Sport Management Careers: What Are Your Options?
It’s easy for people to mistake a degree or career in sport management as being similar to what Tom Cruise does in “Jerry Maguire.” While some people who study sport management do go on to work as sports agents, there are many other options for someone who wants to work in a sports-related role without necessarily playing on the field.
Sports lovers can go on to work in many different areas of the industry. Want to explore your sport management career options? Let us show you what’s available!
Facility or Guest Manager
There are two kinds of managers that play a very important role at a sports stadium – the facility managers and the guest managers. The former ensures that stadium or arena functions smoothly before, during and after games, overseeing areas like field and court conditions, maintenance, equipment, security, scheduling and more. They are in charge of everything that involves the day-to-day operations of the facility.
Guest managers, on the other hand, take care of the people on game day. They ensure that all the fans receive the best experience and service possible. They also give special attention to any groups or VIPs in attendance, like the team’s owners, investors, and players’ spouses. They take care of customer service-related needs, seating arrangements and more.
Game Day Coordinator
Game day coordinators are responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly on game days. From organizing and overseeing concessions, transportation and customer service-related tasks to making sure the media and teams are where they need to be, these coordinators play a crucial role in game day operations.
Event Coordinator
In addition to game day coordinators, event coordinators play an important role in making sure both sporting events and special events go off without a hitch. These can include pre-game, halftime, or post-game events, renting out space for receptions or corporate events, concerts, and other events both during and after the season. This is where the event coordinator comes into play to plan and facilitate the events.
Financial Analyst
Like sports and have a thing for numbers? Working as a financial analyst for a professional sports team might be your idea of a dream sport management career. Not only do these analysts do things like look at ticket sales and ad revenue to ensure that the team is successful now, but they will also examine those trends and predict future ones. Financial analysts play a role in every monetary aspect of the team, from how much players are paid to how much money is brought in by sponsorships.
Marketing Consultants and Coordinators
Marketing is huge for sports teams. From promoting games and players to special events at the stadium, marketing helps sell tickets and build a loyal fanbase. Marketing consultants and coordinators are in charge of planning and executing a comprehensive marketing strategy, including social media management, maintaining the website, advertising campaigns, building brand awareness and more.
Corporate Sponsorships Manager
All professional sports teams have corporate sponsorships. If you’ve ever been to a game or watched one on television, you’ve seen how the stadium is filled with advertising, and certain sections may even be named after a local business. Ads appear on the souvenir cups, in programs, on the jumbotron, in the stands and more. Who is in charge of obtaining these corporate sponsorships and maintaining a strong relationship with those sponsors? The corporate sponsorships manager, of course.
Public Relations Manager
Sports teams also need to have a public relations manager that oversees the public relations team and coordinates efforts and messaging with the marketing team. Using the skills learned in our Sport Management degree program, students are uniquely positioned to handle all public relations for a sports team, whether the message is positive or pure damage control.
If you’re interested in a sport management career, the opportunities are plentiful! Learn more about Sport Management at Dean College.