Simmons University is set to launch a first-of-its-kind women-centered sports management graduate program and undergraduate minor in response to the massive growth in women’s sports, said School of Management leaders.
“We already have a history as an institution of being the first to recognize that in a particular business field or business field of study, centering women’s experiences and our unique perspectives, and our unique capacity for success is groundbreaking,” said Associate Dean Erin DeCurtis, who has worked at the School of Management since 2010.
When Caitlin Clark played in her second basketball National Championship in 2024, viewership of the women’s game surpassed the men’s for the first time in history. The Indiana Fever, Clark’s WNBA team, has the highest average attendance in the league. Sponsorships across women’s sports as a whole have increased by 12 percent between 2023 and 2024.
Despite this, traditional sports management programs market towards men and focus on men’s sports. With Simmons’ women-centered nature and its location in Boston, DeCurtis believes the University is uniquely positioned to fill this gap.
Simmons students already have the opportunity to cross-register through the Colleges of the Fenway and receive a sports management minor at Emmanuel College. To prevent overlap, Simmons will create new courses focused on women’s sports.
Lauren Krupnikoff, a junior at Simmons who is minoring in sports management through Emmanuel, is taking BUS 290: Introduction to Women’s Sports Management, which is the introductory course being offered this semester at Simmons. She said she’s already noticed a focus on “women’s-centered topics” compared to her Emmanuel courses.
BUS 290 discusses topics including the “historical impacts of media gatekeeping and inequity in women’s sports,” according to the syllabus. During week three, the class visited Fenway Park and went into the New England Sports Network (NESN) studio.
Professor of Practice in the School of Management, Justine Pouravelis, believes there are significant differences between the way men’s and women’s sports operate. The class she is currently teaching, BUS 290, discusses how women’s sports fans care about the “ethos” of teams, something she believes aligns well with Simmons’ values.
Pouravelis mentioned the Golden State Valkyries, a WNBA team whose mascot, “Violet,” wears glasses. She said the inclusiveness of this mascot was a “point of emphasis” for the team, showing the focus on values in women’s sports marketing.
Dean Astrid Sheil of the School of Management believes the curriculum will set Simmons’ School of Management apart from other Boston-area business programs.
“I really thought that sports management could be our North Star to growth,” said Sheil. She hopes that, eventually, this growth will be enough to launch a full undergraduate major in sports management.
While the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee confirmed that it has approved the minor, it is too early to tell how many students will join the program. For now, Simmons will have to wait to see if their investment in women’s sports will pay off.
