Organizing, planning, managing, budgeting, and marketing are all part of sports management for the different facets of the sports industry. Sports managers take care of the business while players and coaches concentrate on the game.
This could entail managing a huge arena’s budget or cultivating close relationships with well-known athletes and executives. It might also entail working as a player’s agent or as a talent scout for the upcoming generation.
If you love sports and want to work in business, pursuing a degree in sports management in college is the ideal approach to turn your interests into a rewarding job.
We have carefully come up with 20 Colleges with sports majors for you. They are quite reputable and excellent in their study approach!
Is A Degree in Sports Management Worth it?
Sports management is a viable option for degree-seeking students who might someday desire to be in charge of the business side of managing a sports team or organization. Those interested in occupations that flawlessly blend business management with athletics should consider it.
Continue reading if you like combining a managerial position with a career in sports.
This article focuses on some of the most crucial details you should know about the best universities for sports majors.
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Is Sports Management in College Difficult?
Sports management is a relatively simple major. This is true for degree-seeking learners who are enthusiastic about the business and sports industries. However, certain general education classes can be difficult for some people, just like other majors.
The degree of difficulty in a major is determined by a student’s interests and willingness to earn a college degree.
Core courses, which are necessary for undergraduate students to enroll to achieve a bachelor’s, are often taken during the final four semesters of college. Before them, students must complete numerous general education courses, including public speaking, sociology, and algebra.
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How Much Can I Make With My Sports Manager’s Degree?
Salary ranges for sports management positions can be wide. While the average beginning wage for some entry-level positions in sports management is around $38K, higher-level positions can earn up to $200K annually.
In fact, people who represent well-known professional sports athletes and secure high-paying contracts and endorsement deals have the potential to earn annual salaries of millions of dollars.
It is essential for those who wish to have significant responsibility in the sports world to take specific steps to boost their earning power and gain skills for the sector because of the large range of earnings in the field and the wide diversity of positions that belong to the category of “sports manager.”
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Colleges With Sports Majors
The U.S. has a lot of colleges with sports majors. These colleges give students a great standing even in the sports management profession. These are the 20 colleges with sports majors we have listed for you:
#1. Florida State University
This is regarded as one of the best colleges with sports majors. The undergrad sports management curriculum at Florida State University (FSU) lays the groundwork for how the sports industry operates.
Students can choose electives that concentrate on a specific area of focus within the sports business after attending management core subjects, such as collegiate athletics, the sports industry as a whole, its sociocultural concerns, and more.
In a practicum, students can use what they’ve learned on actual sporting occasions. These opportunities can be paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time. This frequently entails going to different regions of the nation to network with seasoned business people.
#2. Indiana University
Students at I.U. work for a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree with a Sports Marketing and Management concentration. This being among the top-notch colleges with sports majors provides a competitive, well-known program that offers a fundamental background in psychology, finance, marketing, communication, management, and law.
Students will gain practical knowledge in computers, company organization, event planning, media relations, and public relations.
The degree places equal emphasis on sports business and physical fitness. Then, during a necessary practicum or internship, students apply their expertise to the
- I.U. athletic department or Indianapolis
- the city of the Colts (NFL), Pacers (NBA)
- Fever (WNBA)
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway and more.
Because of the enormous variety of sporting opportunities in the area, I.U. is undoubtedly one of the greatest places to study sports management.
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#3. Ohio State University
Students who major in the sports industry at OSU earn a B.S. and receive an interdisciplinary education. Sports history and growth, ethics, and the connections between business, the media, public policy, and issues of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and class are all covered in the courses.
Students who major in sports administration will be prepared for positions in athletic administration, coaching, fitness instruction, community recreation, youth sport, sports communications, sports marketing, and sports facilities.
Students who complete the B.S. degree are ready for highly selective Master’s programs that will immerse them further into their area.
Additionally, OSU students can study abroad in Germany or Japan to gain knowledge of their respective cultures. This could be your best choice of colleges with sports majors in Ohio.
#4. Temple University
Temple University has such a specialized college for sports, tourism, and hospitality management in Philadelphia, a city where fans are extremely prevalent. A Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Recreation Management requires students to complete two internships besides their normal courses.
The curriculum gives students the skills necessary for various careers, including sales and marketing, public relations, sports analytics, account management, fitness director, event and venue management, and more.
If students want to improve their chances of landing a career in an area related to sports, Temple also provides a minor in sport management.
The Event Planning Association, the Society of Minorities in Sport, and the Sport and Governance Association are just a few of Temple’s undergraduate professional organizations.
