Project Management

Collat School of Business

710 13th St. South, Birmingham, AL 35233

(205) 934-8800

UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.

Collat School of Business

710 13th St. South, Birmingham, AL 35233

UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.

What Is Sport Management? Degrees, Specializations And Careers

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If you enjoy playing or coaching recreational sports, you may be considering a career in sport management. After all, the field is diverse and can be highly lucrative. But what is sport management, exactly? Keep reading to learn more about this multidisciplinary business field.

Sport management refers to the management of various business functions in sports and recreation organizations. Depending on their specific job title, sport management professionals might plan, direct, organize or budget within a sports-related organization.

Getting a job in sport management doesn’t necessarily mean signing on with a professional athletic league. Sports and recreational organizations, like college teams, stadiums, sports media firms and the Paralympics employ people with sport management skills.

A sport management professional typically has a bachelor’s degree at minimum. Leadership positions in sports and recreation usually require at least a bachelor of business administration.

An undergraduate sport management degree prepares students for entry-level positions in the industry. Some start with a four-year undergraduate program at a college or university. Others begin by completing a two-year associate degree at a community college before transferring to a four-year university.

Expect to cover a variety of topics related to business management in undergraduate sport management courses. You might study brand management, event planning, facility management and legal aspects of sports and athletics. A BS in sport management equips students to work in facility management or sporting goods sales. Such entry-level positions often serve as a springboard to more advanced career paths.

If you’re interested in sports leadership positions, consider pursuing a bachelor of business administration (BBA). This degree involves a business-intensive curriculum featuring management, finance, accounting and marketing courses.

BBA programs usually take three to four years to complete. Potential careers for BBA graduates include sport manager, athletic director, general manager, sports advertising sales manager and parks and recreation director.

MBA in sport management programs sharpen your business management skills through the lens of the sports and recreation industry. These degrees typically take two years to complete. Core coursework includes business-centric topics like finance, marketing, accounting, statistics and operations.

Sport management MBA programs offer a variety of industry-specific electives. These may include classes like coaching, sports media, sport psychology and international sports relations. Many programs also include internship opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with athletic organizations.

Earning an MBA can open the door to higher-paying jobs in larger sports organizations. Sport management MBA graduates often find jobs with professional athletic leagues or sports marketing firms.

If you’re interested in academia, consider pursuing a Ph.D. in sport management. People with sport management doctoral degrees often go on to launch careers as professors, researchers, urban developers and economists in the context of sports and recreation.

As a sport management Ph.D. candidate, you’ll develop an original doctoral dissertation. Throughout the program, you’ll generate research ideas, conduct relevant research and take supplemental coursework. Most Ph.D. candidates also serve as graduate student research assistants, providing professors with grading and instruction support.

During a doctoral program, your research could examine the intersection of sports and gender, for example. Other possible research areas include sports and their social impact or sports industry economics. Students are encouraged and expected to generate their own research ideas for original thesis development.

Because sport management is a multidisciplinary field, many students pursue concentrations to deepen their expertise in a specific subtopic. If you’re inclined toward a certain aspect of the industry, consider finding a program that offers a concentration in that particular field. Below are a few examples of popular sport management concentrations.

The world of professional, amateur and recreational sports have many legal considerations. Sports lawyers help athletes, coaches, managers and organizations navigate those laws and, when possible, avoid costly litigation.

Some of the most common areas of sports law include:

Sports media refers to the broadcast and reporting of sporting events, teams and sports news. Jobs in the sports media field include print journalism, photography, broadcast reporting (TV and radio), sports information analysis and program production. Major employers in the sports media arena include the MLB Network, ESPN and NBC Sports Regional Networks.

Sports event management involves planning, coordinating, organizing and leading events for sports organizations. Putting on sporting events at every level requires attention to detail and quick decision-making skills. Among other key responsibilities, event managers must manage budgets, negotiate with vendors and coordinate day-of logistics.

Below we explore some popular sport management careers. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.

Average Annual Salary: Around $66,000Job Description: Athletic directors liaise among schools’ athletes, coaches and academic departments. These professionals oversee the goals, budgets and operations of schools’ athletic departments. They also help hire coaching staff, maintain facilities and promote athletic programs.

Median Annual Salary: $99,030Projected Job Growth (2022–2032): +5%Job Description: Facilities directors are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of athletic facilities. They ensure the safety of all those playing on the field, court or other playing surfaces. Facilities directors should hold a postsecondary degree in sport management and be trained in CPR and first aid.

Median Annual Salary: $140,040Projected Job Growth (2022–2032): +7%Job Description: Sports marketing managers employ sales and marketing tactics to promote sports teams and their related organizations. They might also promote individual high-profile athletes.

Considering that ​​75% of Americans consider themselves sports fans, the sports industry is enjoying a positive growth outlook. As a result, growth rates for jobs including coaches, scouts, agents and business managers are on the rise.

Sport management degree-holders typically have various career options. Some might work directly with athletes as coaches, athletic directors or facilities directors. Others go the corporate route and become marketers, lawyers, data analysts or sports reporters.

Marketing managers have one of the highest-paying positions in the sport management industry, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a median annual salary of $140,040 across sectors.

Yes, especially for those lacking the proper education or industry connections. Holding a degree in sport management gives you a higher chance of standing out against the competition and creating a lucrative career in the industry.