Finding the Gold in Sports Management

August, 2002

Steve Young

Steve Young, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback

For many professional athletes, the decision to retire is like crashing into a brick wall at 50 mph. "I'm one of the best in the world at what I do, and now I'm not doing it anymore," Steve Young, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, told a Business School class. "That's the cliff every professional athlete eventually falls off of," he said.

Young was one of dozens of sports figures who shared their experiences with MBA students in the winter quarter course Sports Business Management, cotaught by management professor George Foster and Bill Walsh, former 49ers general manager. Class sessions focused on the formation of the Women's National Basketball Association, major league contracts with network television, corporate sponsorship of athletic events, and the relationships of top athletes to sports agents, among other topics.

Guest speakers helped students delve into all levels of sports business, from international competition to amateur organizations. Visitors included Rich Kelley, MBA '89, a former NBA player who is currently an adviser to the San Francisco Giants baseball team, and Anne Cribbs, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming and head of the Bay Area Olympic bid for 2012.

"My favorite case was 'Life as a Minor League CEO,' said one student. "That was where the intrinsic passion and excitement of sports÷the reason I am interested in sports management÷came through."

Previous Spreadsheet

Chalk Leaves PowerPoint in the Dust
React, Don’t Overreact
TV May Be Good for Your Health
How to Beat the Chill
EBay’s History Shaped by Alums
Boom Time for Public Management
Harrell Chronicled MBA Careers
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Parting Words
New Board Advises on School Operations
No Shortcuts Around the Balance Sheet
For the Record: Class of 2002 Commencement
Diamonds Are the Bachelor’s Best Friend
Finding the Gold in Sports Management