Dr. Derek Walton Named Department's New Faculty Athletics Representative
9/14/2026 1:35:00 PM | General
Walton joined SFA in 2022, currently serves as assistant professor of sports business in Nelson Rusche College of Business' Department of Entrepreneurship and Applied Business
Walton's combination of academic expertise, athletics operations experience and commitment to student development will guide his service as the department's new FAR and his continued support of SFA's student-athletes. Walton takes over the position following Dr. Jason Reese's appointment as dean of Rusche College of Business.
Walton's academic work focuses on sports marketing, consumer behavior, esports, emerging technologies, and innovation in the sports industry. A strong advocate for experiential education and high-quality student learning, he has been recognized by the Nelson Rusche College of Business with the Teaching Innovation Award (2024), Teaching Excellence Award (2025), Distinguished Service Award (2026), and Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award (2026). He serves as faculty advisor for SFA's Sports Business Society and has helped students engage with organizations such as U.S. Soccer, the Texas Rangers and Houston Dynamo. Under his mentorship, SFA students have earned national recognition, including first place at the U.S. Soccer Student Hackathon during the 2025 World Cup Innovation Summit and a top 10 finish in the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in 2026.
Walton earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from The Ohio State University, completing his Ph.D. in sport management in 2022. While at Ohio State, he also gained collegiate athletics experience as the men's tennis event management coordinator. As the primary game-day contact, he coordinated staffing, security, equipment, parking, officials, media requirements and visiting-team needs.
Before entering academia, Walton worked in stadium and match-day operations for Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, contributing to the planning and execution of league matches, international friendlies, U.S. Open Cup contests and playoff matches. His responsibilities included supervising match-day personnel, inspecting event setups and coordinating facility operations. This professional experience continues to inform his teaching, research and mentorship.
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