What Can I Do with a Master’s in Sports Management?

sports manager

Key Takeaways:

  • A Master’s in Sports Management opens careers in sports media, analytics, ethics, law, finance, and marketing.
  • Roles include public recreation manager, ticket operations manager, sports tourism administrator, and athletics administrator.
  • The degree enhances career networks, leadership, HR, coaching, and presentation skills through fieldwork and internships.

A Master’s in Sports Management degree is perfect for both young graduates who want to start their careers and existing sports professionals who want advancement opportunities. It’s also a good degree for career-changing adults who want to break into the exciting world of sports management. A Master’s in Sports Management degree teaches students everything they need to know about sports media, analytics, ethics, law, finance, and marketing. If you want to study sports management online, we have a ranking for you.

Public Recreation Manager

Many cities and counties employ recreation managers to oversee park, athletic and recreation programs, facilities, budgets, and projects. They are responsible for coordinating seasonal, athletic and geographic-specific community programs. This typically involves planning budgets, ensuring safety, managing bids, organizing resources and directing staff. For example, they may oversee youth sports leagues and the associated guidelines, schedules, tournaments, and fundraisers. These recreation managers usually work with schools, colleges, gyms and other community programs to facility programs and share resources. They must have impeccable communication and customer service skills.

Featured Programs

Ticket Operations Manager

Ticket operations managers usually work for organizations that own sports venues, fields, stadiums and properties. They start the commercialized sports process by creating events in the ticketing system to be sold online and in-person at select sellers. This complex process includes discounts, pre-sales, price tables, and seating manifests. They oversee the daily financial reconciliation of sales while also monitoring event outcomes and monthly reports. Thus, this job requires strong accounting knowledge of revenue tracking, accounts P/R, and sales reports. Some ticket operations managers may travel with their respective professional athletic teams.

Sports Tourism Administrator

Sports tourism administrators help maintain strategic partnerships and beneficial relationships with various state, regional and national sport organizations. They work directly with the hospitality and accommodation industries as well as the sponsoring businesses. They are usually the primary contact for stakeholders, so every day they deal with public inquiries, resource requests, trade shows, sports events, and professional athlete managers. Some sports tourism administrators research conferences, industry trends, funding opportunities, and organizational developments. They must excel at public relations, product promotion, media communication, and project management.

Athletics Administrator

Colleges and universities employ athletics administrators to oversee athletic programs, facilities and departments. They usually work with club, varsity, and intramural teams. Their duties may include team travel, game operations, facility supervision, event management, and collegiate academics. On any given day, they may observe team practice, adjust game scheduling and coordinate travel arrangements for national schedules. Athletics administrators may specialize in sports compliance, medicine, ticketing, and communication. Some are purchasing managers who buy products and services while conducting inventory checks. Others are official liaisons for visiting teams, game officials and notable fans visiting the campus.

A Master’s in Sports Management degree helps the holder expand their career and social networks with industry, celebratory and community events. A valuable resource for aspiring Sports Managers is the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). This degree improves knowledge of human resources, coaching processes, leadership skills, and presentation techniques. Finally, students will learn to apply their soft skills and business knowledge in practical settings through fieldwork, special projects, and internship opportunities.