[April 15, 2014]

USC Marshall School of Business and USA TODAY Team Up to Advance the Business of Sports

A groundbreaking collaboration between the USC Marshall School of Business' Sports Business Institute and the USA TODAY Sports Media Group will create a first-of-its-kind online platform for daily content covering the business of sports, both organizations announced.

Fields of Green (thefieldsofgreen.com) will offer vital analysis of breaking news, current events and ongoing topics in the sports industry through curated blog posts, original columns and multimedia such as slideshows, infographics and video.

With contributors including c-level executives across the industry and experts in the field, the new site will profile the convergence of sports and entertainment as well as the latest media trends, emerging technologies, new venues, sponsorship deals and marketing campaigns impacting the sports world.

"We are so pleased to be working with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Fields of Green brings something completely new to the table: timely, incisive analysis of issues in sports from a business perspective," said David Carter (News - Alert), executive director of the Sports Business Institute and a national authority on sports business and strategic marketing. "It's a niche that no one else is filling, and a tremendous opportunity to sed light on the developments driving the sports business industry today."

Housed at USC Marshall, the Sports Business Institute is a multi-faceted center focused on understanding and furthering the sports business industry primarily through applied research, student-led consulting assignments and sports business events. In addition to providing comprehensive global analysis of the industry, the Institute develops future industry leaders through its research and strategic partnerships.

"Fields of Green will leverage our position as the top source of sports news and information in the country to expose a broad audience to the USC Sports Business Institute's cutting-edge insight and seasoned analysis," said Dave Morgan, president of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group. "The synergies between us make our two organizations a solid match."

Built on the USA TODAY Sports Media Group's unique ability to deliver the necessary platform and key administrative, technology and sales functions, Fields of Green will rely on the Sports Business Institute to populate its content, which will also feature longer, in-depth pieces examining relevant issues from multiple vantage points.

"The breadth of expertise represented by both the Sports Business Institute and the USA TODAY Sports Media Group is impressive," said James G. Ellis, dean of the USC Marshall School of Business. "By joining forces to create Fields of Green, these organizations will continue to redefine the sports business landscape, both nationally and globally."

Serving an audience ranging from sports industry professionals to sports consumers, Fields of Green is poised to become an influential thought leader in an otherwise crowded sports media space.

About the USC Marshall School of Business

Consistently ranked among the nation's premier schools, USC Marshall is internationally recognized for its emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, social responsibility and path-breaking research. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the world's leading business centers and the U.S. gateway to the Pacific Rim, Marshall offers its 5,700-plus undergraduate and graduate students a unique world view and impressive global experiential opportunities. With an alumni community spanning 123 countries, USC Marshall students join a worldwide community of thought leaders who are redefining the way business works.

About USA TODAY Sports Media Group

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group was formed in October 2011. It encompasses all sports initiatives across USA TODAY, as well as Gannett Co. Inc.'s 81 other newspaper properties and 23 broadcast television stations. Digitally, the USA TODAY Sports Media Group sites consistently rank among the top five most-visited sports sites in North America as measured by comScore (News - Alert). Across all platforms, the USA TODAY Sports brand reaches an audience of more than 46 million consumers each month.

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