Competition is fierce in the sports industry. Careers in sports management—whether it’s as an athletic director, account manager, business development lead, financial manager, public relations specialist or personnel management—are highly lucrative and in great demand.1 According to Research and Markets, the global sports market is forecast to reach $599.9 billion by 2025 and $826.0 billion by 2030.2 In North America alone, that figure is expected to be $83.1 billion by 2023.3
Learn about some of the best sports media jobs and what it takes to excel at each one.
From sold-out football stadiums, to weeks-long Olympics coverage, to athlete sponsorships with your favorite brand, there’s an immense amount of passion, commitment, and money tied to sports of all kinds. Because of its longevity and universal appeal, it’s no surprise, then, that jobs related to sports and their many facets are incredibly in demand.
If you’re looking to maximize your career in sports management, it may be time to hit these books— the best sports management books for your career, that is.
Because of the wide variation in salaries in the field, it’s imperative for those who want to have better roles in sports to be fully prepared for the industry’s best-paying roles.
Learn why long-time sports enthusiast, Taylor Ashford, M.S.E. ‘21, chose KU's online sport management program to advance his sport career, and how doing so has benefited him professionally and personally.
Sports analytics jobs are challenging and rewarding. They require expertise in a number of advanced areas including computer science, statistics, marketing, and communication. Learn how having advanced sports analytics skills creates unique employment opportunities.
October 11
In today’s billion-dollar sports bazaar, recently disrupted by both the pandemic and social justice movements, Human Resource (HR) professionals are the unseen talent keeping all levels of the industry staffed and running efficiently.
A well-written sports management resume can blaze pathways to a fulfilling, high-achieving sports management career. Great resumes not only highlight a job seeker’s particular skills and employment experiences, they also paint a vivid picture of a candidate's all-around talents to attract hiring managers.
There's no doubt that sports are big business in America. Most major athletes and their coaches bring in six-figure salaries. Basketball and baseball are amongst the highest paying sports, with athletes earning on average $4.9 million and $3.82 million per year, respectively.
It’s a frustrating reality that employed people are often the most likely to get hired into new positions. So how does a person land a first job, having done little or no prior work in a particular field?
Congratulations: You’re in a leadership position with a community sport organization. You’re doing work you love in the industry you were educated to join. The joys of your work light you up and the challenges keep you focused. Among them is the ongoing quest for funding.
Sports event planning is a huge job. Events play a major role in generating income for sports organizations and, often, nearby restaurants, hotels, and airports. Sports event managers are responsible for planning and delivering on every detail. From community fundraisers and school sports to the major leagues and international competitions, they work at every level to ensure that each event goes off without a hitch and that spectators stay engaged.
On July 2, a decades-long debate over the use of Native American team names reached a turning point. FedEx, the title sponsor of the NFL stadium in Landover, Maryland, issued a one-sentence statement saying it had "communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name."
December 23
What has happened to kids sports?
“A $19.2 billion market in the US means the youth sports market rivals the size of the $15 billion NFL,” says a December 2019 report from Dublin’s GlobeNewswire. Totaling $24.9 billion at that point, worldwide youth sports markets “are expected to reach $77.6 billion by 2026.”1
December 10
KU sport management doctoral student Chris Brown has experienced life as a student of color on predominantly white university campuses. Throughout his time as a Jayhawk, he has worked to be a source of support for other Black students.
While Kansas and Missouri may not get as much attention as other parts of the country, the Kansas City sports scene still has a lot to offer. The city got a huge boost with the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl win, but the region has much more to offer than professional football.
February 18
Any career in sports begins with an interview, but what sets a sport management interview apart from any other job interview? The questions may vary from sport to sport and from company to company but invariably, some of the same questions will come up in every interview. Below, we’ll go over some of these questions and how to approach them, what to wear, and curveballs you may want to prepare for.
January 27
Why Do Letters of Recommendation Matter?
Letters of recommendation are a crucial aspect of your application to graduate school. Your test scores, transcripts and personal statement are also incredibly important, but stellar letters of recommendation can help make up for any potential shortcomings in those three categories. A well-written letter of recommendation should provide admissions committees with details that can’t be found elsewhere in your application.
There are many steps you must take when applying to graduate school, and the personal statement portion can be intimidating. This part of the application is your chance to convey your personality and passion as well as your commitment to continuing your education, and it's just as important as your grades, test scores and academic record.
September 23
Jobs in the sports industry extend well beyond the athletes we see competing, and sport management careers represent a large portion of the field. Behind every professional team and athlete is another large team of business professionals who work to support the athletes and organization.
September 17
Chances are when someone brings up sports, sport management jobs aren’t necessarily your first thought. When we think about the sports industry we tend to immediately think about major tournaments and the athletes competing in them. Things like the glory of the Olympic Games, the excitement of the Super Bowl, the pressure of the World Cup and the pride and rivalry of college football games.
What can you do with a sport management degree? The phrase conjures images of agents in power suits making major deals with superstar players. While some people go on to become agents, professional, amateur and intercollegiate athletics comprise a $450 billion industry that encompasses sport management jobs and career paths for individuals from a wide variety of skill sets and interests.
June 04
There are three generally accepted styles of coaching in sports: autocratic, democratic and holistic. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks, and it’s important to understand all three. For each coach, establishing a personal coaching style will require a firm grasp of their own natural tendencies, and it generally involves incorporating elements that work from each of the three major coaching styles.
Playing sports is fun, but the practice field teaches more than just athletic skills. As any athlete will tell you, learning to play within the confines of the rules of a game teaches invaluable life lessons that will apply to just about anything you pursue for the rest of your life.
For many people, the value of a traditional education is clear: Knowledge improves decision-making, which is valuable for personal and professional life. However, a balanced approach to living can often include athletics and, as any athlete knows, physical education isn’t just about dominance in games and channeling aggression.
If you're passionate about sports and want to make the athletic world your career, the great news is that nearly 80,000 jobs in the sport and entertainment industries are expected to be added in the United States from 2016 to 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).As someone who loves sports, it's probably no surprise to you that the industry is highly competitive.
In order for any sport organization or enterprise to thrive, good financial practices must be followed. Those responsible for this crucial aspect of the industry are sometimes financial experts who move into sports, while others study sport management with a particular interest in its financial aspect.
March 29
The best practices for ethics in sports are often debated, and ethical guidelines can vary greatly from sport to sport.
When we talk about ethics, we’re talking about a system of values that we use to make daily decisions: what we value and how we use those values in our dealings with the world.