MBA Programs in Sports Management

Selling sports tickets, memorabilia, licensed products and other sports related items is a billion dollar industry and one that hasn’t seen much of a slowdown in recent years. Because of that, it can be a great career choice for those interested in business, sports or both. Getting an MBA in the field will give you the experience and expertise you’ll need to manage sports teams, organizations and brands. With hundreds of professional teams nationwide, and thousands more around the world, you’re sure to find a new and exciting way to use your degree in a way that meets your career goals.

With an MBA in sports management, you can work in a number of athletics-related fields. In an MBA in sports management course, you’ll focus more on business and may take more general business courses that apply to all fields. Every program is different, but some of the topics you’ll cover include sports leadership, sports psychology, ethics and law, communication and marketing.

Top Sports Management Programs

BA in Sports and Recreation Management	Ashford University – B.A. in Sports and Recreational Management. Ashford University prepares students for a rewarding career in several industries such as professional sports, fitness clubs, athletics equipment merchandising and recreation programs. Their programs are designed to help you develop the the necessary managerial and psychological skills to motivate and lead others.
BA in Sports and Recreation Management	Tiffin University – M.B.A. in Sports Management. Tiffin University provides students with advanced sport-related skills, techniques, and practices that they could apply in their professional careers. The university is dedicated in helping students improve their problem-solving, managing, and critical-thinking abilities within a sport environment.

Sports management programs will generally provide students with a firm understanding of basic business principles through some introductory courses in finance, leadership, organizational behavior and economics. These courses will form the foundation for more specialized programs of study that may require students to take courses in topics like sport law, sport marketing, management of sport, entertainment and convention venues, and management of college athletics. This program of study is designed to give students a well-balanced view of the sports industry from a business perspective allowing them to apply these general business principles more specifically to the sports industry. Graduates should emerge with the proper knowledge, skills and abilities to operate and manage sports business and organizations. Generally, students will find that their program of study takes about two years to complete but opportunities to cut down this amount of time are available.

Sports business and management is a highly competitive field, but those with an MBA will have a leg up on their counterparts only holding an undergraduate degree. With opportunities working both directly with sports teams and with managing the myriad of products and merchandise most teams put out, opportunities for employment can be quite broad. Some graduates may even find work managing the day-to-day operations of major sports arenas and fields. There is no easy way to give an estimate of the potential salary these kinds of jobs offer, as skills, experience and job title can cause pay to vary quite a bit. It is possible, however, for success driven individuals to work their way up to the top echelons of management and make well into the six figures. Of course, there is no guarantee of this, but an MBA certainly won’t hurt.