The Best Colleges to Study Sports Management
Sports management is a degree that is gaining popularity at colleges across America. However, without an official ranking of the top sports management schools in the country, determining which programs are the best can be difficult and time consuming. In researching the Internet, there are numerous opinions on sports management programs, including partial lists and ranks. Here is a list of some of the programs that are most frequently mentioned as the top sports management programs in the country.
Indiana University
The Indiana University Sports Marketing and Management program is one of the most competitive in the country, accepting just 60 students per year. Students generally apply for the program after during their sophomore year. The program is offered as a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology with a major in sports marketing and management. The school is in a prime location for sports management, as Indianapolis is home to dozens of professional and amateur sports teams and organizations, including the NCAA headquarters and many U.S. Olympic team offices.
Indiana University
Department of Kinesiology
1025 E. 7th St., HPER 112
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812) 855-5523
www.indiana.edu/~kines/undergraduate/marketing.shtml
Ohio University
Ohio University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in sport sciences with a major in sports management and a minor in business. The program emphasizes the business of sports, but addresses all levels of recreational and professional athletic organizations, including youth and adult amateur sports. Students interested in applying to the program must first complete seven pre-requisite sports management courses, earning a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average with no grade lower than a C.
School of Recreation and Sport Sciences
Ohio University
Grover Center E160
Athens, OH 45701-2979
(740) 593-4656
www.hhs.ohiou.edu/rsps/undergraduate_sport_management_.aspx
Ithaca College
Ithaca College offers students a chance to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management, but also offers a master's degree program, and additional sports-related bachelor's degrees in sport media and sport studies. The program has established a long history of available internships with professional sports teams and organizations, as well as sports management companies. Students interested in a sports management degree will complete core courses in the school of business management, while also completing a mandatory sports management curriculum.
Ithaca College
School of Health Sciences and Human Performance
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-3237
www.ithaca.edu/hshp/depts/smm/
University of Massachusetts
The Isenberg School of Management Sports Management Program is highly selective. Students wishing to enter the program can apply as incoming freshmen, internal transfers, or external transfers. Acceptance into the University of Massachusetts does not guarantee acceptance into the Sports Management Program. The curriculum and career advisors focus on three levels of sports management: amateur athletics, professional athletics, and sports agencies. Graduates of the program are expected to be prepared for any of the three career avenues.
UMass Sport Management Department
121 Presidents Dr., ISOM 236
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-0441
www.isenberg.umass.edu/sportmgt/
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green University offers one of the largest sports management programs in America, and has developed an international reputation for preparing successful professionals in the field of sports management. Located within the School of Human Movement, Sport & Leisure Studies, the program offers a bachelor's degree with concentrations in one of three fields: sport communication, sport marketing, and sport enterprise. Students must complete 17 sport management core courses, and select a mandatory minor to complete the program.
Bowling Green State University
Sport Management, Recreation, and Tourism Division
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001
(419) 372-2876
www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/hmsls/smrt/smd/index.html
Tags: sports management, Bowling Green, Bachelor Science, Indiana University, Ithaca College, management programs, Ohio University