What is sport management?

  • Our Sport Management major prepares students for the business of sport, including professional sport,
    college athletics, recreation, and sport-related agencies… SPT majors and minors develop the necessary
    knowledge and skills to thrive in careers related to professional and amateur sport, intercollegiate
    athletics, event management and programming, facilities and arena management, sport tourism, sport
    agencies and beyond. – Elon Comm
  • Sport management involves any combination of skills related to planning, organizing, directing,
    controlling, budgeting, leading, and evaluating within the context of an organization or department
    whose primary product or service is related to sport or physical activity – SHAPE America

Classes and Curriculum Information

View Classes and Curriculum information here.

In your classes, you will learn about contemporary issues in the sport management industry and the role of
sport in society. Additional courses cover philosophies and the evolution of the sport management industry;
the fundamentals of facility planning and maintenance; research methods and analytics; principles of special
event programming; and marketing. SPT majors also take classes that examine concepts such as finance,
accounting, communication, legal issues and leadership in sport.

Common Career Paths – Employers & Job Functions

Professional Teams and Leagues / Amateur Athletics

Employers
  • Professional and minor leagues/teams in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, racing, motor sports, soccer, and emerging sports
  • Olympic, intercollegiate, high school, youth, Special Olympics
Job Functions
  • Operations, facilities/event management (see more below)
  • Finance/business operations, marketing and promotions, ticket sales, sponsorship/corporate partnerships, fundraising/development
  • Community relations, fan engagement, project coordination
  • Scouting, sports analytics, data science
  • Sport governance, compliance, sport officials (i.e., umpires, referees)

Facilities and Event Management

Employers
  • Stadiums, arenas, golf courses, tracks, convention centers, tournaments, festivals
Job Functions
  • Event management and programming
  • Operations
  • Facility management
  • Field maintenance
  • Equipment management
  • Ticket sales and seating management
  • Food services and concessions
  • Design and development
  • Real estate and property management

Sport Media, Agencies, Technology & Gaming

Employers
  • Newspapers, television stations, radio stations, magazines, sport publications
  • Sport-related internet sites, sport marketing/management firms, sports talent agencies
  • Digital media, e-sports, sports video games, online sportsbook
  • Law firms* (requires a law degree)
Job Functions
  • Journalism, broadcasting, photojournalism, sport information
  • Advertising sales, public relations, marketing, sponsorship, talent agents/representation
  • Social media management, sports analytics/data science, game development/promotion, sports betting – customer experience
  • Sport and entertainment law* (requires a law degree)

Sports Merchandising

Employers
  • Sport equipment and supply industry
  • Exercise equipment manufacturers
  • Sport and recreation retailers
  • Online sport retailers
Job Functions
  • Product development/distribution
  • Sales and marketing
  • Brand/product representation
  • Store management
  • Internet sales

Athlete Development / Student Affairs

Employers
  • Colleges & universities: athletic departments, campus recreation, intramural/club teams
  • Professional teams and leagues
Job Functions
  • Coaching
  • Recruiting/scouting
  • Athletic administration
  • Student/athlete development
  • Sport psychology* (requires a master’s degree)

Leisure, Fitness, Parks & Recreation

Employers
  • National parks
  • City parks and recreation departments
  • Recreational facilities
  • Ski resorts
  • Tennis and golf clubs
  • Health and fitness clubs
  • Country clubs
  • Hotels
  • Parks
  • YMCAs and YWCAs
  • Nonprofit organizations
Job Functions
  • Programming
  • Hospitality management and administration
  • Facilities/equipment management
  • Operations
  • Travel planning
  • Event planning
  • Instruction
  • Sales and marketing

Employers and Titles of Recent Sport Management Elon Alumni

Company Title City State
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Production Assistant Washington District of Columbia
Elevate Inside Sales Representative Washington District of Columbia
Degy Entertainment Sports Booking Agent Intern Delray Beach Florida
Inter Miami CF Box Office Representative Fort Lauderdale Florida
Zimmerman Advertising Account Coordinator Fort Lauderdale Florida
Orlando Pride Assistant Equipment Manager Orlando Florida
PGA Tour Sales Associate Ponte Vedra Beach Florida
Macon Bacon Baseball Group Sales Account Executive Macon Georgia
New Orleans Saints & Pelicans Inside Sales Consultant New Orleans Louisiana
Baltimore Orioles Game Presentation Coordinator Baltimore Maryland
University of Maryland Community Engagement Intern College Park Maryland
Boston Legacy FC Inside Sales Representative Boston Massachusetts
Fenway Sports Management Partnership Sales Associate Boston Massachusetts
Boston College Graduate Assistant for Competitive Sports and Day Camps Boston Massachusetts
DraftKings Inc Customer Experience Associate Boston Massachusetts
New England Revolution Inside Sales Representative Foxborough Massachusetts
Orleans Firebirds Production Manager Orleans Massachusetts
New York Jets Sales Associate East Rutherford New Jersey
BSE Global Inside Sales Representative Brooklyn New York
Powell Lacrosse Event Sales and Operations Associate Chittenango New York
Global Sports Group Executive Agent Assistant Oyster Bay New York
Campbell University Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant Buies Creek North Carolina
Burlington Sock Puppets Stadium Operations Manager and Sales Academy Trainee Burlington North Carolina
NASCAR Account Executive, Performance Marketing Charlotte North Carolina
QuintEvents Rooms Coordinator Charlotte North Carolina
MKTG Inc. Sponsorship Consulting Coordinator Charlotte North Carolina
Bespoke Sports & Entertainment Sports Marketing Trainee Charlotte North Carolina
SMT NHL Broadcast Operator Durham North Carolina
Greensboro Grasshoppers Sales Associate Greensboro North Carolina
Carolina Core FC Operations Coordinator High Point North Carolina
Karate International of Raleigh Event Director Raleigh North Carolina
Carolina Hurricanes Inside Sales Associate Raleigh North Carolina
North Carolina FC Coordinator, Community & Fan Relations Raleigh North Carolina
REVELxp at the University of Cincinnati Hospitality Intern for the Premium Field Suites Cincinnati Ohio
Red Ventures Analyst Fort Mill South Carolina
Hilton Head Island Recreation Center Lead Counselor Hilton Head Island South Carolina
Texas A&M University Graduate Assistant Coach Corpus Christi Texas

Sport Management Job Boards

Extracurriculars at Elon

Professional Associations, News Sites, and Groups

Professional Networks for Inclusive Excellence

– Updated November 2025