Online MBA Spotlight: Sports Management

Ok, so Jerry Maguire might be a bit of a stretch when it comes to painting a realistic picture of the sports management game, but it’s not that far-fetched. When you think about it, what other career allows people to combine their love of sports with their interest in business, make big bucks doing it, and even meet a few rising stars along the way? Not too many!

Sports managers (or agents) “represent and promote athletes in dealings with current or prospective employers,” says the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). “They may handle contract negotiation and other business matters for clients.” Sports managers are in constant communication with clients (athletes), individuals, and organizations to develop strategies for clients’ careers, to explain actions taken on their behalf, and to collaborate with individuals and organizations in order to apply effective strategies and techniques to ensure success on all sides.

They may “collect fees, commissions, or other payments, according to contract terms; schedule promotional or performance engagements for clients, and negotiate with managers, promoters, union officials, and other persons regarding clients' contractual rights and obligations.”

Other Requirements for Sports Managers or Agents

Besides customer and personal service skills, sales and marketing, communication and media and administration and management skills, sports managers must be persuasive, have the ability to convey information effectively, have superior negotiation skills and social perceptiveness, and have a knack for listening actively. This means, “giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.”

Technology skills are essential as well, so sports managers must know how to use a range of accounting, email, and graphics and photo imaging software, and spreadsheet and video conferencing software. Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Excel are just a few “hot technologies” frequently included in employer job postings for sports managers.

To acquire all of the skills needed to land a job and be successful in the industry, many aspiring sports managers opt for an MS or MBA in Sports Management. However, the MBA is fast becoming the preferred choice for employers and future sports managers alike. In fact, a recent U.S. News and World Report Education headline read “M.B.A. Is MVP of Sports Management Industry, Some Say: Students with sports M.B.A.’s may have an advantage over peers with master of arts or science degrees.” And according to the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), nearly 250 U.S. schools offer graduate sports management programs and many are offered online.

30 Top Online Sports Management MBA Programs

1. Ashland University, College of Business and Economics, MBA Sport Management Specialization
2. Azusa Pacific University, School of Business and Management, MBA in Sport Management
3. Belhaven University, School of Business, MBA with a Concentration in Sports Administration
4. Bryan College, School of Adult and Graduate Studies, MBA with a Specialization in Sports Management
5. Columbia Southern University, College of Business, MBA with a Certificate in Sport Management Orange
6. Concordia University Chicago, College of Business, MBA in Sport Management
7. Concordia University Wisconsin, Batterman School of Business and the Department of Sport and Hospitality Business, MBA Sport and Entertainment Business
8. Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, MBA in Sport Management
9. Franklin Pierce University, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, MBA in Sports Management
10. Gardner-Webb University, Graduate School of Business, MBA with an Emphasis in Sport Management
11. George Washington University, GW School of Business, MBA Sports Management
12. Grand Canyon University, Colangelo College of Business, MBA in Sports Business
13. Hardin-Simmons University, Kelley College of Business, MBA in Sport Business
14. Lynn University, College of Business and Management, MBA in Sports Management
15. Maryville University, John E. Simon School of Business, MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management
16. Midway University, School of Business, Equine and Sport Studies, MBA with a Concentration in Sport Management
17. New England College, School of Graduate and Professional Studies, MBA in Sport and Recreation Management
18. Northwest Nazarene University, School of Business, MBA with a Sports Management Emphasis
19. Saint Leo University, Donald R. Tapia College of Business, MBA Sport Business
20. Southeast Missouri State University, Harrison College of Business, MBA in Sport Management Cape
21. Southern New Hampshire University, College of Business, MBA in Sports Management
22. St. Thomas Aquinas College, School of Business, MBA Sport Administration
23. St. Thomas University, Gus Machado School of Business, MBA with a Concentration in Sports Administration
24. Tiffin University, School of Business, MBA Sports Management
25. Tulane University, School of Professional Advancement, MBA with a Sports Studies Certificate
26. University of Central Florida, College of Business, MBA Sport Business Management
27. University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Isenberg School of Management, MBA with a Focus in Sport Management
28. University of West Alabama, College of Business and Technology, MBA with a Concentration in Sports Management
29. Wayne State University, Mike Ilitch School of Business, MBA Sport and Entertainment Management
30. Winthrop University, College of Business Administration, MBA Sports Marketing and Revenue Generation

Curriculums vary by school, buy students can expect to take many of the following courses:

• Advertising and Sales
• Business of eSports
• China: Major League Baseball and Globalization
• Data Mining
• Digital Marketing
• Event Entertainment Management
• Event Management
• Global Sports and Entrepreneurship
• Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations
• International Experience: Olympic Games/World Cup
• Intro to Project and Program Management
• Managing Fundraising & Philanthropy
• Negotiations and Labor Relations
• Non-Profit Enterprise
• Social Media Marketing
• Sport and Event Facility Management
• Sports Analytics
• Sports Law: Contracts and Negotiations
• Sports Marketing
• Sports Media and Communications
• Web and Database Analytics

Students often participate in a range of immersive workshops, multiple internships, and global experiences as well.

Earnings for Sports Management MBAs

Graduates of Sports Management MBA programs can expect to earn a minimum of $90,000 annually (mean). However, many graduates are offered six figures to start, with high performers eventually earning up to $200,000 or more per year.

Considering an Online MBA? Use our interactive map to find information on schools and colleges offering Online MBA programs in your state and across the U.S.

Sources

"Sports Management Concentration." GW School of Business. The George Washington University, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2017.

"13-1011 Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Employment Statistics, 29 Mar. 2019. Web. 25 Jun. 2019.

"13-1011.00 - Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes." O*NET OnLine. U.S. Department of Labor by the National Center for O*NET Development, 01 Aug. 2017. Web. 23 Aug. 2017.