The undergraduate Sport Administration program provides students with course work specific to sport related business and prepares students to work in high-level competitive sport settings.  Graduates may secure jobs in corporate positions within professional sport organizations, intercollegiate athletics programs, and grassroots and youth sport organizations.  Topics covered within the curriculum include sport marketing, economics, finance, sponsorship, licensing, law, sports information, facility management, media and community relations, and other important components of the sport industry.

Career Options

Careers in Sport Administration include employment in professional sport, intercollegiate and high school athletics, Olympic sport, park/recreation, youth, and grassroots sports programs, and many positions in the corporate sport industry.  Careers in professional sport include front office positions in marketing, accounting, finance, operations, public relations, event development and sales with Major League sport organizations (NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, etc.) as well as their Minor League affiliates.  Intercollegiate High School Athletic employment may include administrative positions such as Athletics Director, leadership positions in marketing, operations, compliance, sports information, financial development, academic support, and the ticket office, and also include positions in conference offices (ACC, Big East, Big Sky, etc) or national governing bodies (NCAA, NAIA, NCHSAA).  Olympic sport employment may include opportunities with the USOC, as well as each sport’s governing body (US Ski team, US Baseball, etc.).  Park/Recreation, youth, and grassroots level employment may include positions in management, sales, marketing, public relations, or media relations for community sport organizations (YMCA, AAU, CASL).  Corporate Industry employment include jobs in agency representation (Octagon, IMG), licensing (CLC), multi-media (ESPN, MSG), sport manufacturing (Nike, Rawlings, Titleist, etc), management, sales or marketing positions in retail sporting goods (Dick’s, Fleet Feet), and administrative positions with sport facilities such as golf courses (Pinehurst, Pebble Beach), ski resorts (Aspen, Squaw Valley), arenas (RBC Center, Charlotte Arena), and convention centers.

Undergraduate Track in Sport Administration (30 credits):                                   

All General Education requirements apply.  Students are required to take BIOL 101 and 101L

Students must complete the following four Exercise and Sport Science Core Courses:

EXSS 101         Foundations of EXSS

EXSS 175         Human Anatomy

EXSS 273         Research in Exercise and Sport Science

EXSS 276         Human Physiology

Course Descriptions

Students must take one additional sport science course from the following:  

EXSS 181        Sport Psychology

EXSS 376        Physiological Basis of Human Performance

EXSS 380        Neuromuscular Control and Learning

EXSS 385        Biomechanics of Sport

Course Descriptions

Students must complete the following sport administration courses:  

EXSS 188         Emergency Care of Injuries

EXSS 221         Administration of Athletics        

EXSS 322         Fundamentals of Sport Marketing      

EXSS 324         Finance and Economics of Sport (prerequisite of ECON 101 required)                                              

EXSS 326         Sports Law                                                      

Course Descriptions

Suggested sequencing of Sport Administration courses:  

EXSS 101, EXSS 175, EXSS 276, additional science core course, EXSS 188, EXSS 221 at any time during sophomore and junior year or in summer school

            EXSS 273 and EXSS 324 – fall of senior year

            EXSS 322 and EXSS 326 – spring of senior year  

Course Descriptions

Dependent upon your career aspirations, you are encouraged to supplement the major with enhancement electives.  A maximum of 40 hours in EXSS courses may be applied toward the B.A. degree.