Use Your GI Bill® to Launch a Career in Sports

Sports Agent • NIL Advisor • Scouting & Player Personnel • Team & Front Office Operations

Your military experience already demonstrates the values sports organizations depend on—leadership, discipline, accountability, teamwork, and performance under pressure. Now take the next step and turn those strengths into a meaningful career inside the world of sports.

GI Bill® and Military Education Benefits Accepted
Online from anywhere in the world • On-campus option available in Hays, Kansas

Real Training. Real Network. Real Sports Careers.

This program is different from a traditional sports management degree. Instead of learning about the sports industry—you learn from the people working in it right now.

Mentors include active sports executives, agents, and NIL strategists:

  • Alexa Klein — Executive Director, Partnership Activation, New York Yankees (MLB)
  • Jim Van Dam — Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service, Indianapolis Colts (NFL)
  • Joel Corry — CBS Sports Analyst (“Agent’s Take”) and former NFL Agent
  • Greg Glynn — Founder, Pliable Marketing / NIL Athlete Brand Development Specialist
  • Dr. Lynn Lashbrook (FHSU ’71) — Longtime NFL Agent and President of SMWW

Military-to-Sports Career Pathways

Your experience translates well into:

  • Sports Agent, Athlete Representation & Sports Agency
  • Team Operations & Front Office Roles
  • College & Professional Coaching Staff Support
  • Player Development, Scouting & Recruiting Evaluation
  • Sports Analytics & Data Strategy
  • Event, Arena & Stadium Operations
  • Sports Media, Broadcasting & Communications
     

More than 30,000 SMWW graduates now work in sports business across 164+ countries.

Eligible SMWW Courses (Count Toward Degree Credit Through FHSU)

You will start with up to three SMWW courses, each taught by active industry professionals. These courses are listed in the FHSU academic catalog and apply toward your degree requirements.

Choose your starting course(s):

  • Athlete Management (Sports Agent) — Learn how agents recruit, negotiate contracts, manage NIL deals, and build athlete brands.
  • Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) in Athletics — Work with college, high school, and international athletes on personal brand strategy and deal evaluation.
  • Sports Sales & Marketing — The fastest pathway into college + pro sports front offices, sponsorship activation, and partnership strategy.

You’ll complete these SMWW courses first, then continue with FHSU coursework online or on campus.

Why This Pathway Works for Military & Veterans

  • No out-of-pocket tuition for Post-9/11 students at 100% eligibility (FHSU bills the VA directly).
  • Earn college credit from SMWW courses — learn directly from sports agents & executives.
  • Designed for PCS moves, deployments, and rotating duty schedules.
  • Build a network in sports while earning a U.S. university degree.
  • Your leadership + mission discipline already matches what sports organizations hire for.

GI Bill® Eligible Degree Paths (Through Fort Hays State University)

  • Bachelors - B.S. in Sport & Recreation Management — Online or On-Campus
  • Masters - MPS – Sport Management — Online or On-Campus
  • Associate in Sport Studies — Coming Soon
     

Your SMWW coursework applies toward degree credit.

How to Get Started(Apply early — GI Bill® processing can take several weeks.)

  1. Apply at SMWW — use the standard application and add “SMWW–FHSU Military Pathway” in the “About You” section. 
     
  2. Apply at FHSU 
     
  3. Verify Benefits — our Military Student Advisor will help confirm GI Bill® eligibility and transfer any prior academic or service credit.
     
  4. Begin Coursework — start with your SMWW sports courses, then continue through FHSU — online or on campus.
     

GI Bill learners simply apply, get accepted, submit their Certificate of Eligibility, and FHSU directly bills the VA for tuition — no out-of-pocket tuition required for Post-9/11 100% eligible students.

What If I’m Not Using the GI Bill®?

Military members not using GI Bill® benefits may receive a $300 tuition discount on any SMWW 8-week online course. (Military discount cannot be combined with scholarships or promotional pricing.)

A Message from Dr. Lynn Lashbrook (FHSU ’71)

“The traits that win in the military—leadership, discipline, and clutch performance—are the same ones teams need. We built this pathway to translate your strengths directly into sports.”

— Dr. Lynn Lashbrook
NFL Agent • FHSU Graduate • President, Sports Management Worldwide
Questions? Talk to Dr. Lashbrook

Talk to a SMWW Sports Career Advisor

Our advising team understands deployment schedules, PCS changes, duty-hour flexibility, and study-from-overseas requirements.

Use the standard SMWW application and note “SMWW–FHSU Military Pathway.”

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information is available at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.