but it is not independent from adapting to American life. The more social you are the better experience you will have. Also, American are intrigued by other cultures and languages. Don’t be afraid to talk about current events, clear-‐up any misinformation about your country, and try to teach some Americans a couple key words or phrases. They will appreciate you trying to teach them. In summary, the key to success in America as an international student is working hard and adjusting to American culture. You are going to be treated the same way with American students; you will be subject to same standards and given opportunities. I was given many opportunities in seven years and they allowed me to achieve my goal. Be ready to take on the challenge and put in hard work and effort. Your hard work will be acknowledged and you will succeed. Socialize and be friendly. Socializing and learning American culture will make the difference in your experience. Open yourself up to the experience and enjoy!!! Ceyda Mumcu, PhD Assistant Professor in Sport Management University of New Haven College of Business Department of Sport Management Living in the Greater New Haven Area Finding an Apartment Although the University of New Haven provides undergraduate housing, for graduate students off-‐ campus housing is a necessity. Finding a place to live can seem like a daunting task, but with the help of www.newhaven.edu/offcampushousing the search can be as simple as a few clicks of the mouse. A newsletter meant to aid prospective UNH students with their apartment search can be found at http://www.newhaven.edu/438699.pdf Some places to begin your apartment search include: 1.) Hadley Inc.-‐ www.trumbullenterprises.com Hadley, Inc. have been meeting the needs of renters attending University of New Haven, Yale University and those working in the New Haven area for many years. The apartments are located in prime locations in downtown West Haven, historic Westville and by the shoreline. 2.) Wintergreen of Westville-‐ www.westvillevillageapartments.com Wintergreen of Westville Apartments offers luxury one, two and three bedroom apartment homes. Our student apartments are geared with YOU in mind as we offer 2 packages based on your wants and needs. Are you needing furniture -‐ then we have the perfect package for you! Want to bring your own furniture -‐ we have a package that will suit you also. Our flexibility is designed to make your living at Wintergreen of Westville easier and more comfortable based on your personal lifestyle. 3.) If you are looking for a real estate agent, you can access UNH’s off campus housing application located on Newhaven.edu within the “off-‐campus housing” section. Filling out this application will allow you to work with Fred A. Messore, a real estate agent for Colonial Properties Inc., as you search for a new home here in the US. University of New Haven works with local property owners and real estate agents to provide limited rental property listings for students. The listing of rental units on this site is a service to local rental property owners and University of New Haven students, faculty and staff. Rental property owners are responsible for reporting information fairly and accurately and the University of New Haven cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of such information. Transportation Services The University of New Haven provides its students with all types of transportation options, for getting to and from campus. For many US students the issues with parking vehicles can be such a hassle that the shuttle becomes a better option. But for many international students, these services are vital for getting to and from classes throughout their educational experience at UNH. UNH not only provides students with a “housing shuttle,” taking students from on campus dormitories to and from classes. But it also provides courtesy shuttles to numerous other locations. Shuttles pick up and drop off from the St. Paul Church parking lot located nearby the UNH campus, allowing students with vehicles to conveniently park off campus, and be driven the rest of the way. UNH also offers six-‐ seating Courtesy Vans which runs on a continuous loop to and from places like the Wintergreen of Westville Apartments, the West Haven Train Station, and from Downtown New Haven. These shuttles allow students to move on and off campus, to and from classes, without the need of paying for public transportation. Students can track these services by going to http://shuttle.newhaven.edu/ Things to do in the Greater New Haven Area A list of the Top 10 things to do in New Haven, provided by 10best.coma division of USA Today Travel • East Rock Park-‐ Whether you are just looking to go for a stroll or trying to find a hiking adventure, East Rock Park is the place to go. It is New Haven’s largest park and features hiking trails, a rose garden, tennis courts, nature trails, picnic areas, and even a bird sanctuary. East Rock’s best offering may just be its view, as those who reach the top can peer out over all of New Haven, taking in the history and beauty of this great city. East Rock Rd New Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-‐946-‐6086 • Yale University-‐ Founded in 1701, Yale is one of the finest university’s in the world. Students are free to wander the campus of Yale and take in the sights and sounds of the university, while meeting other college students in the New Haven area. 149 Elm St New Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-‐432-‐2300 • Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library-‐ The main attraction on display is one of the few remaining Gutenberg Bibles from the original printing press. This is not a great stop for everyone, but for avid readers and history buffs are sure to love it. 121 Wall St New Haven, CT 06511-‐6608 Phone: 203-‐432-‐2977 • New Haven Colony Historical Society Museum-‐ Founded in the 1630s, the New Haven Colony is one of the oldest in the US. On display within the museum are old manuscripts, photos, tableware, industrial exhibits, and Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. 114 Whitney Ave New Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-‐562-‐4183 • New Haven Green-‐ One of New Haven’s original town squares, designed in 1638, the Green is located adjacent to Yale University and provides visitors with a great place to begin any sightseeing tour. In addition, the Green provides area for picnics, gatherings and relaxing for all in the New Haven area. New Haven, CT, 06511 • Wooster Square-‐ Named for David Wooster, a son of New Haven who served during the Revolutionary War, Wooster Square is a lovely place to relax and take in public concerts or anything else going on. In addition to being a beautiful place to see, it is with walking distance to the world famous Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria! Wooster Street New Haven, CT, 06511 • Long Wharf Theatre-‐ Founded in 1965, the Long Wharf Theatre is a wonderful place to see all types of unique productions. Many of the performances that have been displayed at the Long Wharf have gone on to become off-‐Broadway and Broadway shows. 222 Sargent Dr New Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-‐787-‐4282 • Yale Center for British Art-‐ This is the best place to learn about and view British Art outside of the United Kingdom. Lectures, workshops, tours and special exhibitions are featured regularly. 1080 Chapel St New Haven, CT 06510 Phone: 203-‐432-‐2800 • Yale Repertory Theatre-‐ This Tony Award winning theatre is an amazing place to go see new plays as well as many classic performances. One of the most recent productions put on at the Yale Repertory Theatre was Shakespeare’s Hamlet, starring well-‐known actor and former Yale student, Paul Giamatti. 1120 Chapel St New Haven, CT 06505 Phone: 203-‐432-‐1234 • Yale University Art Gallery-‐ Yet another place for history buffs and art fans, the Yale University Art Gallery boasts a huge collection of ancient objects and art. Some of its most prized pieces include masterpieces from Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh. 1111 Chapel St New Haven, CT 06510 Phone: 203-‐432-‐0600 There are many other amazing places to visit in New Haven, including many different sporting venues that allow international students to get a first-‐hand look at American Sports. Sporting Venues in the New Haven Area • Yale Bowl-‐ Built in 1914, the Yale Bowl seats over 60,000 spectators on game days. It is home to the Yale University football team, members of the Football Championship Series, college football second-‐tier of Division I. The Yale Bowl is the largest stadium in the FCS to actually be owned by the school that plays in it. • Ingalls Rink-‐ Commonly known as “The Whale” because of its odd-‐shape, Ingalls Rink is the home of Yale University’s hockey team. This is a wonderful environment to take in quality Division I hockey, as Yale’s Men’s Hockey team recently took home the Division I National Championship in 2013. • Cullman-‐Heyman Tennis Center-‐ This venue hosts the Yale-‐New Haven Open every year, an event on the WTA Tour. The center has 22 outdoor and 8 indoor hard courts, as well as 5 clay courts. Its stadium, The Connecticut Tennis Center, has a capacity of 15,000 spectators making it the fourth largest tennis venue by capacity in the world. • Payne-‐Whitney Gymnasium-‐ This venue hosts many of Yale University’s indoor sports programs. The men’s basketball team plays its home games in the John J. Lee Amphitheatre. • Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium-‐ Possibly the most unique venue of all in the New Haven area is located right here at the University of New Haven. DellaCamera Stadium is the home of the UNH football team and has a field entirely made of blue turf (yes, you heard that correctly, BLUE) Sports in America: Background Information American Professional Sports America’s Four Major Sports Leagues Major League Baseball (MLB)-‐ Major League Baseball is known by many as “America’s Past Time.” The professional baseball league consists of 30 teams in 28 cities across the United States and Canada. Each team within the league operates as a separate business which is regulated and governed by the MLB. The teams within the MLB are divided into two leagues, the National and the American League, both consisting of 15 teams, split into 3 divisions, the East, Central and West. All teams play a 162 game season, followed by the playoffs. The National and American League hold separate 5 team playoffs, which eventually culminate with the World Series; a 7 game series pitting the National League Champions against the American League Champions. