Explore & Research Careers, Sports Business

Career paths in sports business can include positions at sports apparel companies, fan development for specific teams or leagues, sponsorship, sales, and much more. Sports business careers involve a variety of tasks, some of which include marketing, finance, and sports sponsorship in the global sports marketplace.

What do I need to know?

As is the case with any business, it is essential to understand how money is made. If you can’t articulate how you can help a company or team’s bottom line and/or increase business efficiencies, you will struggle. Remember, sports business is business and sports marketing is marketing; you have to leave your fandom at home.

What can I do with this concentration?

Below is a list of categories within the sports business industry. A complete listing of companies in these categories can be found on the Resource Guide Live section of the Sports Business Journal website.

Associations
Teams and Leagues
Colleges
Governing Bodies
Professional Services
Corporate Sponsors

Sports Companies
Events
Marketing/Advertising/PR
Sports Media
Sports Technology, Data, & Analytics

Types of Companies & Industries

Sports business professionals are needed in a variety of companies and industries. Use this list as a starting point to explore and build a “Top Companies List,” a template of which can be found in the Career Resources list below.

Small and large brands (i.e. sporting goods, apparel, etc.)
Sports agencies or marketing agencies
Teams from across the world of sports
Leagues like the NFL, NHL, MLS, etc.

Internships & Entry Level Jobs to Explore

Use these as a starting point for further research on Handshake, Indeed.com, and Internships.com.

Sports Digital Marketing Internship
Sports Marketing & Advertising Internship
Sports Marketing & Communications Internship
Sports Management/Marketing Internship
Ticket Operations
Digital Marketing
Retail Operations
Corporate Partnerships
Sales

Common Skills

Soft Skills

Communication
Leadership
Sales and Sponsorship
Customer Service

Hard Skills

Business Writing
Excel
Foreign Language
Data Analysis

How to make the most out of your time in the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center

The power of this place stems from the people who have come before you. For nearly 25 years, the Warsaw Center has been sending graduates out into the sports business industry. During your time at Warsaw you will meet people – both alumni and non-alumni – in the industry that hold the jobs you someday hope to have. They almost always genuinely want to help. It’s up to you to make connections and build relationships. You only get a short time to play the student card; take advantage of this opportunity!
In addition to academic work, many students work on outside projects for companies to help build their resumes and develop and showcase skills. When you connect with people in the industry, it’s always good to ask if and how you can help – take initiative.