#5. Syracuse University
This is among the best colleges with sports majors. To educate students for a dynamic role in the sports industry, Syracuse University’s sports management program offers specialized courses and professional electives, including liberal arts prerequisites.
Graduates will learn how to manage daily team operations, schedule games, tournaments, and fundraisers handle big athletic venues, and arrange employment and endorsement contracts for athletes and teams.
The Super Bowl, the Olympics, psycho-social concerns in sports, and immersion in Los Angeles, an in-person instructional and networking event that exposes students to the sporting world on the west coast, are just a few of the significant themes in the course.
Students at Syracuse University also have the exceptional chance to do a practical senior capstone project in the following fields: sales, marketing, finance, event planning, law, or another.
#6. Rice University
Sports analytics, sports law, and sports leadership are the concentrations available through Rice’s Department of Sport Management.
Many undergraduate prizes at the institution recognize the accomplishments of Rice alums and teachers who have achieved outstanding success in the sports industry.
The Jesse Tsu Sport Management Academic Achievement Award, which honors Jesse Tsu ’11, a director at Nike’s Tokyo office, is granted to the graduating senior with the highest GPA.
#7. University of Miami
In the world currently, the University of Miami is among the best colleges with sports majors. Students must minor in another subject in Miami’s Sports Administration major to receive a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.). The major frequently complements business, sports medicine, and exercise physiology.
Sports organization, ethics, marketing, leadership, as well as legislation are among the topics that are heavily covered in the coursework.
The curriculum at Miami is best for its field placements in the collegiate, professional, leisure, and fitness industries, where students get to put their knowledge and talents to use in actual workplaces.
Miami University’s vibrant sporting program is also helpful to its students.
#8. Southern Methodist University
The Applied Physiology and Sport Management B.S. at SMU focus on sports management. As one of the reputable colleges with sports majors, it lays the foundation for human health and fitness, presents the business concepts and abilities required to forge connections inside the sports industry, and offers the field’s ethical and legal guidelines.
Students take part in real-world internships along the route to help them get ready for their future employment.
SMU now provides a master’s degree in sport management for students who want to continue their education. Business experts run this program with executive experience in major teams and leagues, media, broadcast, marketing, sponsorship, facilities, equipment, and apparel.
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#9. University of Michigan
The sports management program at Michigan offers two specializations: sport policy & analysis and sports marketing & management. Both majors offer opportunities for professional internships, which makes Michigan students, particularly appealing to potential employers. Recent graduates have a 95% success rate in finding employment.
They secure full-time jobs and work in the sports industry’s most competitive sectors, like national league sports and entertainment.
#10. The University of Texas at Austin
UT Austin provides excellent study abroad alternatives for sports management students, just like many other colleges with sports majors on this list. One is the Copenhagen, Denmark-based program Sport, Society, and International Olympic Movement.
The program, directed by U.T. faculty, examines the global political implications of the Olympics through the Danish Olympic Agency.
Star athletes and influential people in sports management have attended UT Austin. Olympic medalists Ian Crocker and Sanya Richards-Ross, Masters Tournament victor Jordan Spieth, and NBA MVP Kevin Durant all started at UT Austin.
Tom Landry, a former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and Bedford Wynne, a co-founder of the team, were also present.
#11. Southern New Hampshire University
The world’s top private institution for sports management is in the U.S. in Manchester, New Hampshire, beside the Merrimack River. There is a second campus, the Nashua Site, and this main campus.
Accounting, aerospace engineering and aviation, arts, and design business, criminal justice, education, engineering, liberal arts, science and math, psychology and counseling, social science, and technology are among the fields of study at SNHU.
Associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs are available at the university.
#12. E.U. Business School – Barcelona
E.U. Business School was established in 1973 and is a private, international business school with several locations.
The higher education institute has locations in Munich, Barcelona, Montreux, and Geneva and is proudly one of the fast-rising colleges with sports majors. It is a well-known institution that offers part of its curricula online.
The campus in Barcelona opened its doors in 1989. This campus is where premier Sports Management programs are offered for entering Bachelor’s and Master’s students. The instruction language for any of these two study choices is English.
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#13. University of Portsmouth
This public university, located in England, is one of the top colleges with sports majors. Currently, the college is booming, with 31,000 students and 3,600 employees.
It is a reputable institution of higher learning because of its stellar reputation for academic excellence, multiple accolades, and high rankings, including an overall five-star rating from the Q.S. World University Rankings 2024.
Incoming Bachelor’s students need to understand that they can only pursue the Sports Management degree full-time. Future Master’s students have the option of a full-time or part-time study schedule.