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.mlb.com National Football League (NFL)-‐ The National Football League is an “American Football” league consisting of 32 teams across the United States. Each team plays a 16 game schedule over a 17 week long period. The league is divided into two conferences the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) consisting of 16 teams divided into 4 divisions (East, South, North, West). The league holds playoffs at the end of the regular season, with the NFC and AFC both holding 6-‐ team playoffs, consisting of the four division champions and two wildcard teams who have the best win-‐ loss records of the rest of the conference’s participants. At the end of the conference playoffs the NFC champion takes on the AFC champion in the Super Bowl, the most watched televised sporting event in the world. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.nfl.com National Basketball Association (NBA)-‐ The National Basketball Association consists of 30 teams across the United States and Canada. The league divides its teams into 2 conferences, the Eastern and Western Conference which are divided into 3 divisions (East-‐ Atlantic, Central, and Southeast: West-‐ Northwest, Pacific, Southwest). Following an 82 game season, each conference holds an 8 team playoff consisting of the three division champions and the five teams with the best win-‐loss records that did not win their respective divisions. After an Eastern and Western Conference champion have been crowned the two squads play in a 7-‐game series for the NBA title. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.nba.com National Hockey League (NHL)-‐ The National Hockey League is a major professional ice hockey league, consisting of 23 American based franchises and 7 Canadian. Recently the NHL restructured its conferences and divisions, creating two conferences (East and West) which both house two divisions. The Eastern Conference boasts two eight team divisions, the Metropolitan and the Atlantic, while the Western Conference holds two seven team divisions, the Pacific and Central. Under the new realignment of the NHL, its playoff format has changed as well. Eight teams compete in their respective conference’s playoffs, the top three teams from each division and two wild card teams. After a champion has been crowned from both the Eastern and Western Conference, the two teams compete in a 7-‐game series known as the Stanley Cup Finals. The winning franchise is awarded Lord Stanley’s Cup, the oldest trophy in American professional sports. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.nhl.com Other American Professional Sports Major Soccer League (MLS)-‐ Major League Soccer is operated as a single entity where each team is owned by the league’s investors, with no teams being privately owned. Due to this unique style of operation, the MLS is one of the few professional soccer leagues that do not practice relegation and promotion. The league consists of 19 teams, 16 in the US and 3 in Canada, divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western). Following the regular season the league holds a 10-‐team playoff, consisting of the top five teams from the Eastern and Western Conference. The Eastern and Western Conference Champions play in a championship game known as the MLS Cup. The winner of the game is declared the league’s champion, unlike many international leagues, which declare the team with the best regular season win-‐loss record league champion. MLS teams also compete in two domestic league cups outside of league play, the US Open Cup and the Canadian Championships. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.mlssoccer.com Professional Golf Association (PGA)-‐ The PGA, which is operated out of Jacksonville, Florida, is the owner/operator of the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour, and the Web.com Tour amongst other golf leagues. The PGA organized most of the events on the PGA tour including its four major tournaments (The Masters, The US Open, The Open Championship, and The PGA Championship) as well as the recently created FedEx Cup Playoffs. The PGA is a not-‐for-‐profit organization that utilizes volunteers to ensure its events run smoothly and are fully staffed. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.pgatour.com Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)-‐ The LPGA is an American organization based out of Daytona Beach, Florida, which operates the LPGA Tour, a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers. The tour is run similarly to the PGA utilizing volunteers to staff its events and giving the winners of each week’s tournaments prize money. Beginning in 2013 the LPGA now designates five tournaments as major championships (The Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA Championship, US Women’s Open, Women’s British Open, and The Evian Championship). Visit the league’s site for more information: www.lpga.com United States Tennis Association (USTA)-‐ The USTA is the governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States from the lowest to highest levels. Some of its tournaments include the New Haven Open at Yale University, the Cincinnati Masters, and one of the four major tennis tournaments of the year the US Open, held every year in New York. The USTA is a not-‐for-‐profit organization with over 700,000 members spanning 17 geographical sections, that spends all proceeds on expanding and improving upon the sport of tennis in America. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.usta.com Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)-‐ The WTA is the organizing body for women’s tennis, and governs the worldwide professional women’s tennis tour; the WTA Tour. Its American headquarters are housed in St. Petersburg, Florida, while its European headquarters are found in London, England and its Asia-‐ Pacific headquarters in Beijing, China. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.wtatennis.com Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)-‐ The WNBA is the first women’s professional basketball league in America, to receive the full support of the NBA. It opened play in 1997 with eight teams, and since then has grown into a 12 team league. The teams are split into two, six team conferences (East and West). Each conference holds a four team playoff, pitting the four best teams from the regular season against one another. After two conference champions are crowned, the teams play a 3-‐game series to be crowned WNBA Champions. Visit the league’s site for more information: www.wnba.com National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)-‐ Founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948 and still owned and operated by the France family, NASCAR is the governing body of multiple auto racing leagues and events. They hold racing events all over North America, at all different levels of competition. The highest level of NASCAR competition is the Sprint Cup, formerly known as the Winston Cup. Each year NASCAR declares its Sprint Cup champion, the racer who has earned the most points throughout the racing season. The points system is based on races won, place finished other than first, laps led, races finished and other components. Some other professional leagues and organizations in America include the National Lacrosse League (NLL), Major League Lacrosse (MLL), USA Track and Field (USTF), American Hockey League (AHL), Minor League Baseball, and many more! American Professional Sports Rivalries Sports have an innate ability to create rivalries, no matter where or at what level they are being played. One of the driving forces of American professional sports worldwide popularity, are the geographical and competition based rivalries that exist in every league. Below, we depict some of the best and most heated rivalries American professional sports have to offer. Major League Baseball-‐ New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox-‐ If you plan on coming to school at the University of New Haven, you better pick a side in what might be the greatest sports rivalry in the world. New Haven is in the middle of this heated battle, located about 2 hours from both Boston and New York. This rivalry can be traced back as far as the early 1900s and featured the greatest baseball player of all time Babe Ruth and the Curse of the Bambino. The Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees after winning multiple World Series, and it would begin a drought of 86 years of not winning a World Series. This rivalry has seen brawls between players and 72 year old coaches, walk off homers to go to the World Series, and the greatest comeback in playoffs history. Combined these teams have been to 51 World Series and won 34 of them. