Career in Sports: Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Sport Business Degree

Table of Contents

What is Sport Business?

Why Should You Obtain a Sport Business Degree?

Sport Business Jobs for Graduates of a Sport Business Master's Degree

Why is Networking in Sports So Important?

An Inside Look at Neumann University's Sport Business Degree

Connect with Neumann University's Sport Business Degree Experts Today!

But It's Not Enough To Know The Sport — You Need To Know The Business Of The Sport.

Neumann University offers a Master of Science in Sport Business for those seeking to specialize their skills with a sport business management degree.

Whether you have a background in business or whether you’re interested in making a career change in order to jumpstart your career in the sports industry, the Sport Business program at NU is meant for people of all levels of experience and interest in this niche professional landscape.

Ready to learn what you can do with a sport business degree? Let’s get started.

There are so many different types of business degrees, but sport business — sometimes called sports management or sports business management — is specifically designed to prepare professionals to secure a meaningful career in the sports sector of business.

A sport business or sports business management program covers several subjects of study, including but not limited to:

Business analytics

Organizational leadership

Marketing

Partnership activation

Digital media

Communication

Event management

Financial analysis

Revenue management

Armed with a sport business degree, you’ll learn about the numerous elements that go along with working with sports teams, sports networks, collegiate and high school athletic departments, sports marketing groups, and more. You’ll graduate with a diverse set of sought-after skills that will make you an indispensable asset to any organization in the sports industry.

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If you’re looking to break into the sports industry, you could choose from a variety of traditional business-related graduate programs, but only a graduate sport business degree will give you a comprehensive, in-depth understanding of the management of the sports industry.

In fact, a sport business program is similar to an MBA, but it’s specifically focused on the development of skills in the sport business field in a variety of areas, such as:

Professional Sports

Collegiate athletics

High school athletics

Youth sports

Community-based sports

Brands and agencies

Esports

Armed with a graduate sport business degree, you will enter the workforce with valuable knowledge and skills in analytics, leadership, marketing, legal and regulatory issues, events and facilities, revenue generation, financial management, and digital media and communication — making you a valuable asset to any organization.

One of the most important elements of earning any master’s degree in sport business is the different careers in sports that will become available once you graduate and in the years to follow.

Here’s a brief list of careers in sports management / sport business:

Athletic Director ($60,500)
General and Operations Manager ($100,780)
Sports Agent ($73,740)
Financial Manager ($129,890)
Sales Manager ($126,640)
Sport Event Promoter ($56,015)

A bar graph showcasing the different salary amounts for different sports positions

If you’re considering looking for more experience before pursuing these director and management positions, there are many entry-level positions offered for you during graduate school or right after you graduate.

Some examples for each position are also listed:

Social Media Coordinator — writing, editing, and public relations for sports teams, sports manufacturers, and sports networks

Marketing Coordinator — advertising/promoting, brand development, and research for athletic departments, online sports properties, and live event productions

Graduate Assistant — working with the athletic department on events or other department-related business functions

Ticket Sales Account Executive — working with professional teams and select collegiate athletic departments to generate revenue through the sale of tickets

Network building takes time and effort, but building professional relationships while in school and while working in entry-level positions is crucial to landing the job you want in a sports-related field.

In other words, never expect someone to just offer you a job or an internship — internalize now that you must build professional relationships to advance in the workforce later.

Whether you’ve enrolled in a sport business graduate program or not, it’s never too early to start building your professional network. But are you wondering where and how to get involved in networking?

Let's Break Down Your Options For
Networking in Sports

Professional Sports Organizations:

Professional organizations are one of the best places to begin your search:

Sport Marketing Association (SMA)
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)
National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA)

Digital Networking:

In a world of ever-changing technology, many interactions in our daily and professional lives are digitized, but this is good news! You won’t have much trouble obtaining connections online through various social networks. Be sure to utilize these tools and continue expanding your references and connections.

The professional networking site, LinkedIn, is one of the several low-cost ways of making connections and growing your personal brand. You can make your resume visible to business owners and even allow people to endorse you for certain skills.

Staying active on social media platforms like Twitter can help you stand out and appear knowledgeable and current. The more you vary the types of social media you use, the larger and more diverse your contact list will be.

Take Advantage of Existing Networks:

Sometimes existing connections from past jobs or classes are your best option since you already have a relationship with these people. The best practice in this case would be to stay in touch consistently. Even if you’re still months away from graduation, start your search early to get a feel for the hiring period and to make sure your networks are willing to help you.

Challenge Yourself To Be Prepared For The Business Of Sports By Faculty Who Have Professionally Been Where You Want to Go.
Dr. Julie D. Lanzillo
Program Director and Associate Professor

Neumann University’s Master of Science in Sport Business was designed with input from over 50 industry professionals to prepare you for career growth in sport business roles such as sales, fundraising and development, facility and event management, social media and digital communication, marketing, partnerships, and activation.

In addition, Neumann University’s Sport Business courses are each taught by a different faculty member in the field. By enrolling in Neumann’s program, you are entering the networks of many expert professionals — in turn, significantly expanding your network as well.

