Inside the NFL: Agent, Team, and Everything in Between

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

The National Football League is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise intricately interwoven in the ever-changing fabric of our nation's socioeconomic, political, and cultural norms. Although fans see the nice shiny end product on Sunday afternoons, behind the glimmering LED screen, there are a multitude of factions, each with a seat at the table and its own dogmatic agenda, engaged in a tense, combative game of high-stakes liar's poker. This course will deconstruct the NFL machine and examine the key players involved in forging and fueling this cultural phenomenon. We'll analyze and discuss a variety of current topics and events all within the context of the back and forth, give and take, tug of war dynamic between NFL players, teams agents, coaches, media, brand partners, and front office personnel. We'll also examine the impact of recent league initiatives designed to foster meaningful change in the areas of social justice and reform. Through a transparent, wide-angled lens, we'll provide our students with a nuanced perspective and appreciation for the complex inner-workings of the NFL community and the foundational value of industry relationships rooted in servant leadership. The breadth and depth of experiential knowledge will encourage and empower practical and innovative application in the new millennium as our students explore career and community service opportunities at both the macro and micro-levels of professional sport.