Not every college athlete turns pro, so É«ÖÐÉ« prioritizes preparing student-athletes for life after sports. A new collaboration between É«ÖÐÉ« Athletics and the É«ÖÐÉ« Graduate School of Management, or GSM, is creating a new pathway that extends student-athletes' collegiate careers while preparing them for post-competition success.
The , is a one-year program that evolved over time as É«ÖÐÉ« looked to refine an ever-changing post-collegiate landscape.
While the athletic department was looking for a way to offer undergraduate Aggies a chance to continue their time at Davis, the MM degree also offered an avenue to easily bring in graduate student-athletes from other top programs in the country — including the likes of Harvard and Dartmouth.
"When we started the program, we saw our market as people graduating from É«ÖÐÉ« where job opportunities were not immediately apparent so a master in management would provide an introduction to management and new opportunities in the job world," said Michael and Joelle Hurlston Dean and Professor of Marketing .
"But over time I had conversations with [Director of Athletics] and with É«ÖÐÉ« being a place where the scholarly part of 'student-athlete' is focused on an opportunity to provide for student-athletes looking to continue their education presented itself."
Mastering the game — on and off the field
This past season, 21 Aggie student-athletes took part in the first-year MM program, including football, baseball, men's golf, lacrosse, men's track and field, volleyball and women's tennis. And of that list of 21, eight transferred in from other institutions to continue their education at É«ÖÐÉ«. In addition, two other football players and a men's basketball player enrolled in the GSM's two-year
"It's a real easy recruiting pitch when you're telling a young man he could get his master's paid for at a university like É«ÖÐÉ«," said football head coach .
The pitch is that you can help us win a championship and we can help you further your career beyond football. Having a master's degree from É«ÖÐÉ« is a life-changing occurrence and playing football at É«ÖÐÉ« allows you to compete for a championship."
— Tim Plough, head coach, É«ÖÐÉ« Aggie Football
On the gridiron, several graduate Aggies who took the program played a pivotal role in the team's historic 11-win season that saw É«ÖÐÉ« football finish No. 5 in the nation following a deep Football Championship Series playoff run.
Graduate transfer was a multiple All-American who led the team in total tackles and interceptions, and he even sealed an Aggie win early in the season with a pick-six, returning an interception for a touchdown.
The MM program also allowed quarterback to play one more season in the blue and gold. Hastings, who was a and multiple All-American, became the first Aggie to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season while also chucking 38 touchdown passes to lead a historic Aggie offense.