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and infamous Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, brawl after a hit by pitch. Major League Baseball-‐ Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants-‐ These two teams originally resided in New York, where they grew a strong distaste for one another. Since then they have moved to the west coast and continue to battle one another for bragging rights each and every year. Combined these teams have been to 39 World Series and won 13 of them. National Football League-‐ Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears-‐ The NFL’s oldest rivalry, dating back to 1921, the Packers and the Bears have hated one another since day one. The Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls ever played, which in turn caused the NFL to renamed the Super Bowl trophy after the Packer’s head coach at the time, Vince Lombardi. This rivalry is known to play out in the cold Midwest, providing fans a look into the conditions football should be played in; cold, unforgiving temperatures. National Basketball Association-‐ New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat-‐ This is one rivalry that is not steeped in a battle for geographical dominance. The disdain in this rivalry comes from four straight playoff matchups in the late 1990s. These franchises were known to have a bench clearing fight from time to time, in a sport where that behavior is not the norm. Today the rivalry has been revamped by the matchup of two of the league’s best players, the Heat’s Lebron James and the Knick’s Carmello Anthony. National Basketball Association-‐ Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers-‐ The NBA seems to be known for non-‐geographical rivalries, and this one is an east coast vs. west coast battle. The Lakers and the Celtics are the two most successful franchises, and have met each other 12 times in the NBA championship. They have combined for 33 championship victories and showcased one of the greatest individual player rivalries in sports history between, Larry Bird (Celtics) and Magic Johnson (Lakers). National Hockey League-‐ Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings-‐ Back to geographical battles, the Red Wings and Blackhawks are two of the “original six” teams in the NHL. They have played each other in more regular season games than any two teams in NHL history. PGA Tour-‐ Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson-‐ American professional sports can also build individual rivalries, and when two members of a sport can be known solely by their first name “Tiger” and “Phil”, it is difficult for a rivalry not to form. These men are the two best golfers in the world and both were born and raised in the US. Both men rank in the top 10 for all-‐time tournament victories, Tiger with 79 and Phil with 42. Major League Soccer-‐ Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders-‐ This is a young and budding rivalry in a young and growing league. As the MLS continues to grow in teams and fan support, no two clubs boast the support of these two franchises in the Pacific Northwest. The scenes in these stadiums rivals thos of many European fan bases, as both teams continue to facilitate the rise in popularity of soccer in the US. The Timbers Army, at Jeld Wen Field in Portland, Oregon, home of the Portland Timbers. America’s Most Valuable Sports Teams (List Published by Forbes Magazine April 14, 2013) Rank Team Name Owner League Value 1 New York Yankees The Steinbrenner Family MLB $2,300,000,000 2 Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones NFL $2,100,000,000 3 New England Patriots Robert Kraft NFL $1,635,000,000 4 Los Angeles Dodgers Guggenheim Baseball MLB $1,615,000,000 5 Washington Redskins Daniel Snyder NFL $1,600,000,000 6 New York Giants John Mara and Robert Tisch NFL $1,468,000,000 7 Boston Red Sox John Henry and Thomas Werner MLB $1,312,000,000 8 Houston Texans Robert McNair NFL $1,305,000,000 9 New York Jets Robert Wood Johnson IV NFL $1,284,000,000 10 Philadelphia Eagle Jeffrey Lurie NFL $1,260,000,000 Fun Fact: Although 6 American Professional Sports Franchises rank on the Forbes’ Top 10 Most Valuable Sports Teams list, the most valuable franchise in the world is Real Madrid, worth an estimated 3.3 billion dollars! Fun Fact: All 30 NFL Teams earned a spot in the Forbes Top 50 Most Valuable Teams List. Check out the whole list at http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45edmjk/1-‐real-‐madrid/ Revenue brought in by each professional league Highest Earning American Athletes (List Published by Sports Illustrated) 1.) Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Professional Boxing)-‐ $85,000,000 (Earned in only two fights) 2.) Phil Mickelson (PGA Golfer)-‐ $60,763,488 (Earned only 3 million from PGA events, the rest came from advertising and sponsorships) 3.) Tiger Woods (PGA Golfer)-‐ $ 56,440,238 (54.5 million of his earnings came from endorsements) 4.) Kobe Bryant (NBA)-‐ $ 48,286,000 (Earns 20 million a year from his contract with the Lakers) 5.) Lebron James (NBA)-‐ $ 45,880,000 (More than half of his earnings come from endorsements) 6.) Alex Rodriguez (MLB)-‐ $ 33,500,000 (Alex Rodriguez made $30 million dollars this year alone in salary from the New York Yankees; part of a 10 year 225 million dollar deal) 7.) Peyton Manning (NFL)-‐ $ 31,000,000 (Peyton not only earned salary and endorsement money, but he also owns 21 different Papa John’s restaurants in Colorado) 8.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR)-‐ $ 28,164,690 (24 million of his earnings come from endorsements) 9.) Derek Jeter (MLB)-‐ $ 27,729,364 (The Captain, as he is affectionately known as by Yankee fans, not only earns from salary and endorsements, but he has his own line of cologne) 10.) Larry Fitzgerald (NFL)-‐ $ 26,750,000 (Fitzgerald is the only member of the top ten money earners to make less than a million dollars in endorsements.) *Fun Fact: Of the Top 21 money earners in American Professional Sports, five are New York Yankees. (6. Alex Rodriguez, 9. Derek Jeter, 17. Vernon Wells, 20. CC Sabathia 21. Mark Teixeira) Check out the whole list at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/specials/fortunate50-‐2012/ The Most Successful American Sports Franchises (By Sport) Major League Baseball (MLB) 1.) New York Yankees-‐ 27 World Championships (*More than any other American Franchise) (Most Recent Title 2009 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies) (40 World Series Appearances) 2.) St. Louis Cardinals-‐ 11 World Championships (Most Recent Title 2011 vs. the Texas Rangers) (18 World Series Appearances) 3.) Oakland Athletics-‐ 9 World Championships (Most Recent Title 1989 vs. the San Francisco Giants) (14 World Series Appearances) The current defending World Series Champions are the San Francisco Giants who swept the Detroit Tigers for their 7th World Series Title. National Football League (NFL) 1.) Pittsburgh Steelers-‐ 6 Super Bowls Victories (8 Super Bowl Appearances) 2.) Dallas Cowboys-‐ 5 Super Bowl Victories (8 Super Bowl Appearances) 3.) San Francisco 49ers-‐ 5 Super Bowl Victories (6 Super Bowl Appearances) National Basketball Association (NBA) 1.) Boston Celtics-‐ 17 NBA Championships (3rd Most Titles by any American Sports Team) (21 NBA Championship Appearances) 2.) Los Angeles Lakers-‐ 16 NBA Championships (31 NBA Championship Appearances) 3.) Chicago Bulls-‐ 6 NBA Championships (All Six Titles won with Michael Jordan, widely known as the greatest player in NBA history) (6 NBA Championship Appearances) National Hockey League (NHL) 1.) Montreal Canadiens-‐ 24 Stanley Cup Championships (Most by any Canadian-‐based professional team) (2nd most by any North America based Franchise) 2.) Toronto Maple Leafs-‐ 13 Stanley Cup Championships (21 Stanley Cup Finals Appearances) 3.) Detroit Red Wings-‐ 11 Stanley Cup Championships (24 Stanley Cup Finals Appearances) Other Notably Successful American Sports Franchises and Athletes: Los Angeles Galaxy (Major League Soccer)-‐ 4 Titles D.C. United (Major League Soccer)-‐ 4 Titles Sam Snead (PGATour)-‐ 82 Tournament Wins and 7 Major Titles Tiger Woods (PGA Tour)-‐ 79 Tournament Wins and 14 Major Titles Chris Evert (WTA Tour)-‐ 18 Grand Slam Titles Pete Sampras (USTA)-‐ 14 Grand Slam Titles Chesapeake Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse)-‐ 4 Titles Richard Petty (NASCAR)-‐ 7 Championships Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR)-‐ 7 Championships Collegiate Athletics History of the NCAA The NCAA was founded in 1906 to protect young people from the dangerous and exploitive athletics practices of the time. The original function of the NCAA was to provide a rule making committee for collegiate sports like football and track and field. Over time the NCAA grew into much more, as membership, the amount of sports and championships all continued to grow. This lead to a need for leadership, as Walter Byers, previously a part-‐time executive assistant, was named executive director in 1951, and a national headquarters was established in Kansas City, Mo., in 1952. Byers would begin to put sanctions on events such a postseason football bowl games, ensuring the protection of the student-‐ athletes involved. In 1980, the NCAA began administering women’s programs athletic programs when Division II and III established 10 championships in 1981-‐82. The next year an extensive governance plan to women’s athletic programs, services and representation in the NCAA was adopted. The NCAA has had only five Presidents throughout its existence, with the current president being Mark Emmert, being named to the position in 2010. Today the NCAA oversees 89 championships in 23 sports, with over 400,000 student-‐athletes competing in three divisions at over 1000 colleges and universities. The NCAA provides student-‐athletes with three divisions of competition to choose from (Divisions I, II, and III). Division I is the highest, most competitive level of competition with Division II, being the next in line, and Division III the lowest. Upward movement from one Division to the next can only be achieved by meeting requirements set by the NCAA for athletics participation, varsity programs provided, and event attendance. The level of team play, and championship victories play no role in the movement of member schools between divisions. The above information and much more can be found