#14. Geneva Business School
This private business school, which has campuses in Geneva, Barcelona, and Madrid, is yet another top institution for sports management worldwide. Having only been founded in 1995, the institution is quite new. Despite this, the institution excels and was even praised by CEOWORLD Magazine in 2024 as the second-best business school in all of Switzerland.
The school offers both on-campus and online options for its programs. Regarding their sports management programs, the one for Bachelor’s students takes three years to complete, while the one for Master’s students only needs 1.5 years.
Any of the three locations of Geneva Business School offers both degrees, which are entirely taught in English.
#15. Belhaven University
Belhaven University is a private, coed university with its main campus in Mississippi, United States. It was founded in 1883. The educational facility is also regarded as one of the top Christian colleges and institutions and among the prominent colleges with sports majors in the U.S. Belhaven currently enrolls 4,400 students.
The sports management program at Belhaven will concentrate on sports marketing, sports finance, sports governance and ethics, and much more for incoming Bachelor’s students.
Future Master’s students can enroll in their sports administration program, which is entirely online and takes two years to complete.
#16. Loughborough University
This esteemed British school has a reputation for outstanding teaching and research on a global scale. This institution inspires students to accomplish remarkable things by leading with ambition and a forward-thinking mentality. All the operations at Lough are driven by innovation, and technology is used to improve the learning environment and further academic pursuits.
The university is one of the top colleges with sports majors globally. Two different institutions at Loughborough University co-teach its Sports Management program: the School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Science and the School of Business.
The management of sports demands in-depth expertise across several fields. The course aims to give students the foundational knowledge needed to comprehend sports marketing, politics, and economics.
#17. Columbia University
This is a premier ivy league school and among the most well-known centers for study in the entire globe. This university was founded in 1754, making it one of the country’s first colleges and universities. As one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, it is known for having stringent standards.
A full-time master’s degree in sports management is available from Columbia University. This post-graduate program aims to aid students in acquiring the most recent and innovative knowledge, abilities, and methods in all fields related to sports management.
The NFL, NBA, Football, and NHL are partners with UBC, providing its students with first-hand experience working with professionals in their industries.
#18. Deakin University
According to the student’s background and credentials, Deakin University’s two-year Master of Business in Sports Management program can be completed with less time and expense.
The course aims to teach students fundamental analytical abilities and how to use them in professional settings. Various topics, including Sports Marketing, Strategic Management, Sports and the Law, and Economics for Managers, are part of the extensive curriculum.
#19. University of Bath
A premier research university in the U.K. is the University of Bath. Bath, which was established in 1966, is now among the top 10 universities in the U.K. The university credits its unwavering adherence to its principles with its previously unheard-of success. It encourages raising ambitions for the good of society and supports equality, inclusion, and diversity.
An extensive survey of sport management, coaching, psychology, and sociology is what the University of Bath’s program in sports management delivers. Students will gain a thorough understanding of at minimum one of those topics, depending on their priorities.
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#20. Brock University
One of the best public universities in Canada is Brock University. This university provides an unparalleled learning environment. With 19,000 students, it offers a small-class atmosphere where students can be themselves, pursue their interests, and reach their full potential.
The institution is one of the top schools for sports management worldwide. The Brock Sports Management program complies with the highest levels of international standards.
It is for college students who are enthusiastic about sports and want to work in the rapidly growing sports business. Students will have acquired much knowledge through internships and foreign exchanges by the time they graduate from Brock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students who pursue this area often get a bachelor’s, Master’s, MBA, or Ph.D. in sports administration or management after completing their coursework. This specialized business degree equips graduates to oversee and control almost every aspect of a sports company.
Salary ranges for sports management positions can be wide. While the average beginning salary for some entry-level positions in sports management is around $38,000, higher-level positions can earn up to $200,000.
Even though some of the easiest jobs in sports, like being a bullpen catcher or a game broadcaster carry a lot of status for those who do them. Some people can bask in the glamour of participating in professional sports thanks to these jobs without putting themselves through the rigors of the game after game as the star athletes do.
The “Big Four” sports leagues are often called MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. These five leagues and the English Premier League are the richest professional club competitions in their respective sports worldwide. Together, they make up the top five sports leagues in terms of income.
Conclusion
The following universities stand out because they offer professional training and a foundational understanding of business theory. They excel at helping students find post-graduate employment prospects.
So with no further ado, choose wisely and enjoy yourself!
References
- Collegegazette.com – Best Colleges For sports management
- Niche.com – 2024 Best Colleges for sports management in America
- Globalscholarship.com – Best Colleges for sports management in the world
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