NC Wesleyan Launches New Sports, Entertainment School With $10 Million Gift

ROCKY MOUNT — North Carolina Wesleyan University has launched a new school focused on preparing students for careers in sports, entertainment, live event production and venue operations, backed by a $10 million gift from the Lonnie and Carol Poole Family Foundation.

The university announced Tuesday the establishment of its School of Sports, Entertainment, and Venue Enterprise, known as the SEVE School.

The $10 million contribution will serve as the lead gift for a larger fundraising effort. NC Wesleyan plans to raise $30 million to establish, staff, equip and operate the new school.

Lonnie Poole founded Waste Industries in 1970 and served as chairman, president and CEO until retiring in 2008. Carol Poole serves as president of the Raleigh-based family foundation.

NC Wesleyan President Dr. Evan Duff said the university believes its Rocky Mount location will give students access to professional sports organizations, entertainment venues and other industry opportunities throughout the region.

“The Pooles’ transformational gift comes to NC Wesleyan at exactly the right moment,” Duff said. “The sports, entertainment, and venue industry is growing quickly across North Carolina and the rest of the country, producing hundreds of billions of dollars a year in revenue with steady demand for trained professionals.”

Duff said the university hopes to use its academic programs and location to prepare students for those jobs.

The new school is expected to grow over a five-year period, beginning in 2026. University officials said their goal is to have a fully accredited and self-sustaining program serving hundreds of students on the Rocky Mount campus by 2031.

The school will initially offer a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Entertainment Business. NC Wesleyan also plans to develop certificate programs in Venue and Event Management and Esports Management.

Additional bachelor’s programs, specialized areas of study and graduate degrees could be added as the school expands.

Students are expected to receive classroom instruction from professors with industry experience while also participating in internships, professional development and networking opportunities.

Lonnie Poole said the idea behind the school is to focus on the large number of workers required behind the scenes to operate sporting events, concerts and other entertainment venues.

“At any event, there are literally hundreds of people working behind the scenes to prepare, plan and deliver the experience for the public,” Poole said. “But who trains them? Why not teach these skills at the university level?”

Poole said sports, entertainment and venue operations should receive the same educational attention as the performers and athletes involved in the events.

“We believe the SEVE School represents exactly that kind of opportunity,” Poole said. “We believe the impact of the SEVE School will reach far beyond the University in developing people, creating opportunity, and strengthening communities across North Carolina and beyond.”