CELEBRATING A GOLDEN REUNION

Alumni, faculty, and friends representing five decades of sport management excellence converged in Amherst the second weekend of June to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our program.

The packed agenda for this anniversary weekend included a golf outing, presentations from faculty members, a talk delivered by the sport innovation archivist for the UMass Amherst Libraries, a visit to our relatively new basketball Champions Center to hear from coaches and athletics administrators, and a special panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX.

The highlight of the weekend was the 50th Anniversary Banquet held on the floor of the Mullins Center, emceed by noted ESPN reporter and proud alumnus Mike Reiss. The program was chock full of remembrances and recognitions. Betsy McCormack, the wife of our department’s namesake Mark McCormack, made elegant remarks on behalf of the McCormack family in attendance. Iconic professors Bernie Mullin, Glenn Wong, and Lisa Masteralexis shared historical reflections on the evolution of our program, from the days of classes in Curry Hicks and Boyden through our integration into the Isenberg School of Management.

Following her welcome remarks, Isenberg Dean Anne Massey sprung the first of two surprise announcements: the creation of the Lisa Pike Masteralexis Endowed Professorship, the first such Isenberg professorship named for a woman and the first endowed professorship dedicated to sport management. Shortly after her emotional reception of this news, Professor Masteralexis sprung her own surprise on the chair of the Sport Management Department, announcing that the Alumni on the Rise Award will be named for Steve McKelvey.

The spectacular evening also included the unveiling of a presentation on the overhead videoboard featuring 250 photos of faculty, students, and events spanning all five decades of the program. The presentation is available on our McCormack Sport Management YouTube channel; do check it out … you may recognize yourself!

The evening also included the presentation of our Class of 2021 and 2022 VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award and Alumni on the Rise Award winners, most of whom were in attendance to be recognized (for the Class of 2022, see page 14). And, of course, no banquet would be complete without a live auction to wrap things up! Alumnus Jeff Price took the mic and artfully conducted the auction for his donated gift: a VIP package for 4 to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage on Long Island. Kudos to alumnus Bill Hubbard for his winning bid, which raised $10,500 for the department!

In addition to those named above, special thanks to the following individuals who made this weekend so memorable: Alumnus and reunion “executive director” Will Gillespie; Isenberg event specialists Shannon Petrin and Jena Perron; Kristine Elison and her Isenberg development staff; Allison Werder and her Isenberg marketing and communications team; sport innovation archivist Kirstin Kay; faculty members Matt Katz, David Tyler, and Ted Fay; and Title IX panelists Pamela Levine, UMass Head Softball Coach Danielle Henderson, UMass Deputy Athletic Director for Administration Kirsten Britton, and Lisa Masteralexis.