A career expo that provides an in-depth look at professions within the sports industry. This forum is designed to bridge the gap between the undergraduate, graduate, and professional sports administration students for professional development, networking, and access to industry experts.
Sport Management
Sport Management
Today there are hundreds of sports administration programs. In 1966, there was only one: ours.
The undergraduate sport management program at Ohio University will give you the academic preparation and practical training required for success in the sport industry. Because we believe hands-on experience is the best way to learn, we provide a variety of ways to get you involved and active through our AECOM Center for Sports Administration. The center will connect you to internships, job opportunities, and unique experiences, like the San Diego Consulting Project. Additionally, our student organizations support classroom work by providing volunteer experiences and management of their own events. Active organizations include Sport Business Administration, Sports Law and Labor Society, Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu, and Sports Analytics Team.
Students that major in sport management will graduate with a Bachelor of Sport Management (BSM).
“I was prepared to begin my career in the sports industry because of my experience at Ohio University. I cannot speak highly enough of the program. The classes and projects prepared me for my daily responsibilities and the friendships I formed will last a lifetime. The internship opportunities played a key role in landing my first job after graduation and have given me the skills to develop into the professional I am today." —Mary Lambert '13
Internships and Job Placement
85% of our 2021 sport management graduates experienced positive outcomes such as employment or continuing education within six months after commencement. Many students have even accepted offers during their senior year.
Our AECOM Center for Sports Administration connects students to internships, job opportunities, and exclusive sports industry experiences. Learn about some of the unique on and off-campus opportunities that we offer.
Our Career & Student Success Center is ready to help you understand how to use good career marketing strategies beginning in your freshman year. We’re ready to help you find the perfect internship or job. In addition to business career fairs and career coaches, you’ll have access to Handshake and Teamwork Online, web-based systems where employers post positions, review resumes, and connect with candidates. Plus, participate in workshops, seminars, and even one-on-one coaching to make sure you’re presenting yourself the right way and achieving your career goals.
Sport Management Major Courses
View the Sport Management Major profile page in OHIO's Undergraduate Catalog to see additional requirements, such as Individual Core Requirements or Introductory Cluster Requirements.
Required Courses
- SASM 1010: Introduction to Sports Administration
- SASM 2920: Practicum in Sport Management
- SASM 3400: Sport Data Strategy and Innovation
- SASM 3760: Sport Facility and Event Management
- SASM 4000: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Sport
- SASM 4450: Sport Ticket Sales and Revenue Streams
- SASM 4500: Bobcat Sport Consulting
Electives
- BUSL 4650: Law of Sports
- MGT 3580: Foundations of Festivals, Events and Entertainment Management
- SASM 2250: History of the Sport Industry
- SASM 3010: Sport Marketing
- SASM 3120: Sports Governance and Ethics
- SASM 3220: Leadership and Sport Management
- SASM 3300: Organization & Administration of Interscholastic Athletics
- SASM 3500: External Relations in Sports
- SASM 4010: Advanced Sport Event Management
- SASM 4020: Advanced Sport Facility Management
- SASM 4110: International Sport Management
- SASM 4130: The Business of Baseball
- SASM 4140: The Business of Esports
- SASM 4180: Economics of Sport
- SASM 4250: Financial Issues in Sport
- SASM 4300: Intercollegiate Athletics
- SASM 4350: Sport Promotion and Sales Management
- SASM 4400: Sport Ticket Sales and Systems
- SASM 4900: Special Topics in Sports Administration/Sports Management
- SASM 4915: Sports Management Expedition
Experiential Learning
All BSM students will complete an experiential learning opportunity, including one of the following:
- An approved internship (SASM 3910) with a minimum of one credit hour
- Sport Management Expedition (SASM 4915) with a minimum of one credit hour
- A Global Consulting Program (GCP) experience through the College of Business
- An approved international experience through the Ohio University Office of Global Opportunities
- An approved internship experience through the Global Leadership Center
Specialization
Please complete one of the following options. Please contact your advisor or the BSM program director for additional information about these options.
