Juniors and seniors majoring in sport management are required to study sport governance to learn and discuss a wide array of issues related to the way the sport industry is administered. From community grass roots sports organizations to interscholastic athletics and collegiate to professional sports, students scrutinize how sport is governed throughout the industry.
Students explore the rules and policies that dictate the course of sport organizations, athletes, officials and coaches, while reflecting on how other more complex forces influence the creation of these rules.
Last semester, two guest speakers visited campus to share their expertise and provide
perspectives on sport governance issues and to connect the classroom with the industry.
Dan Erenrich, athletic director at Morgantown High School, provided an overview
of the regulatory aspects that influence interscholastic sports, particularly
in the state of West Virginia. Erenrich, who has held the AD position at Morgantown
High since 2002 and serves on the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Secondary
School Activities Commission, outlined the multiple responsibilities high school
athletic administrators oversee on a day-to-day basis.
Joshua Weishart, J.D., a visiting professor at the WVU College of Law,
presented an overview of the case
O’Bannon vs. the NCAA. Weishart, who worked directly with U.S. District
Judge Claudia Wilken (who ruled this case), provided an informed and detailed
account of the O’Bannon case while discussing the significance this case will
(or could) have on collegiate sports.