In the darkness of their own living rooms, “Monday Night Football” playing on TV illuminates the room as several students check up on their fantasy football team. Many people do this every year as a friendly competition with friends and family. However, for the students in business teacher Nicole Porter’s Sports and Entertainment Marketing class, fantasy football is done as an assignment for credit throughout the course.

This year, nearly 60 million people are participating in fantasy sports in both the U.S. and Canada according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

Participating in the activity provides a fun yet educational experience for senior Mitchell Grissom.

“I enjoy playing because it makes the class seem a little less serious while also allowing us to learn about the marketing side of the sports world,” Grissom said.

While many of the rules are the same, Porter’s version of the popular pastime differs in an effort to make the experience as educational as possible for the students.

“We don’t draft players, [but rather] different NFL teams,” Porter said. “We score the league based on fan attendance at games, whether or not they win their game, [and] whether or not there is positive publicity surrounding the team that week.”

Porter began incorporating this altered version of the activity into the coursework as a fun way to demonstrate the business aspects of NFL teams that students don’t normally consider.

“I thought this would be a good way for students to focus on how some of those elements make a difference in the success of a franchise,” Porter said. “If students scored negative points, the students reflect on how that affects the business of the team.”

Despite not being the biggest football fan, senior Haley Harvey still finds the activity to be an interesting twist on traditional fantasy football.

“I think it’s fun,” Harvey said. “It’s a fun concept and it’s something different than what we normally do.”

During each week’s team draft, Porter thinks the students enjoy the contest they have amongst themselves.

“When we pick teams, the students get really competitive about who gets what pick and what team they choose,” Porter said.