at the NCAA’s official website: www.ncaa.org See what schools are a part of the NCAA by clicking the following link: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ Collegiate Athletics Division I 167,089 student-‐athletes participate in Division I, about 35 percent of the total number of student-‐ athletes participating at NCAA institutions. Division I sports include everything from Football (the most lucrative college sport) to fencing. Division I includes both men’s and women’s athletics and is the highest level of athletic participation afforded by the NCAA. Many athletes have access to athletic scholarships, which can pay for some or all of their academics at their respective universities. Division I schools are divided into two subdivision based on the most lucrative NCAA sport, college football. The FBS or Football Bowl Series requires member institutions to sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity sports including football. The FCS or Football Championship Series as well as Division I schools without a football program are required to sponsor 14 varsity sports programs. The subdivisions are only recognized for football, as in all other sports, participating programs are simply considered to be a part of Division I. More information of the operations of Division I athletics can be found at: www.ncaa.org To look at the institutions and athletes competing in Division I athletics go to: www.ncaa.com Division II Division II athletics are somewhat of a middle-‐ground for student-‐athletes. Academic expectations are higher, and scholarships are not as readily available. Students can receive a more balanced mix of athletics and education. The NCAA’s official website boasts that Division II sports afford student-‐ athletes a better chance a traditional college experience, while still playing at a highly competitive level. Currently 100,000 student-‐athletes are competing at 300 Division II schools in the US and Canada. For more information of Division II visit: http://www.ncaa.org/divisionii Division III Division III athletics focuses on academics first, athletics second. Students at this level are truly “student”-‐athletes. Playing seasons are shorter at this level and there is less practice time allotted for participating programs. Athletic scholarships are not offered to students at the Division III level although academic scholarships and grants are still attainable for student-‐athletes who meet requirements. Division III sports focus primarily on sports played in respective conferences, although 36 national championships are provided to participating member programs. More information regarding Division III athletics and its member programs can be found at: http://www.ncaa.org/divisioniii Collegiate Athletics Additional Information Title IX is a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding, including athletics. Many people have never heard of Title IX. Most people who know about Title IX think it applies only to sports, but athletics is only one of 10 key areas addressed by the law. These areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology. This information and more can be found at http://www.titleix.info/History/History-‐Overview.aspx The University of New Haven has its own Title IX Coordinator; Caroline Koziatek, Vice President for Human Resources. Caroline is responsible for coordinating the University’s compliance with Title IX, including overseeing all complaints of sex discrimination and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such complaints. Title IX at the University of New Haven can be found at http://newhaven.edu/about/468079/ Freshman Eligibility For any student entering college to become a student-‐athlete, they must meet academic requirements set by the Division they are participating in. Division I athletics require students to have taken 16 core courses prior to entering college. In addition to those 16 core course the prospective student-‐athletes must meet GPA and SAT/ACT test score requirements set by Division I’s “sliding scale.” This scale for determining eligibility allows a student with a high GPA to be provided with a lower test score requirement; while students with a lower GPA can still gain eligibility with a high SAT or ACT test score. As of August 1, 2013, Division II athletics, which once required only 14 core courses, began utilizing the 16 core course requirements and sliding scale system used by Division I athletics. A Quick Reference Sheet laying out all the rules and regulations of Freshman eligibility can be found at: http://www.itatennis.com/Assets/ita_assets/pdf/Junior+Players/NCAA_Eligibility_Center_Reference_Sh eet.pdf Amateurism The NCAA has always made a concerted effort to ensure that all of its athletes are indeed amateurs. To gain eligibility as an NCAA student-‐athlete, each prospective athlete must complete a questionnaire regarding their former athletic participation. NCAA athletes can NOT be paid for their athletic participation, in excess of the cost of travel, lodging, and athletic equipment. Any payments in excess of this amounts, or not relating to the amateur competition, can cause an athlete to receive amateurism penalties, or to be deemed ineligible. Information on Amateurism can be found at: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/eligibility/becoming+eligible/amateurism Division I Conferences All three of the NCAA’s divisions divide their teams into conferences; with most teams within conferences residing in the same geographical regions. Prior to recent conference realignment, all of the NCAA’s conferences were completely based on the geographical locations of the institutions within them. Today, lucrative television deals and the quality of competition within conferences has caused teams to join conferences that are nowhere near their geographic location. The most recent bewildering conference shift involved three schools, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, when none of the three schools reside within 200 miles of the Atlantic Coastline. Although conferences seem to change every year, here is a list of the Division I FBS and FCS conferences as well as Division I conferences that do not have football teams. Football Bowl Subdivision Conferences American Athletic Conference-‐ This is the NCAA’s newest conference, birthed from the confusion and mass exodus involving the Big East Conference during conference realignment. Formerly known as the Big East Conference, when all its member institutions resided in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, the American Athletic Conference is now the ugly stepchild of the other major FBS conferences in Division I sports. The conference holds teams from all ends of the country ranging from Temple University (In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), all the way to the University of Houston (Located in Houston, Texas). Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)-‐ The ACC is a major-‐FBS conference with teams based on or near the Atlantic Coast. The conference once housed less than ten teams, but now has grown to hold 14 teams, for football, as well as the prestigious Notre Dame University for all sports except football (although in the framework of the deal, Notre Dame agreed to play against 5 ACC opponents per season). Big 12 Conference-‐ The Big 12 Conference was surprisingly given its name because it housed 12 member institutions from the southwestern, and Midwestern US. Today, the conference holds just 10 schools, which becomes even more confusing after learning about the next FBS conference. Big Ten Conference-‐ The Big Ten Conference, which is based in the Midwestern US, has been one conference that has somewhat stayed within its geographic region. It was given its name because it originally housed 10 member institutions. Since its creation, the Big Ten has added two more schools, Penn State and Nebraska, bringing their member total to 12. If your keeping track, you may have noticed that the Big 12 has 10 teams and the Big Ten has 12 teams, I think that clearly sums up the current confusing culture within the NCAA. Conference USA-‐ The CUSA is one of the FBS’ non-‐major conference, meaning that their conference champion does not earn an automatic bid into a BCS bowl game. Recently the conference added seven new teams after losing many of their former members to the American Athletic Conference. Today it holds 14 member institutions split into two divisions, the East and West. Mid-‐American Conference-‐ The MAC as it is widely known, is another non-‐major FBS conference based in the Midwestern US. It holds 13 schools split into two divisions, the East and West. Its newest member, the University of Massachusetts is located in the New England region. Mountain West Conference-‐ The Mountain West Conference is possibly the NCAA’s highest valued non-‐major conference, especially since its addition of perennial football power Boise State University. Boise State was once the highest grossing team within its former conference the Western Athletic Conference. But after becoming one of ESPN’s most popular broadcasts, they shifted to the Mountain West Conference and subsequently ended the WAC, which ceased operations this year. Pacific 12 Conference (PAC12)-‐ Once known as the Pacific Ten Conference, the PAC 12 changed its name to avoid confusion when its ten teams to 12, with the additions of Colorado University and the University of Utah (both not located on the Pacific Coast). The PAC 12 is one of the major conferences in the FBS and houses powerhouse football programs such as the University of Southern California and the University of Oregon. Southeastern Conference (SEC)-‐ The SEC is by far the most successful, most watched, and highest earning conference in the NCAA. Known for its prowess on the football field, with the last seven National Champions coming from its conference. The conference will be launching its own