Top Careers for an MBA in Sport Business Degree

When you earn your MBA in Sport Business, you gain a variety of skills designed to help you advance in your career. These skills related to strategic management, sales and marketing, risk management, navigation of legal issues, facility planning and management, and various financial aspects of sport can all make you an even greater success in this particular field.

Yet, one of the great things about earning this particular advanced degree is that it qualifies you for a number of truly exciting sports-related positions which rely on the knowledge and training that only someone with a business background would have. This puts you one step ahead as you set out to find the perfect position for you.

Not sure what that perfect position is just yet? That's not a problem because today's top career tracks in sport business generally fall under three basic categories: working with professional sports players or teams, managing sport facilities or athletic departments, or working for sporting goods retailers.

Let's take a closer look at each of these career tracks so you know what your options are, making it easier for you to select just the right one.

Working with Professional Sports Players or Teams

If you're interested in managing the career of a star athlete or working with an entire team to create some positive buzz about just how great they're playing this year, then you may be most satisfied by using your MBA in Sport Business degree to work within professional sports franchises.

Should you choose to work with individual players, you can use your knowledge and skills to help them negotiate better contracts, get some good PR, or otherwise provide advice that will help them advance in their careers.

On the flipside, if you'd rather work with entire teams, your MBA will put you in the perfect position to help them develop stronger fan loyalty. You'll also be able to assist them with obtaining more financial backing so they can buy new equipment – or possibly work some deals with manufacturers who want to sell memorabilia or apparel with your team's logo.

A few of the possible titles that MBA in Sport Business graduates hold when working with professionals sports franchises are Sports Agent or Sports Marketer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), individuals in these types of roles make up approximately 39.67 of the industry workforce and earn a mean annual wage of $89,590.

Additionally, a few of the states that employ the most sports agents include California, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and New York, which makes these five great places to start your employment search.

Managing Sport Facilities or Athletic Departments

Earning your MBA in Sport Business also means that you can work for athletic departments at high schools and colleges or universities in management-level positions. Another option is to use your degree to help run local sport facilities, such as an area gym or athletic club. When working in these settings, you'll likely be tasked with developing sporting event schedules and promoting programs, bringing more business—and more fans—to the facility or club.

One of the titles used for professionals working in this type of role is Sports Program Director, and the BLS indicates that promotion of sporting events earns, on average, about $65,200 per year.

Furthermore, individuals with these duties make up the smallest portion of the industry, or around 0.57*. However, if you work in spectator sports, the mean annual wage rises to $98,010, or a more than $30,000-per-year jump, which may be more appealing if you want to earn more.

Sporting Goods Retailers

A third option for using your sport business degree is to work directly for sporting goods retailers. Your MBA will give you the tools you need to handle various aspects of running this type of store, from hiring and training staff to deciding which products are likely to have the most sales.

Graduate-level students who go on to work in this aspect of sports business oftentimes have the title of Sports Business Manager which, according to the BLS, earns a median wage of $85,830 if you are a general or operations manager and closer to $81,920 if you strictly manage the retailer's advertising or promotions.

Saint Leo's MBA in Sport Business Program

Earning your MBA in Sport Business at Saint Leo University means that you will gain the knowledge, skills, and tools you need to work in any of these top sport career tracks. All you have to do is pick the one that is most appealing to you and go for it. When you do, you can be sure that we'll be cheering you, your athlete, and your team on every step of the way.