Did Jerry Maguire have a sports management MBA? Maybe he did. His one loyal client, Rod Tidwell, certainly had faith that Jerry’s skill would ultimately show him the money. If the love of the game and a liking for the business side of sports completes your ambition, you may to want to acquire a sports management MBA, which applies advanced business administration skills to the sports and entertainment industry.
In a sports management MBA program, you’ll study a graduate curriculum that focuses on strategies for managing the work of a sports or entertainment enterprise, including organizational goal development and performance. Sports management MBA topics include leadership, marketing, finance, economics, accounting, operations management, and business ethics, all as applied to the business of professional, high-revenue sports.
Sports Management MBA Careers
“Let’s make a deal.” A 30-second TV ad during Super Bowl 2010 will cost $3 million; TV ads during the 2009 Academy Awards cost $1.4 million apiece. Even a star athlete client who drives his SUV into his own tree will probably still expect $100 million in endorsements. This huge, extremely lucrative business is made for power brokers, from the cool negotiator to the smooth talker to the high-stakes wheeler and dealer. Most careers open to sports management MBAs, such as sports agent, pro team CEO, professional recruiter, and pro sports advertising executive, are not for the faint of heart. Other careers include sports team business manager or special events manager, development officer (fundraising), marketing coordinator, college athlete academic advisor, athletics program director, or sports team operations director.
What’s the Job Outlook?
The expected rate growth for sports and entertainment management careers is about average, but competition for the high-profile jobs is always intense. If you’re willing to join the fray, getting to the top will probably require long hours, tireless wheeling and dealing, an extensive network of friends in high places, patience, and probably some luck.
How Much Does It Pay?
At $70,000, more or less, median sports and entertainment MBA salaries are generally higher than in other industries, but will vary according to region of the country you work in, your job title and responsibilities, and your résumé. Obviously, if you become a rock star sports agent or sports advertising executive, you will probably have success getting your agency or team to show you the money, too.