television network (SEC Network) in August of 2014 and continues to be one of the conferences at the forefront of conference realignment. Recently, Missouri University and Texas A&M joined the conference, increasing its membership to 14 schools. Sun Belt Conference-‐ The Sun Belt Conference is by far the least lucrative conference in the FBS, with many of its teams seeking better conferences the second an opportunity arises. Recently, they lost much of their membership to the Conference USA and added many teams that were once members of the FCS. Today, they house 8 institutions, all residing in a similar geographic region. FBS Independents-‐ Due to scheduling concerns and the ability to track down lucrative television deals, some schools choose to be independent institutions in the sport of football. At the forefront of this movement is the University of Notre Dame, who has remained independent in football since its inception. More recently, Brigham Young University left the Mountain West Conference to become independent, and immediately struck a deal to begin their own BYU Network. Other FBS Independents, such as Idaho, New Mexico State and Old Dominion, are not independent by choice, but because they could not find a conference that would accept them. FCS Conferences Big Sky Conference-‐ Holds 13 schools all in the western US. Big South Conference-‐ Holds 6 schools all in the southeastern US. Colonial Athletic Association-‐ Holds 11 schools ranging from the southeast to New England. FCS Independents-‐ There are 5 Independent schools in the FCS. Ivy League-‐ The Ivy League holds 8 member institutions and operates differently than any Division I school. It does not offer athletic scholarships (much like Division III) and focuses more on academics and truly preserving amateurism in collegiate athletics. Its members are some of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Mid-‐Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)-‐ Holds 11 teams ranging as far north as Delaware and as far south as Florida. Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)-‐ Holds 10 teams and is better known for its member’s success in sports like basketball and baseball. Many of its members do not have football programs. Northeast Conference (NEC)-‐ Holds 7 teams located in the Northeastern US. Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)-‐ Holds 9 schools, ranging from Missouri to Florida. Patriot League-‐ Holds 7 teams, including Army and Navy for all sports other then football. Pioneer Football League-‐ Holds 12 teams ranging as far west as San Diego, California and as far east as Jacksonville, Florida. Southern Conference (SOCON)-‐ Holds 9 teams from the southeastern US Southland Conference-‐ Holds 8 teams from the southern US Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)-‐ Holds ten teams, split into a Western and Eastern Division, all located in the southwestern US. Division I (without Football) American East Conference-‐ Holds nine schools from the northeast region of America, playing 19 sports. Atlantic Sun Conference-‐ Holds 10 schools in the southeastern US, participating in 20 sports. Atlantic 10 Conference (A10)-‐ Holds 13 schools ranging from the Midwest to the Northeast, participating in 21 sports. Big East Conference-‐ This is a newly formed conference that branched from the original FBS conference named the Big East (now the American). Its 10 members are all private universities participating in 22 sports. Big West Conference-‐ Holds 10 schools, with nine of its members located in the state of California and its tenth being Hawaii University. Horizon League-‐ Holds 9 schools located in the Midwest participating in 19 sports. NCAA Division I (without Football) Independents-‐ New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the only independent school at this level. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)-‐ Holds 11 schools located in the tri-‐state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) participating in 24 sports. Summit League-‐ Holds 8 teams located in the Midwestern US participating in 19 sports. West Coast Conference (WCC)-‐ Holds ten teams located in the western US participating in 14 sports. Western Athletic Conference (WAC)-‐ As of 2013, the WAC is no longer an FBS conference. They now hold nine schools ranging from the Midwest, to the the southwest and west coast, participating in 18 sports. With the constant shifting and realignment within the NCAA at this time, it is extremely difficult to know what teams are in what conferences in any given year. Some teams have made multiple moves in just the last few years. The key to fully comprehending the conference structure of the NCAA for any student, is to keep up to date with the collegiate conferences. One place to do so is located at: http://espn.go.com/college-‐football/standings/_/group/81 Students can also go to www.ncaa.com NCAA Championships The NCAA owns the rights to nearly all of its championships and hosts either championship games or tournaments at all its levels to decide a National Champion each year, for each Division. The only sport, and the only “subdivision” that does not have an NCAA owned and organized Championship is the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Football Bowl Subdivision Championship-‐ The FBS, uses the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) to rank its teams and determine who plays for the national championship at the end of each season. Next season (2014-‐2015) will be the first time that the FBS holds a playoff to determine its champion, using a committee of 14-‐20 members to decide who the best four teams in the country are. They will then be seeded from best to worst and play a single-‐elimination playoff to determine a National Champion. Bowl Championship Series-‐ The BCS is run by the 11 FBS conferences and the University of Notre Dame. It is the way of ranking the teams in the FBS and determining who the most elite teams are in any given season. These rankings are used in the process of deciding who will play for the National Championship each season. Rankings in the BCS polls are based on the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, USA Today Coaches Poll and computer rankings which each make up one-‐third of the process. BCS National Championship Game-‐ The BCS Championship Game is played in one of four venues, which rotate year-‐by-‐year. Those venues are in Glendale, Arizona, Pasadena, California, New Orleans, Louisiana and Miami, Florida. These venues also host the four BCS bowls, that are played by the most elite teams that did not qualify for the National Championship game. BCS Bowl Games-‐ The four BCS bowl games are the Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona), the Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana), and the Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida). Participants in these games earn millions of dollars which is evenly distributed to all the members of their respective conferences. The Champions from the six Automatic Qualifying Conferences earn automatic spots in one of the BCS bowl games as well as any other FBS conference winner that is ranked in the top 12 or 16 in the BCS standings. Automatic Qualifiers-‐ The Automatic Qualifying Conferences are conferences that earn an automatic bid into a BCS bowl for their conference champion. The AQ conferences, as they are also known by include the American Athletic Conference (formerly the Big East), the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pacific 12 (PAC 12), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Bowl Games-‐ The FBS has a total of 35 other bowl games besides those in the BCS. To be eligible to participate in a postseason bowl game, teams must reside in the FBS and finish the regular season with at least a .500 record (the same amount of wins and losses). These are single games, that are sponsored by different corporations, organizations, etc., such as the New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, NY) or the San Diego County Credit Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, California). Most bowl games are affiliated with certain conferences and guarantee selection of those conference’s teams if they qualify for a bowl game. Teams earn money for playing in these bowl games and that money is distributed to all the members of that team’s conference as well as the team. Each bowl game has its own trophy that it awards to the winner of the contest. March Madness-‐ The NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, more widely known as “March Madness” is a 68 team, single elimination tournament, owned and operated by the NCAA, which determines a Division I Men’s Basketball National Champion. CBS recently purchased the rights to broadcast March Madness, signing a 14 year, 10.8 billion dollar deal. March Madness, has become one of the most popular televised sporting events in America, and is the second most watched collegiate National Championship behind that of FBS football. Revenues the NCAA earns from the tournament must be properly distributed to its members to ensure it keeps in line with its “not for profit” status. College Sports Rivalries Some of America’s best sports rivalries are not at the professional ranks, but at the collegiate level. Some of these battles have been waged for over 100 years, leaving them deeply rooted in American culture. Yale University vs. Harvard University-‐ This rivalry involves the extremely lucrative and commercialized sport of college football. But neither of these schools are a part of it, as they reside in the Ivy League, an FCS conference, that operates more like a Division III conference than a Division I. This is the second oldest rivalry in college football, dating back to 1875, with both teams playing one another 128 times over that span. This rivalry finds itself here in New Haven every other fall, played in the Yale Bowl, home of