Explore common career paths in sports business
Sports unite us, whether we’re running down the field as part of a team or cheering from the comfort of our living rooms. The sports business field builds on that excitement, creating opportunities for fans to work behind the scenes and support the games they love.
While the sports industry is large, it’s also fiercely competitive. Your education — and your connections — can be the difference that helps you get the sports business job you want.
In this article, we’ll outline several careers to consider when you earn your sports business bachelor’s degree online from Oregon State University. We’ll also share insights from faculty members with the College of Business at Oregon State about what to look for in an online bachelor’s degree program.
Sports marketing jobs
Spectators and supporters make games profitable — and there are plenty of people willing to join in. In surveys, close to 50% of people self-identify as sports fans, with nearly 30% describing themselves as avid followers. In sports marketing jobs, you’ll inspire people to attend games, buy merchandise and otherwise support the brand they love.
Working in sports marketing can mean managing social media accounts, creating membership packages, updating websites, interviewing players and hyping up the competition for people watching from home.
Typical job titles in sports marketing include social media manager, marketing coordinator and public relations specialist. If you work for a small sports organization, you may be the team’s solo booster, but if you work for a larger enterprise, you may have just part of the marketing puzzle under your direct control.
What to look for in an online sports business program
“Connections matter in sports marketing. Students should look for opportunities to talk with alumni and business leaders. Conversations can become inroads that lead to careers. Our alumni at Oregon State, for example, are very generous with our students and willing to explain what working in sports marketing is really like on a day-to-day basis,” said Johnny Chen, senior instructor.
Sports sponsorship jobs
Companies are eager to get their names and products in front of customers. Working in sports sponsorship means handling those delicate transactions. You could pair companies with individual players, teams, events and more.
Sports sponsorships can be remarkably effective. For example, nearly half of Gen Z consumers tell researchers they’d be more likely to buy a product if it were affiliated with their preferred team. But as a sports sponsorship professional, you must move beyond the hype and tie performance to a clear objective (like sales) to ensure the money keeps coming in when the contract expires.
Typical sports sponsorship job titles include corporate sponsorship manager, account executive, sponsorship activation manager and account executive. You could work for an entire team, or you could represent just one star athlete.
What to look for in an online sports business program
“Sports sponsorships are becoming major sources of revenue for organizations large and small. An internship can give you hands-on experience in how these partnerships are developed, structured and managed. At Oregon State, internships are a core part of an online student’s education,” Chen said.
Sports analytics jobs
This form of sports business involves using data to improve an athlete’s or team’s performance, reduce injuries, inform financial decisions and more. As the ability to capture data grows, so could your impact as a sports analytics professional.
How does it work? Consider this example. In 1979, professional basketball rules changed and allowed for three-point shots farther from the basket. Sports analytics professionals determined that athletes who were quick and slightly smaller than average players were more likely to make those tricky long shots. Teams built their rosters accordingly, and the game changed. In the 1980s, teams took about 2.4 attempts at three-point shots per game. In the 2021-2022 season, only one team averaged fewer than 30 attempts.
Sports analytics jobs can involve informing coaching, training, athlete recruitment and sports betting. Some analysts even weigh in on contract negotiations and athlete compensation packages — huge expenses for the teams they work for. Typical job titles include sports analyst, sports data analyst and sports statistical analyst.
What to look for in an online sports business program
“Sports analytics is a field that has undergone tremendous growth, and it’s an exciting one. If you’re hoping for a career at the intersection of math and sport, your online degree program should include courses taught by analytics experts — not professors from other fields. And at Oregon State, it will,” said Timothy Kaskela, assistant professor of business analytics.
Sports finance jobs
Sports teams often need help with typical accounting tasks like payroll, budgets, taxes and bill payment. But finance professionals also handle sports-specific tasks.
For example, you may provide core assistance in helping your team to stay funded by researching appropriate pricing for tickets, media rights and sponsorships. You may also examine public sector funding opportunities and help leadership determine which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Entry-level job titles may include accountant or bookkeeper, but advanced job titles might include sports financial analyst, business operations analyst or revenue manager.
What to look for in an online sports business program
“The biggest decisions in sports are about which investments to make. Building a new stadium or signing a player can change the trajectory of a franchise for the better. Doing those things poorly can drag a team down for years. Evaluating and financing such investments requires an understanding of the unique way each league operates, and the ways local governments and teams can collaborate,” said Dennis Adams, senior instructor.
Earn a sports business degree online with Oregon State
The online sports business bachelor’s degree is housed within Oregon State’s College of Business, and as a student, you’ll learn from experts in fields like finance, marketing, analytics and more. You’ll also be connected with Oregon State’s large alumni network through the COB’s Career Success Center and internship opportunities.
“Now is a great time to enroll online in sports business at Oregon State,” Chen said. “We look forward to discovering what unique talents students can bring to the game.”
Discover more about learning online with nationally ranked Oregon State University.