Whether you’ve just graduated from college with a business-related degree or whether you’ve been in the workforce for a few years in a field unrelated to sport business, Neumann University’s Sport Business program can teach you the sought-after skills needed to qualify you for a number of sports-related job positions. Prior experience or not, anyone interested in pursuing this degree has an equal opportunity to develop the professional skills favored by sports organizations.

Sport Business Program Features:

Can be completed in as little as 12 months: 30 credit hours	On Campus, online, and hybrid options available.
All faculty are expert practitioners with significant, on-the-ground industry experience.	Classroom learning and practical preparation prepare students for industry opportunities.

Note: In order to appropriately follow CDC guidelines and ensure your safety, the master’s degree in Sport Business is available in an online, on campus, or hybrid format. If you are taking the course on campus and are not able to attend one of the classes, you can tune in virtually during class time, or watch a recording later at your convenience.

Sport Business Learning Outcomes:

You will have a comprehensive understanding of the management of sports organizations.

You will have meaningful experiences with external industry partners.

You will gain knowledge and skill in analytics, leadership and ethics, marketing and partnership activation, legal and regulatory issues, events and facilities, revenue generation, financial management, and digital media/communication.

Get On-the-Ground Experience — Learning With and From Sports Industry Experts at Neumann University

Students at Neumann University can work directly with an Industry Relations Specialist to secure a sports internship, volunteer position, or even a sport business job while you earn the degree. The Industry Relations Specialist is dedicated to helping students create their brand and build relationships with organizations in the sport industry.

Below are just a few of the organizations in which our graduates have received internships or jobs:

Sport Business Degree Course Examples

This is not your average business administration program, as all of the required courses are related to sports. A few of these courses include:

Leadership and Sport Organization Behavior

Leaders are the stewards of organizations and are frequently faced with challenges that impact their ability to make ethical decisions, shape organizational culture and influence organizational behavior. This course will allow students to explore their own belief systems and reflect on how that may impact their ability to be leaders in sport business. This course weaves together specific skills that all leaders should strive to develop, including “storytelling,” ethical decision making, the ability to navigate through organizational politics and how to build a learning organization.

Financial Management in Sport Business

Professional organizations are one of the bestThis course seeks to blend the themes of management and analytics to prepare future sport industry leaders in the interpretation and application of financial data to drive decisions. Emphasis will be placed on budgeting (including capital budgeting), forecasting, facility financing, economic impact analysis, and ROI.

Revenue Strategies And Pricing In Sport

From determining how to price club memberships to development campaigns and ticket pricing strategies, understanding the balance between price and consumer value is integral for sports business industry professionals. Understanding what data to collect, how to interpret the results and then effectively market the right message are critical for everything from amateur and community based sport programs to professional sport operations. Topics will include fundraising and development, dynamic ticket pricing, retail, merchandising, CRM and media buys.

Digital Media, Communications, And PR in Sport

The communication landscape is shifting regularly, and the impact of technology on the communication function is immeasurable. Sport business professionals require an understanding of how consumers interact with their brands and organizations in the evolving digital media sphere. Class-based projects will center on strategic and crisis communication, via storytelling, visuals and text along with distribution channels, segmentation, demographic characteristics and application.

Event & Facility Management in Sport Business

Whether hosting a youth tournament, or staging a global sporting event, sport business professionals need to understand the complex nature of planning and executing events in concert with venue management. Areas to be addressed include staffing, volunteer management, event timeline creation and execution, stakeholder and vendor relations, and assessing economic impact. As an in-class experience, students may be tasked with designing and implementing an event, or working in concert with an existing event.

Students should note that the Sport Business program at Neumann no longer requires an internship for completion. Rather, the 30-credit hour graduate degree includes a capstone project as the final “course.”

Three options for the capstone are available to you:

Thesis Project: You’ll work with an academic advisor to research, submit, and defend a thesis in front of a panel that includes the program director.

Consulting Project: You’ll work with an industry partner in the Sport Business field to develop a solution to a challenge faced by the industry and present the data to a panel that includes the program director.

*Immersion Experience: You’ll work a minimum of 275 hours within a sports organization, taking on various projects and completing writing assignments. This is for students looking for field experience prior to graduation.

Neumann Strongly Encourages The Immersion Experience For Students Interested In Developing Hands-On Experience In Their Desired Profession. Similar To A Sports Internship, You Will Have The Opportunity To Work With Professionals In A Sport Business Organization With The Help Of NU’s Faculty. These Capstone Experiences And Internships Are Also A Great Way To Build Your Networks And Relationships To Secure A Job In The Industry.

discover the nu you at neumann university

You have a valuable opportunity at your fingertips — Neumann University’s Master of Science in Sport Business could be the avenue through which you develop the skills needed to land a successful career in sports.

At Neumann University, we value the ambitious, focused, and compassionate professionals who make up our community. Driven by a culture of inclusivity and innovation, we are committed to preparing you to reach your full potential.

You have the valuable opportunity to enroll in a flexible, affordable degree completion program and achieve an academic degree that will serve as a launching pad for your dream career — get started today.

Careers in Sports:

Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Sport Business Degree