SPORT MANAGEMENT

Sport management is one of the fastest growing job categories yet also one of the most challenging. Before candidates are considered for sport management jobs, they must have substantial internship experience and/or graduate degrees in sport administration. One of the advantages of Wartburg’s program is that all students have a solid business administration major as the foundation for further specialization. Some students also decide to add a leadership certification as a complement to their sports management major through the Institute for Leadership Education.

Several companies are helping to screen candidates, thus making it easier for professional sport organizations to get the most competitive candidates. These firms include: GameFace, Team Work Consulting Inc., SportsJobsUSA.com, and WorkInSports.com. Note that many of these sites require job seekers to pay to get information about jobs that are open. Professional sports organizations are shielding themselves from the hundreds of applications for each position or internship. Graduate programs are often the best way to get college sports management and marketing experience, since the programs help to staff local needs.

Specialized Courses

Intro to Sport Management - structure of the sports industry

Human Resource Management and Advertising - choose management or marketing track

Current Issues in Sport - motivation, leadership, team intervention strategies

Administration of PE and Facilities - facility planning and management

Living in a Diverse World: Sport Sociology through Popular Film - investigate contemporary issues of culture in sports

Sports Management Internship - for-credit real work experience; requires additional fee

POSSIBLE INTERNSHIPS

Alumni Outcomes

 Sports Graphics dealer rep, Pantego, TX 
Assistant Athletic Director at the University of South Florida in Tampa 
• Season Ticket Sales, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minneapolis, MN 
• Assistant Volleyball & Track & Field Coach, Univ. of Wisconsin—LaCrosse 
• VP Operations, Iowa Sport Supply, Cedar Falls, IA 
• Director of Sports Marketing and Sales, Western Virginia University
• Account Service Exec, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment— Minnesota Wild, St. Paul, MN 

• Baseball Coach, Webster University, Rensselaer, IN
• Sr. Acct. Exec. at University of Kansas – Jayhawk Sports Marketing 
• Chief Operating Officer, Newman Golf Course, Ankeny, IA 
• Sr. Director, Corporate Sponsorship Marketing, NBA, New York City, NY 
• Academic Counselor, Univ. of Southern California, Manhattan, CA 
• Director of Group Outings, Burlington Bees Baseball, Burlington, IA 
• Marketing Director/PGA Golf Pro, Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Ashland, NE

Graduate Programs

Many job candidates complete a graduate program to get the additional theory and practical experience needed to be competitive. The following are selective schools considering Wartburg College applicants into Sport Management graduate programs. Other students enter MBA programs for an even broader business background.

• Ball State 
• Indiana State 
• Minnesota State University – Mankato 
• Ohio University 
• San Diego State University 
• St. Cloud State University 
• University of Connecticut 
• University of Iowa 

• University of Georgia 
• University of Massachusetts 
• University of Oklahoma 
• University of Pennsylvania – Wharton 
• University of Tennessee 
• University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse 
• Wichita State