BY AARON KUNKLER, Staff Reporter

Central’s Faculty Senate recently approved the College of Business for a Sports Business minor.

While the College of Business has had a Sports Business Certificate program, it was historically open only to business majors.

With the approval of the new minor, however, students of any major or department are able to earn an accredited minor in sports business.

The minor will consist of six out of nine possible classes and 30 credits, with an optional one credit Sports Sales “Boot Camp” in the summer.

Jeffrey Stinson, Associate Professor and Chair of Marketing, as well as the director of the Northwest Center for Sports Business, believes that the new minor will allow students much more flexibility in their studies and career paths.

“I think there’s a lot of different avenues they could go down,” Stinson said.

Varying areas of study that could be benefited by a minor in sports business include: business, marketing, public relations, game management or coverage, and any field that involves sports and organized athletics.

Gary Hyatt, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Academics, thinks it’s a great opportunity for students trying to get their foot in the door of the sports industry.

“We have a lot of opportunities, and we want to curtail those opportunities to what the student’s passions are,” Hyatt said.

Hyatt also noted that there are advantages to specializing in sports business for students interested in getting hands on experience and internships both on and off campus.

Students who were involved with the Sports Business Certificate program have often ended up interning for the athletics department in varying roles, but with the creation of the sports business minor, those opportunities are open to any Central student.

Stinson mirrored these sentiments, citing an excellent advisory board and networking opportunities for students to get involved within the business department.

There are also business and networking opportunities with various local and regional institutions, which can help ease students into internships with other organizations such as the Seahawks, minor league baseball staff, the Sounders or arena football.

Leann Williams, a junior majoring in exercise physiology, has heard of the Sports Business Certificate  and thought that expanding the program to a minor was a good idea.

“I think that it’s cool that they’re opening it up to the general student body,” Williams said. “It gives them more business opportunities.”

As an exercise physiology major, Williams believes that it could help students to gain valuable experience in the business world.

Manu Tuitoelau, a sophomore with an undeclared major, also voiced his interest in the program.

“I think that sounds pretty good,” Tuitoelau said, after hearing about some of the potential opportunities a minor in sports business could provide.

Though most interested students will have to wait until next quarter to start with the official minor, students already in sports business, marketing or management classes may already be taking required classes.

Students interested in the minor are encouraged to inquire about it in the Shaw-Smyser building, either in the first floor office, or the department of marketing on the third.

Both Stinson and Hyatt expressed their excitement at the creation of the minor, believing it to be a great opportunity for a much wider student base to get involved with the business and athletic departments.

It could prove to be especially useful for students who wish to be involved with sports studies and business, but may not want to major in either.

“To us, it’s a pretty interesting program,” Stinson said.