Sports Management

Get an affordable start to a career in sports or recreation with the sports management degree from SMC.

Do you have a competitive drive that you're ready to carry into a fulfilling career?  SMC’s sports management degree will challenge and focus that ambition with the knowledge, confidence, and critical skills necessary for success in the sports and recreation industry.

• About the Sports Management Degree

  Recreational programs and athletic facilities have needs unique from other businesses such as controlled access to high-profile clientele, the demand for diverse customer engagement opportunities and maintaining an aura of fame through the management of public perception on a daily basis.

  Sports Management is a business degree specialized for managing sports- and recreation-related operations. A degree in sports management will show employers that you have the know-how to run a business as well as a thorough understanding of the unique needs of the sport and recreation industry. 

  Whether you want to help manage a team, run a recreational facility, or go into sports marketing or journalism, SMC offers a strong, skills-based curriculum paired with top-notch, on-campus recreation facilities where you can get involved and apply your classroom knowledge. 

  As a sports management student, you’ll start by gaining business management fundamentals while also exploring personal fitness and learning how to develop healthy lifestyles. Next you’ll learn how to effectively market an organization and gain an introduction to coaching, including budgeting and scheduling teams. You’ll explore sports management fundamentals, organizational theories and the economic, social, and psychological impacts of recreation. You’ll also develop skills essential for career advancement such as networking and professionalism. Finally, you’ll apply your skills with a practicum with a real sports or recreation industry employer.

  The Associate in Applied Science in Sports Management is designed to transfer into sports management programs at four-year institutions to complete a bachelor’s degree. 

• What You’ll Learn

  View the full curriculum guide for the Associate in Applied Science in Sports Management.

   

• What Can I Do With a Sport Management Degree?

  Graduates are equipped to gain entry-level employment in facility and event management, sports and recreational programming, athletic coaching, sports media, and more. Students are strongly encouraged to pursue a bachelor’s degree to increase career opportunities.  

  Sports management is a dynamic but highly competitive field. Career options for those with advanced sports management degrees include: 

  • Managing professional and collegiate sports teams
  • Sales, marketing, and public relations for sports teams or agencies
  • Player coaching, scouting and representation
  • Stadium operations
  • Sports merchandising
  • Travel and event planning
  • Sports and recreation programming
  • Sports journalism
  • Field maintenance, prep, and conversion
  • Ticket sales
  • Fundraising

  Careers and Salaries

  Career Option	Salary
  Advertising Sales Agent:	$61,270
  Administrative Services and Facilities Managers:	$104,900
  Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts:	$57,500
  Meeting, Convention and Event Planners:	$56,920
  Fundraiser:	$64,160

   2023 median pay. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics