01/09/2025
A career in sports management requires a blend of education, hands-on experience, networking and continuous learning. Building a strong foundation early on and seeking opportunities for growth within the industry may help to set you up for a successful career as a sports manager.
What Is Sports Management?
Sports management involves the business aspect of sports, encompassing various aspects of other industries including accounting, law, business, public relations, athlete development and team marketing efforts.
As a profession, sports management involves managing athletes and organizations like college teams or stadiums to ensure individual athletes or their team's success using organizational skills and business skills gained from at least a bachelor's degree. Advanced degrees such as a master's degree in business administration (MBA) might help professionals to gain leadership positions in sport management.
Sports manager positions may also incorporate facility management, ticket sales, social media strategies, marketing, communication skills and event planning.
Key Responsibilities of a Sports Manager
Sports managers are responsible for making strategic decisions about team schedules, handling logistics and ensuring that their professional teams, amateur, or recreational sports run smoothly.
Some common areas of sports and business management may include:
- Overseeing team operations and managing athlete's contracts.
- Managing relationships between coaches, players, general managers or agents.
- Organizing and managing sports events.
- Planning event logistics like venue selection or scheduling.
- Handling marketing and sponsorships to promote teams or brands.
- Managing the public image of a general manager, athlete or team.
- Overseeing legal contracts.
- Ensuring compliance with sporting laws, ethics and governing boards.
Education and Training for Sports Managers
A bachelor’s degree is usually required for a sports management career, although a business degree or college degree in a related field can be beneficial. A bachelor's degree in sports management may cover courses like event planning, facility management, brand management, law or marketing.
For those interested in a sports leadership career, a four-year bachelor of business administration undergraduate degree might be a good place to start. This business-driven program may focus on management, finance, accounting and marketing.
More advanced academic degrees like a two-year MBA program might be helpful for a sports manager who may be seeking higher-level positions or the gain of necessary skills to enhance career opportunities. Courses might include finance, marketing, accounting or statistics. Special concentration courses could be helpful or include internship opportunities for more hands-on experience.
Gaining Experience and Professional Development in Sports Management
Even with a bachelor's or master's degree in sports management, employment in an athletics related field may not be guaranteed. Hands-on experience may be critical to starting a career as a sports or professional team manager.
Securing an entry-level administrative business position with a team or sports organization could be helpful to understand how day-to-day operations of a professional sports team or business work.
Another way to gain experience in high-performance coaching and sports management careers could be to volunteer for local sports organizations and events. Volunteering may be a good way to network within the industry and gain experience to figure out what direction you'd like to go in.
Internships in an athletic program may be a helpful way to provide exposure to the sports industry while also networking with professionals in teams, marketing agencies, media outlets or athletic departments.
Certification and Licensing for Sports Managers
While not always required, certifications may help to enhance credibility for sports managers.
Some common types of certifications may include:
- Certified sports manager (CSM) is offered to validate skills and knowledge.
- Certified professional in sports management (CPSM) is for professionals who want to demonstrate expertise in managing professional sports teams and organizations.
If required, the type of certification needed for a sports manager may depend on a sports organization’s league or its geographic location, like the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL) or Major League Baseball (MLB).
Career Paths in Sports Management
Working in sports management offers multiple career options, with each one requiring unique degrees, job duties and skills as:
- Sports team manager: Oversee day-to-day team operations, staffing and players.
- Athletic director: Work with school athletes, coaches and academic departments to manage budgets, goals and general operations of athletic departments within college or universities.
- Event coordinator: May plan or organize sporting events for teams.
- Sports marketing manager: Create strategies to increase awareness around public events, increase fan engagement and revenue.
- Facility manager: May oversee maintenance of a venue and manage customer service.
- Sports agent or athlete manager: May represent professional athletes and negotiate contracts or endorsements.
Skills and Qualities of Successful Sports Managers
Being a successful sports manager may require skills from different areas, from technical to interpersonal and leadership skills in nearly all aspects of the sports industry.
Some key skills of successful sports managers may include:
- Communication: Conveying clear information and instructions with athletes, media, sponsors or colleagues.
- Leadership techniques: Making critical decisions quickly, managing athletes, motivating players, and managing conflicts and maintaining morale.
- Business strategy: Drafting and executing high-level planning for long-term corporate success.
- Marketing: Developing effective strategies to promote the sports team and its events.
- Emotional intelligence: Understanding the needs and emotions of athletes and staff and remaining calm and composed under pressure, especially during high-stakes events.
- Financial: Managing budgets, ticket sales, team operations, and developing strategies to maximize income.
Job Outlook and Growth in Sports Management
According to the 2024 Sports Global Market Report, the sports market size is estimated to grow from $480.12 billion in 2023 to $506.93 billion in 2024, a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%. It's expected to grow to $629.81 billion by 2028.
As the industry grows, the demand for skilled sports management roles and managers may also increase. Other key drivers for demand for skilled sports managers may include esports growth, sports media and marketing, fitness and recreation, youth sports and sports management.
Next Steps for a Sports Manager
Whether you're a sports fan, athlete or student interested in becoming a sports manager, staying updated on industry trends, pursuing specialization, and actively growing a professional network could be the key to enjoying a fulfilling career in sports management.