Business-Related Minor or Certificate
Business Minor
- Marketing
- Finance
Business Certificate
- Sales
- Women and Gender Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Entrepreneurship
Business Major or Co-Major
- Accounting
- Business Analytics
- Business Prelaw
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- International Business
- Management Information Systems
- Strategic Leadership and Management
- Marketing
Potential Careers
Careers in the sports industry vary greatly. With a sport management degree from Ohio University’s College of Business, you’ll have the business acumen combined with an understanding of the special nature of the sports industry that will prepare you for the competitive world of sports business. Examples of careers our graduates pursue include:
- Facility management — manage the operation and maintenance of sports facilities including buildings, grounds, and related equipment
- Sales — through hands-on work, bring together fans to support their favorite teams
- Marketing and promotions — manage the game day experience, coordinate season-long promotional efforts, facilitate and coordinate promotional materials, maintain and increase attendance at contests, oversee group sales, and community relations efforts
- Intercollegiate athletics administration — prepare budgets, facilities planning, ensure regulatory compliance, community outreach, and promote student welfare and success
Questions about career opportunities in the sport industry? Contact Annie Valeant at valeant@ohio.edu or 740-597-9008.
Career Spotlight
Jason Golden
VP of Business Development
Richard Childress Racing, North Carolina
Jason Golden graduated from Ohio University in 2001 with a bachelors in sport management.
Prior to coming his current role, Jason served as the general manager of the Marshall Thundering Herd Sports Properties for IMG College, and previously managed corporate partnerships with ISP Sports at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as well as the the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
Student Activities
Since we know that hands-on experience is the best way to learn, our students are encouraged to participate outside of the classroom in a variety of activities.
-
San Diego Sports Consulting Project
Provides students the opportunity to put their classroom knowledge into practice. The students, along with select students from around the country, act as business consultants for the San Diego Padres and work over the course of the trip to develop new, unique ways to drive ticket sales.
-
Germany Global Consulting Program
Takes students to Bayreuth, Germany to work with students at our partner institution, the University of Bayreuth. Here, the students engage in consulting projects with executives from adidas, Puma, and our academic partners to create an intensive and immersive experience.
-
Southern Ohio Copperheads Baseball Team
The Southern Ohio Copperheads are a summer, wood bat baseball team offering professional-style baseball entertainment in the Athens area. OHIO students perform in key administrative roles and general game day staff creating a unique learning laboratory for the application of classroom work. This experience adds to the general education of our students and fulfills practicum credit.
Double Degree Program
Once students are enrolled in the Sport Management major, they may be pre-selected for the Double Degree Program. In this program, students earn two bachelor's degrees from two different universities (Ohio University, and the University of Bayreuth in Germany) within the regular four-year period of their undergraduate studies, gaining enriching and memorable international experiences along the way. This exceptional Double Degree program is offered through the Department of Sports Administration.
Student Organizations
Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu
Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu (SASM) is the first and only professional Sport Management fraternity in the nation. The purpose of a SASM Chapter shall be to provide a platform for highly involved and academically excellent undergraduate Sport Management students to prepare and develop professionally for a career in the sports industry.
SASM Website, Faculty Advisor: Matt Cacciato
The Ohio University Sports Business Association
The Ohio University Sports Business Association (SBA) helps connect aspiring sport professionals through sport-based opportunities, meetings, and social events.
Faculty Advisors: Jim Kahler, Annie Valeant
Women in Sports
The mission of Women in Sports (WIS) provides the resources to prepare undergraduate and graduate students exploring a career in sports by focusing on workshops, networking opportunities, empowering personal development opportunities to better enable students to thrive and succeed in the sports industry.
Faculty Advisors: Christina Wright and Melissa Davies
Association of Multicultural Sports Professionals
Ohio University's Association of Multicultural Sports Professional (AMSP) was established to support and promote diversity in the sport workforce. It is our duty to build each other professionally through workshops and events to successfully transition into a graduate program or professional sports career.
Faculty Advisor: Brandon Wright
Ohio Sports Analytics Team
The Ohio Sports Analytics Team (OSAT) meets weekly to discuss and investigate developments in the field of analytics. The organization works with students to develop case studies looking at recent works in sports analytics and encourages members to develop their own insights.
OSAT Website, Faculty Advisor: Liz Wanless
The Sports Law and Labor Society
Our vision is to allow Ohio University student members to have a comprehensive understanding of how professionals working in sports agency got their jobs. Through listening to our members’ interests, we will direct, and seek out, information to be learned in each society meeting.
Faculty Advisors: Brandon Wright and Kelley Walton
Associated Press Sports Editors
The purpose of Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) is to help students pursuing a career in sports journalism to become better journalists. We do this through workshops, guest speakers and weekly meetings in order to help our members improve their craft and build connections within the sports journalism field.
Faculty Advisor: Matt Cacciato
Accreditation
OHIO's undergraduate and graduate sport programs are accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), a specialized accrediting body that promotes and recognizes excellence in sport management education in colleges at the baccalaureate and graduate levels.
Contact
Contact interim department chair Mick Andzulis at drmick@ohio.edu or 740-593-4666 to learn more about OHIO's Sport Management program.