Yale Bulldog football. Army vs. Navy-‐ Another college football rivalry steeped more in tradition than in commercialization, the Army and Naval Academies have played against one another 113 times. It is a battle for bragging rights and pride, that is played out in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or Baltimore, Maryland, every year in December. Ohio State University vs. Michigan University-‐ Now we enter the realm of highly commercialized college football and sports. This rivalry is known by many as the best in college sports, and dates back over 100 years like many of the other greats. Michigan has beat Ohio State 58 times over 108 meetings, but as of late the Buckeyes of Ohio State have had Michigan’s number. Image Source: Youtube-‐ Ohio State’s famed marching band, creates two dueling pirate ships while performing during halftime of a football game. Using fireworks and flags, the band made it appear as if the Ohio State ship sunk the Michigan ship. Duke University vs. University of North Carolina-‐ Finally, I rivalry game not dealing in the sport of football. This rivalry is separated by Tobacco Road, a long road running through the heart of North Carolina. These two teams boast the most dedicated and “crazy” fan bases in college basketball, while maintaining two of the most successful basketball programs in college history. University of Connecticut vs. University of Tennessee-‐ Arguably the biggest rivalry in women’s collegiate athletics, the Connecticut Huskies and Tennessee Lady Volunteers have continually been amongst the best programs in all collegiate athletics. The real rivalry derives from the two coaches, Geno Auriemma of UCONN and Pat Summit of Tennessee, the two of the most successful coaches in women’s college basketball history. University of New Haven vs. Southern Connecticut State-‐ Yes, even the University of New Haven, a Division II school can maintain a heated rivalry. This rivalry is based largely on the school’s locations compared to one another. Located about a 5 minute drive away from one another, any matchup, in any sport between these conference foes is sure to rile up the entire Greater New Haven area. Williams College vs. Amherst College-‐ Rivalries can come in all shapes and sizes, and this Division III rivalry may the smallest, yet simultaneously the biggest of them all. Williams and Amherst have squared off 124 times in their program’s history, dating back to 1881. This rivalry is the oldest in Division III sports and has even earned itself a visit from the extremely popular televised program, ESPN’s College Gameday. The Largest Stadiums in the US (by capacity) Many international students are not used to the extreme importance that the United States places on its collegiate athletics. Most students would believe that the largest stadiums in any country would be those used by professional franchises. In America, this is not true as the largest stadiums in our country have all been built for college football. Not only do these collegiate stadiums top the list of largest American stadiums, but some even made the list of the largest stadiums in the world. *Posted in an article on yahoo.com Image courtesy of GoBlue.com, the official site for Michigan University Athletics. 1.) Michigan Stadium-‐ “The Big House” Capacity-‐ 109,901 Home of the University of Michigan (American Football) 2.) Beaver Stadium-‐ “Happy Valley” Capacity-‐ 107,282 Home of Penn State University (American Football) 3.) Ohio Stadium-‐ “The Horseshoe” Capacity-‐ 102,329 Home of Ohio State University (American Football) 4.) Neyland Stadium-‐ “Rocky Top” Capacity-‐ 102,037 Home of the University of Tennessee (American Football) 5.) Bryant-‐Denny Stadium Capacity-‐ 101,821 Home of the University of Alabama (American Football) 6.) Darrel K. Royal-‐ Texas Memorial Stadium Capacity-‐ 100,119 Home of the University of Texas (American Football) 7.) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Capacity-‐ 93,607 Home of the University of Southern California (American Football) 8.) Sanford Stadium-‐ “Between the Hedges” Capacity-‐ 92,746 Home of the University of Georgia (American Football) 9.) Rose Bowl Capacity-‐ 92,542 Home of the UCLA (American Football) *Has also hosted multiple Super Bowls, as well as FIFA World Cup events and much more! 10.) Tiger Stadium-‐ “Death Valley” Capacity-‐ 92,400 Home of Louisiana State University (American Football) *Although some may argue that the new stadium built by the Dallas Cowboys would rank third on this list, with its ability to expand “Standing Room Only” and “Expanded Seat” areas to reach a capacity of 105,000, its normal operating capacity stands at 80,000 people (not even enough to crack the collegiate top ten.) **The only American professional sport venues that can out due collegiate football stadiums as far as capacity goes, are professional racetracks. According to Forbes.com, due to the ability to provide traditional stadium seating as well as access to the infield of the racetrack, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has the highest capacity of any venue in the world at 250,000 people High School Sports in America Amateurism and commercialism seem to go hand in hand in American sports, even at a high school level. Many high school football, basketball, wrestling and other teams bring in revenue for schools with ticket sales, concessions and even merchandise sales at events and games. Below are some institutions, sites, etc. dealing in the business of high school athletics. National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)-‐ The NFHS was developed in 1920, to establish standards and rules for high school competition and to aid all those who oversee high school sports. The NFHS provides a variety of program initiatives that reach the 18,500 high schools and over 11 million students involved in athletic and activity programs. This information and more can be found at the NFHS’s website: www.nfhs.org USA Today High School Sports-‐ High School sports garner so much attention and support in the US that the USA Today has dedicated an entire website to high school sports news and coverage. Any high school in the country participating in athletics can be found on the site from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. View the site at: http://www.usatodayhss.com/ MaxPreps-‐ MaxPreps is a website owned by CBS Sports that is devoted to promoting high school athletics and assisting in the recruiting of high school athletes from colleges. Similar to USA Today High School Sports, MaxPreps covers all high school athletics nationally. -‐High School sports operate similarly to collegiate athletics with most of its teams forming divisions or conferences based on either geographic location or other traits making schools similar (private/public institutions, religious affiliation, etc.) The majority of teams play mainly in-‐state opponents, with state championships being the highest honor bestowed to high school programs. Seasons are shorter than they are at a collegiate level, and practice schedules are more reasonable to preserve the idea of amateurism. Olympics in the US The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is the overseer of the Olympic movement in the United States and all Olympic related events. These events include the Olympics, Paralympics, Youth Olympics, Pan American, and Para Pan American Games. The committee pays for American athletes to compete, train, travel and enter competitions leading up to and including all of these Olympic competitions. The USOC supports athlete’s on and off the field through programming such as direct athlete funding, health insurance, tuition grants, media and marketing opportunities, career services and performance-‐based monetary rewards. The USOC was founded in 1894 with its headquarters located Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to overseeing athlete’s and assisting them in competition, the USOC also oversees all US city bids to host Olympic and Olympic-‐related competitions. The USOC approves of all cities that plan bids to host Olympics, Paralympics, Youth Olympics, Pan American, or Para Pan American Games. All Olympic competition and qualifying is done in compliance with the rules of amateurism set forth by Olympic rules and regulations. More information regarding the USOC and American Olympic Competition can be found at: http://www.teamusa.org/ or http://www.teamusa.org/About-‐the-‐USOC Information on the Olympics can be found at: http://www.olympic.org/ Youth Leagues Overall Youth Sports Participation-‐ A study done as a part of ESPN’s summer 2103 Kids in Sports focus, many previously unknown participation numbers regarding US youth sports participation has been unearthed. According to the study, there are over 21.5 million youths between the ages of 6 and 17 participating in some type of team sport, with 60% of boys and 47% of girls being involved in organized youth sports by the age of six. This comprehensive study can be found at: http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/9469252/hidden-‐ demographics-‐youth-‐sports-‐espn-‐magazine National Council of Youth Sports-‐ The NCYS represents 200 youth sports organizations in the US, with over 60,000,000 participants combined. The NCYS promotes safe environments and healthy lifestyles for stronger neighborhoods and communities, through youth sports. More information on the NCYS can be found at: http://www.ncys.org/ US Youth Soccer-‐ US Youth Soccer has member institutions in every US state, including two in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. They provide fun and competitive youth soccer leagues for youth players between 5 and 19. In their first year of operation (1974), US Youth Soccer had just 103,432 participants nationwide. As of 2012, there are now 3,020,633 participants, with numbers continuing to grow every year. More information on US Youth Soccer can be found