Kraft Sports and Entertainment Executive Chris Starck Joins McCormack Faculty for Spring 2022

UMass Amherst sport management and Master of Business Administration alum Chris Starck has joined the McCormack Department of Sport Management faculty as an adjunct professor for the 2022 spring semester. Since graduating in 2005, Starck has had an impressive career, joining Kraft Sports and Entertainment that same year. In his role as director of corporate partnerships, Starck works with national and global brands to reach their business objectives through their sponsorship of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium.

“We’re pleased and excited to welcome Chris back to campus this spring, and to kick off a new initiative within our department,” said Department Chair Steve McKelvey. “This will be the first of many offerings under our ‘Special Topics in Sport Management’ banner, whereby we have industry practitioners teaching semester-long classes.”

This course will focus on the current sport sponsorship industry, examining growing trends and partnership evaluations. Through lectures, discussions, and guest speakers from the sponsorship world, the course will be heavily applied, critically examining brands, properties (both team and league), and agency stakeholders. The course is suited for students who are interested in pursuing careers in marketing, sponsorship, or sales.

“I am honored to join the McCormack Sport Management faculty as an adjunct professor,” said Starck. “Since graduating from the program in 2005, I have had a strong desire to stay connected and give back to the department. There is no doubt that UMass Sport Management put me on the right career path. McCormack students are the future leaders of our sports industry, and I am excited to join them in the classroom.” 

Starck has been a valued supporter of the department and UMass since the start of his professional career. As an active alum, he has served on the McCormack Young Alumni Advisory Council, actively recruits McCormack students for internships and full-time positions within Kraft Sports + Entertainment, and served as a member of the UMass Amherst Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2013 to 2021.

About the McCormack Department of Sport Management

The McCormack Department of Sport Management at UMass Amherst is the second-oldest degree program of its kind in the world and is currently ranked by SportBusiness as the #2 graduate sport management program in the world. One of the few sport management programs housed in a business school (the Isenberg School of Management), the McCormack Department of Sport Management is also considered one of the nation’s leading undergraduate programs. UMass Amherst also houses the papers of Mark H. McCormack and the company that he founded, IMG. For more information about the McCormack Department of Sport Management, please visit https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/depts/sport-mgmt