What is a Sports Management Degree?

You love sports. People can always find you shooting hoops, scoring goals, and rooting your favorite sports to victory. You’ve thought about pursuing a sports-related career, but you’ve been told you better “play it safe” and pursue business. Which path do you choose?

With a sports management major, you don’t have to choose between sports and business; you can do both! “This sounds great,” you might be thinking. “But what is a sports management degree?” 

Allow us to explain!

What is a sports management degree?

To fully understand the possibilities and opportunities available in sports management, you must first understand what is a sports management degree. According to Carol McGregor, the sports management program director at Grace College, “Sport management is a combination of many things. Sport managers are like any managers – they are required to plan, organize, direct, control, budget, lead, and evaluate within an organization.” McGregor notes that the main difference between sports managers and other forms of managers is “that their organizations involve sport or physical activity.” No matter which aspects of business you love, there’s a place for you in sports management.

What classes do sports management majors take?

You will take general business classes, along with classes about various aspects of sports. Your classes will give you a solid business foundation to help you understand the business side of sports, and you will also learn about the effects of sports physically, mentally, and spiritually.

A few classes you might take for a sports management degree include Sport in American Society, Introduction to Sport Ministry, and Leadership and Motivation. Sport in American Society explores how sports have impacted the American way of life. Meanwhile, Introduction to Sport Ministry will show you how sports can create ministry opportunities around the world. In Leadership and Motivation, you will study theories of motivation, leadership, and management; learn about current trends in leadership and motivation; and discuss how these theories and trends relate to a biblical worldview.

What can you do with a sports management major?

A sports management major opens the door to a variety of jobs in the sports industry. Nearly any business job can be found in the world of sports business. Some sports management career options include:

• Coach
• Sport psychologist
• Teacher or professor
• Athletic director
• Facilities director
• Sports marketing consultant
• Sports event coordinator
• Personal trainer
• Contract negotiator

“Sport management students are hard-working, driven, and exciting people,” said McGregor. “At Grace, our sport management students are capable of anything, yet love sport so greatly, that they commit their lives to glorifying God through sport management. There is truly nothing they cannot do.”

What internships are available to sports management students?

You can get an internship with a sports team near your college, a sports arena, or any other sports organization. Sports management students at Grace have interned at Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Fort Wayne Tin Caps, Memorial Coliseum, Spiece Fitness, South Bend Cubs, Special Olympics, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). It is essential that sports management students use their internships to get hands-on experience in the field and network with other professionals who can connect them to full-time positions after graduation. 

How can sports management be used to honor God?

Sports can provide unique opportunities to demonstrate godly qualities, such as humility, hard work, and good sportsmanship. According to McGregor, “No matter the task, no matter the position, as long as our students, faculty, and staff are doing their best, then glory will be brought to God. Who we are as people and the example we set through our hard work, kindness, and generosity will show others how God works through us.”

Sports also provide opportunities for service and leadership. At Grace, we emphasize the importance of being servant leaders. “Servant leadership is not just a catch phrase to our students, it truly is a way of life that is embraced and acted on,” McGregor added.

Why get a sports management degree at a liberal arts institution?

When you get a sports management degree at a liberal arts institution, you’ll not only learn about sports and business but also about how to develop and grow relationships. This will help you build connections in the sports industry.

At Grace, all of our sports management faculty have real-world experience. They have knowledge about sports management and about the careers you can pursue from their own jobs in sports management.

“Our athletic director, Chad Briscoe, teaches courses, connects with our students, and is a wonderful example of servant leadership,” said McGregor. “And Marcus Moore, another one of our instructors, played basketball at Grace College, has years of practical sport management experience, and invests in our students as a mentor. I believe the faculty and student relationships are what sets Grace College apart from other institutions.”

Sports management allows you to combine both sports and business in your career. Now that we’ve answered the question, “What is a sports management degree,” learn more about our sports management program and request more information about Grace College.