at: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org American Youth Soccer Organization-‐ The AYSO has more than 50,000 teams and more than 600,000 players, while employing 50 people at the AYSO National Office in Torrance, California. Its goal is to ensure that every child plays, guaranteeing each participant the chance to play 50% of the game. More information on the AYSO can be found at: http://www.ayso.org/AboutAYSO/history.aspx Little League-‐ Little League is one of the most well-‐known youth sports organizations in the world. It is a not for profit organization that brings baseball and softball to countries in six different continents. Statistics on Little League participation are hard to come by in recent years because of decreased participation and constant worldwide expansion, but as of a study done in 2006, Little League boasted 2,299,800 baseball participants and 364,740 softball participants at its many levels. Learn more about Little League at: http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about.htm Pop Warner Football-‐ According to the Pop Warner official website, the organization had over 250,000 participants throughout the United States in 2010. To attempt to create fair and safe play for all participants, Pop Warner uses age and weight to create its divisions, ensuring that players are not facing much larger competition. American tackle football has been under attack recently for the dangers of playing the game, as the President of the United States Barack Obama has even spoken out against the contact sport. Despite this, Pop Warner boasts that its participants between the ages of 5 and 15 sustained 12% fewer injuries than participants from the same age range in organized soccer. Learn more about Pop Warner at: http://www.popwarner.com/football US Sports Media The driving force in the popularity of sports in the US, is the ability for fans to view games from the comfort of their own homes. What once was a small aspect of the sporting world has turned into a media empire, with every aspect of athletic contests covered, from pregame shows like ESPN’s College Gameday, media coverage all week leading up to contests, and postgame shows to wrap up what fans just viewed. Originally, sports were widely covered by newspapers and radio, as television offered limited access to sporting events. Over time television channels and networks solely devoted to sports, and an immense increase in network television’s coverage of sports have virtually rendered newspapers and radio, obsolete in terms of sports coverage. Sports media has been become one of the most popular mediums in the US, with the leaders in sports media ESPN, being broadcast into more than 100 million homes nationwide. Below we will try and familiarize you with some of the most well-‐known sports media companies, as well as some that have popped up in recent years. ESPN-‐ ESPN, which is jointly owned by the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation, is the most successful sports media network in the world. It has multiple channels that have branched from the original with some more popular examples being ESPN2, ESPNU (only broadcasts college sports), ESPNDeportes (Spanish channel), ESPN Classic (which broadcasts historic sporting events), and more. They broadcast all sports, all the time, and have begun to show their success by signing multi-‐billion dollar deals with NCAA Division I football conferences to broadcast the National Championship each year, as well as billion dollar deals with many different American professional leagues for broadcasting rights. More information can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ NBC Sports-‐ One of the newest networks to enter the world of specialized sports media is NBC, with their new network NBC Sports. Their studios are located in Stamford, Connecticut just a short drive away from the University of New Haven campus. Recently, they signed a deal with the Barclay’s Premier League, making them the sole broadcasters of Premier League events in America. More information can be found at: http://www.nbcsports.com Turner Sports-‐ Turner Sports is an extremely popular and successful sports media company, started by Ted Turner in 1970. Today they broadcast, NBA, NASCAR, Major League Baseball, professional golf, and March Madness, a NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament that in collaboration with CBS, Turner Sports signed a multi-‐billion dollar contract for broadcasting rights. Members of the Turner Sports company include TNT, TBS, NBATV, NBA.com, NBA Digital, Bleacherreport.com, and PGA.com. More information can be found at: http://www.turner.com/brands/turner-‐sports Fox Sports Networks-‐ Another emerging member of the sports media world has been the Fox company, and its sports media entity Fox Sports Networks. They own many different regionally broadcasted Fox Sports networks as well as nationally televised networks like Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, and their recently purchased network the SPEED Channel. More information can be found at: http://msn.foxsports.com/ CBS Sports-‐ CBS Sports is the main broadcaster of the NCAA Division I March Madness tournament along with Turner Sports and also maintains its own sports only network, CBS Sports. CBS Sports Network is the main broadcaster of Professional Bull Riding and also broadcasts many college sports events throughout the year. More information can be found at: http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/about HBO Sports-‐ HBO Sports is known mainly for its Boxing broadcasts and its flagship sports program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which shows sports fans a different side of athletes and sports. In addition to Real Sports, their program Hard Knocks, which follows a different NFL team’s training camp each year, has gained widespread popularity. More information can be found at: http://www.hbo.com/sports In addition to these major sports networks, some more specialized networks have begun popping up, which focus solely on one particular sport. These include the MLB Network, NFL Network, NBATV, GOL TV, the Golf Channel and many more. Online Sports Media Televised sporting events may have caused a major increase in the popularity of both newspaper and radio’s coverage of sports, but online sports media have officially rendered it obsolete. The internet provides sports fans with a whole new style of sports media and entertainment. Not only can games and events be viewed live online, but fans can now play along with their favorite teams and sports leagues with highly popular fantasy sports. Online sports media allows for immediate reporting of news, scores, updates and events, that fans can access for free, anytime, anywhere. The combination of television and online sports media, has caused a massive shift in the sporting world, making it more popular and more immediate than ever. Below we will discuss some of the most popular online sports media websites. ESPN-‐ ESPN’s stranglehold on the sporting world is not just in television. There website www.espn.go.com, is a “one-‐stop” spot for sports fans to view information regarding almost any sport they can imagine. The site covers nearly everything that is considered sports. Fans can find information on almost any collegiate or professional sport in America, as well as information regarding international sporting leagues. In addition to sports news, scores, standings, statistics and online event broadcasts, ESPN’s website offers fantasy sports, a very popular game amongst American sports fans. Fans can choose teams, consisting of their favorite players in a given league and pit them against their friend’s teams each week, as games are decided by statistical output by players each week. ESPN provides fantasy leagues for the NHL, NBA, MLB, Premier League, and the NFL, which is the most popular version of fantasy sports on the site. Fantasy sports can be a great way for any international student to become more accustomed with the rules and statistics of American professional sports leagues. Yahoo Sports-‐ Yahoo provides sports fans with a great variety of sporting news, scores, updates, etc. while also providing them with a wonderful fantasy sports experience. Yahoo Sports, is not as detailed and in-‐depth in sports news as ESPN is, but they were one of the first sites to offer, free fantasy sports, and continue to be one of the leaders in fantasy sports. More information regarding Yahoo Sports can be found at: www.sports.yahoo.com League/Team Run Websites-‐ In today’s internet-‐driven world, almost every viable sporting league and team worldwide owns and operates their own webpage. Leagues like the NFL and MLB even offer fans fantasy sports directly through the league’s site, taking away from some of the popularity of Yahoo Sports and ESPN’s fantasy offerings. These team and league pages, provide fans with more in-‐depth coverage of specific news dealing with league and team news. This variety of options in online news media allow fans a bevy of options on how, when and where to receive their sports news from. Sports Blogs-‐ Blogs were once deemed opinionated and unreliable, but now have gained great acceptance in the reporting of sports news online. Today many sites have been built using bloggers from all over the world of sports to cover sports news stories, events, and everything else imaginable. WTNH, a news station located in New Haven, Connecticut, has recently adopted this blogging style, creating a website entitled SportzEdge.com, that allows sports fans and professionals in the state of Connecticut to provide their own reports and takes on the world of sports. Other sports blog sites include, www.bleacherreport.com, www.sbnation.com, and many more. Sports Agencies in the US Sports marketing, consulting, operation, and agency is yet another aspect of the sports industry students can make their way into after earning a degree from the