North Greenville University recently received a second $25,000 gift from Spartanburg-based Upward Sports, which will be used for scholarships and administrative costs in training and educating students in its sport ministry degree program. Upward Sports’ first gift to the program was in August 2013.

Gregg Wisecarver, vice president of Upward University; Cheney Robinson, leadership development associate; and Mike Irvin, executive director of Upward Foundation, presented a check to NGU president Jimmy Epting and Jeff Briggs, sport management department chair, at the home football game on Saturday, Nov. 1.

NGU’s department of sport management offers two distinct degree programs and three options that a student may select. Depending upon career objectives in the sport profession, the student may select one of the following bachelor of science degree options: a degree with business emphasis (designed for students who desire to become managers, administrators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the sport profession); a degree with ministry emphasis (designed for students who desire to work in ministry-related settings including the church or foreign mission field using sport, recreation, and leisure as a platform and tool to reach people for the Lord); and a degree with coaching certification (for students who desire to become a sport coach or coaching administrator in the sport profession).

NGU is the first college to combine sport and ministry in an academic environment. The unique degree program will allow North Greenville to send students into the mission field and into churches in America and abroad to use sport to evangelize for Jesus Christ.