Dr. Nancy Lough leads our Sport Management Initiative, providing a range of educational and executive advancement opportunities. She established the Intercollegiate and Professional Sports Management (IPSM) Program in 2021 in collaboration with the College of Education, offering a Master’s degree and undergraduate certificates in Sport Leadership and Management, along with multiple micro-credentials. Dr. Lough also launched Sport LEAP (Leadership & Executive Advancement Program) in 2024, which focuses on elevating sport industry executives to new levels of leadership in the global sport industry.
Students in the IPSM Program, SLM Certificate, and Sport LEAP benefit from Las Vegas’ position as a global hub for sports and entertainment. IPSM students have had opportunities to attend Sports Business Classroom’s Business of Basketball program during NBA Summer League, and secure prestigious internships with community partners such as the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association, Vegas Golden Knights (NHL), Las Vegas Raiders (NFL), Aces (WNBA), Aviators (MiLB), Lights (USL), Chill (USPV), Desert Dogs (XXX), and UNLV Athletics. Students in the IPSM program also build their professional networks through major sport events from the NHL All Star weekend, NFL Draft, NHL Draft, Super Bowl, Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas Bowl, NCAA sanctioned championship events, multiple NCAA conference basketball tournaments (PAC12, WCC, MWC, Big West), National Finals Rodeo, Shriner’s PGA Tournament, and UFC fights. Similarly, students gain experience in state-of-the-art sport facilities such as Allegiant Stadium, the Sphere, T-Mobile Arena, Lee Family Forum, LV Motor Speedway, and the iconic Las Vegas strip used for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Las Vegas Rock ‘n Roll Marathon.
Research conducted by UNLV sport management scholars has been shared through multiple media outlets, Las Vegas events such as SEI Con, NACDA, COSMA, and the Sport Marketing Association, to name a few. A white paper published on the Las Vegas Sport Economy can be found on links provided here and through the CBER at UNLV. A white paper presenting a new model for the business of women’s sport can be found here.