University of New Haven’s Sports Management program. Some of the most successful agencies in the US are listed below. International Management Group (IMG)-‐ IMG is arguably the most successful sports representation agency in the country, with clients like Tiger Woods, Tom Coughlin and Jeff Gordon. IMG operates in 30 countries around the globe, and is a leader in collegiate licensing, marketing and media rights. More information about IMG can be found at: http://img.com/about-‐us.aspx Octagon-‐ Octagon is a player not only in sports marketing and consulting, but also in player representation for athlete’s like Chris Paul, Rudy Gay, Aaron Rodgers, and Bill Cowher. Their main headquarters are located in Norwalk, Connecticut, just a short distance from the University of New Haven campus. More information regarding Octagon can be found at: http://www.octagon.com/ Premier Sports Management-‐ At one time a smaller player in the sports representation world, a recent merger has led Premier Sports Management to representing 75 high level coaches in all types of sports. Some of their biggest clients include Pete Carroll, Roy Williams, and Laila Ali. More information regarding Premier Sports Management can be found at: http://www.premiersportsonline.com/ Global Spectrum-‐ Founded in 2000, Global Spectrum is a leader in private venue management in the sports industry. The company maintains clients in 100 cities worldwide and is a part of the Comcast Corporation. More information on Global Spectrum can be found at: www.global-‐spectrum.com Wasserman Media Group-‐ WMG is the leading agency in professional basketball representation in the US. In addition to basketball they have gained success in all facets of the sports world in past years and now represent clients like Landon Donavon, Antawn Jamison, and Derrick Rose. More information on WMG can be found at: http://www.wmgllc.com/ Velocity Sports & Entertainment-‐ Velocity Sports & Entertainment is an agency which deals in sponsorship, lifestyle and event marketing. They have an office in Norwalk, Connecticut, as well as five other US offices and one located in London, England. Velocity Sports was officially founded in 1999, and boasts a great record of event planning, with its most successful venture of late, being the planning of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, a sponsorship that was the largest in the history of professional golf. More information on Velocity can be found at: http://www.teamvelocity.com/ Department of the Management of Sport Industries The University of New Haven was officially ranked by Sport Business International as the fourth-‐ best master’s degree Sports Industry program in the United States. This was the first-‐ever authoritative assessment of teaching in the sector of postgraduate education catering to the business of sport, and is further validation of the outstanding academic opportunity and experience the program offers all its students. In addition to the splendid ranking bestowed upon the Management of Sports Industries Department, the UNH College of Business, which the sports program is a part of, was ranked the 13th best in the world. The Management of Sports Industries Department provides all its students with a one-‐of-‐a-‐kind experience, that has garnered extreme success for many of its graduates in the world of sports. In addition to experiential learning, wonderful internship opportunities and professional enrichment programs that have brought to campus the likes of Chris Berman, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, the UNH Management of Sports Industries Department allows students the opportunity to earn industry mentors ranging from Athletic Directors to general managers of professional teams. In addition to numerous career creating and experiential opportunities, the program offers a faculty that is qualified, experienced, and that has gained immense success in the realm of sports and sports studies. Students are sure to learn from the best while in the Management of Sports Industries program at UNH, while setting themselves on a path towards success in the sports industry. Department of the Management of Sports Industries Faculty -‐Gil Fried, J.D.-‐ Professor -‐ Chair Phone: 203-‐932-‐7081 Email: GFried@newhaven.edu Office: Maxcy Hall 114 Gil Fried is a Professor at the University of New Haven, School of Business, in the Management of Sports Industries Program. He also coordinates the facility management concentration, internships for graduate students, and Chairs the Sport/Hospitality and Tourism Management Department in the College of Business. Professor Gil Fried is a specialist in sport law, finance, and facility management. He received his masters in sport management and his law degree from The Ohio State University. He has written several books on sport risk management, sport facility management, and sport finance. One of the six books he wrote is the Academy for Venue Safety and Security (AVSS) textbook used by the International Association of Assembly Managers. His other textbooks are used in over 100 universities in the United States. He lectures nationally on financial risk management, facility risk management, crowd management/venue safety, and sports violence. His lecturing and book writing are supplemented with writing numerous industry articles. He has published over 100 articles focused on facility related concerns. He is regularly quoted in industry publications and periodicals. Besides, UNH, Prof. Fried also teaches as an adjunct at Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University and Columbia University. He has handled a large number of sport/music industry cases and has worked as an expert witness in various cases from stadium stampedes to foul ball cases. Some of his cases have involved significant national attention such as the Camp Randall stampede (University of Wisconsin), the Aramark Meadowland drunk driving case, and the basketball crowd rush case (Kaye) in Phoenix. He also serves on several board of directors of sport related businesses and organizations. He has an active consulting practice called Gil Fried & Associates, LLC and has several major clients from corporations to insurance companies. One of his major clients was OR&L Facility Management where he served as Director of Risk Management for several million square feet of public assembly facility space (government, office, and school facilities) before reducing his involvement to pursue other assignments. Another major client is Widerman & Company, Inc. an insurance agency focused on several niche markets including community swimming pools. He also is Of Counsel to Sabia & Taiman (www.sabialaw.com), a comprehensive business law firm in Hartford, CT. Allen Sack, Ph.D.-‐ Professor Phone: 203-‐932-‐7090 Email: ASack@newhaven.edu Office: Maxcy Hall 112A Professor of Sports Management, played on Notre Dame's 1966 National Championship football team. He later served as director of the federally funded Center for Athletes' Rights and Education, an organization co-‐sponsored by the National Football League Players Association. His extensive research on sports industries has appeared in numerous academic books and journals. He has served as a consultant to the NCAA and as an expert witness, and has published numerous columns in periodicals such as the New York Times, the Sporting News, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He is the director of the Institute for Sports Management at University of New Haven. Kimberly L Mahoney, Ph.D.-‐ Assistant Professor Email: KMahoney@newhaven.edu Dr. Mahoney is currently an Assistant Professor of Sports Management at the University of New Haven and teaches primarily in the areas of event and facility management. Previously she served as the Director of Communications & Program Development with Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment (CASE) and as part of the sport management faculty at the University of South Carolina and The Ohio State University. In addition, Dr. Mahoney has over 18 years experience in various segments of the sport and entertainment industry, including work with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, Iowa High School Athletic Association, Show Pros Entertainment Services, Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte Coliseum, Georgia Dome, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars, amongst others. Ceyda Mumcu, Ph.D.-‐ Assistant Professor Email: cmumcu@newhaven.edu University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Education (Sports Administration), July 2013 Major: Sports Administration Minor: Educational Psychology with emphasis in Quantitative Research Methods Dissertation Title: Evaluating Attitudes toward Women’s Sports: A Scale Development and Validation Study Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey) Master of Science in Physical Education (Sport Management), December 2008 Major: Sport Management Thesis Title: Consumer-‐based Brand Associations of Turkish Soccer Teams University of New Haven (West Haven, CT) Master of Science in Business of Sport Industries, May 2007 Ankara University (Ankara, Turkey) Bachelor of Arts in Economics, September 1999 Successful Graduates of UNH David Beckerman, founder and former CEO of Starter Corporation Tony Sparano, Offensive Coordinator, New York Jets, and former Head Football Coach, Miami Dolphins Aaron Haviland, Director of Operations, Miami Dolphins Stadium Chris Brown, Manager of Fan Experience and Service, New York Mets Dean Lombardi, President/General Manager, Los Angeles Kings Craig Mortali, five-‐time Emmy Award-‐winning producer at ESPN Nick Sakiewicz, CEO and Operating Partner, Philadelphia Union (MLS) David Wallace, former pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox Jason Scheets, former COO, Star Struck, Inc. Jeff Thiffault, former Manager, Operations, Major League Soccer

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