COLUMBIA, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina has been renamed after a $5 million gift from the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation, owners of the Carolina Panthers.
On Tuesday, following approval from the school’s Board of Trustees, the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management will now be called the David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management.
“We are honored to partner with the University of South Carolina in advancing opportunities for the next generation of leaders in sports and entertainment,” David and Nicole Tepper said. “By investing in students through scholarships, mentorship, and access to industry expertise, we can help create lasting impact. It’s inspiring to see how the Tepper Scholars have already begun shaping the future of this field, and we are proud to build on this partnership with the University to continue opening doors for talented students for years to come.”
The naming builds on the partnership with the Tepper Scholars Program at USC. The $5 million gift will create an endowment to sustain the scholarship program. Additional funding will be used to establish the Tepper Professors of Practice, which supports faculty focused on leadership and the business of professional sport.
South Carolina’s program is the largest sport and entertainment management program in the country, and now the country’s only named sport and entertainment management department. According to the university, the program ranks among the top 10 in the U.S. for sport management (Niche), and USC’s Master of Sport and Entertainment Management is ranked among the top 10 worldwide (SportsBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings).
“This visionary gift strengthens the entire College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management,” Michael Sagas, dean of the college, said. “By opening doors for Tepper Scholars and bringing distinguished professors of practice to campus, it accelerates access, elevates teaching and positions USC to lead the business of sport and entertainment for years to come.”
The major in the sports department is consistently among USC’s top five majors and No. 2 university-wide in the 2024-25 academic year.
With this gift, The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation has committed more than $6.5 million to USC scholarships since 2020. Since then, the Tepper Scholars Program has supported multiple cohorts of students who went on to work or intern with organizations such as ESPN, the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC, and the NCAA.