LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Recognizing the expanding role of sports within the entertainment industry, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Full Sail University have finalized a unique partnership that enables the school to promote Full Sail’s sports curriculum to a global audience of sports enthusiasts, while offering youth athletes more possibilities to envision their sports dreams.

As part of this collaboration, Full Sail will be represented throughout ESPN Wide World of Sports including the complex’s Welcome Center, digital signs and promotional video packages. In addition, guests who are interested in learning more will be able to arrange a tour of Full Sail’s Winter Park campus from the sport complex.

“The sports industry is evolving incredibly rapidly, and it requires professionals who understand the dynamics of the new media landscape for all applications in business, both now and in the future,” said Josh Mora, program director of Sports Marketing and Media for Full Sail. “One area in which we can attract prospective students who will serve the industry is by focusing our efforts on those who have an inherent enthusiasm for sports. In that way, we can fuel their passion by exposing them to possible careers within the sports realm that they might not even know exists.”

This agreement follows the university’s recent launch of its new Sports Marketing and Media Bachelor of Science Degree Program. The 32-month curriculum, offered both on-campus and online, is designed to help students develop a balanced skill set of technical expertise and content creation. Students will also learn core business and marketing concepts as they apply to sports media, business models, sports marketing and research, public relations, sports law and contracts, and licensing and intellectual property.

“Sports dreams now come in all shapes and sizes,” said Faron Kelley, director of marketing and communication for Disney Sports Enterprises. “We hope that by exposing young athletes to Full Sail’s innovative curriculum, they will be able to realize their aspirations whether they’re on the ball field, in the classroom or behind a TV camera.”

Full Sail has recently collaborated with ESPN in launching a sportsbroadcast research lab at the university, complementing the current ESPN Innovation Lab located at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. That lab has been critical in the development of ESPN 3D, Ball Track, NBA Player Card and Ultimate Uplink.