When Brent Brennan took over the San Jose State Football program in 2016, he launched an initiative called Beyond Football to establish a culture for his team. That program- designed to encourage players to take advantage of abundant opportunities for development both on campus and in the Bay Area- has since evolved into Beyond Sparta, one of the premier athlete development programs in the country.
All 467 student-athletes at San Jose State now benefit from Beyond Sparta under the leadership of Tobruk Blaine, the Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Development. As the program has grown, it has also become more complex and now includes workshops, business visits, alumni panel discussions, mentorship, and career transition support.