Sport Business

Program Overview

Gannon University's Sport Business program, accredited by ACBSP, offers a BSBA degree with a concentration in Sport Management and Marketing. Students gain hands-on experience through service-learning projects, internships, and trips to major sporting events. The program prepares graduates for careers in professional, collegiate, or recreational sports management and marketing, with potential salaries ranging from $57,000 to $210,000 annually.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Sport Business program at Gannon University is a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree with a concentration in Sport Management and Marketing. This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Objectives:

• Develop theoretical and practical aspects of management and marketing in the sport business context.
• Gain hands-on experience through service-learning projects with local, regional, and national sports teams, case studies focused on real companies, and participation in dynamic class discussions.
• Apply essential knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to on-site, sport-specific opportunities.
• Network with industry professionals, develop essential sport industry skills, and gain real-world field experience through internships with local, regional, and national sport organizations.
• Participate in trips to the National Football League Super Bowl and Major League Baseball All-Star games to gain professional experience and professional networks.

Teaching:

• The program features a low student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1, allowing for a personalized learning experience.
• Students gain hands-on learning through real-world courses, projects, and valuable internship experiences.

Careers:

• Potential career paths include professional, collegiate, or recreational sports management and marketing, sports communication, and more.
• The program provides opportunities to secure internships and career opportunities with sports teams and organizations including the Erie Otters, Erie SeaWolves, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Indians, New Era Cap Co., and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median salary in this field ranges from $57,000 to $210,000 a year with a projected annual growth of 10% by 2030.

Other:

• The program features key sport management and marketing courses including:
• Principles of Sport Marketing: This course covers fundamental theories and issues in sport marketing, grounded in traditional marketing principles that emphasize unique application to the sport industry.
• Principles of Sport Management: This course explores sport business topics and includes experiential learning projects with sport organizations.
• Facilities and Event Management: This course covers components of managing athletic facilities and events, combining theory and real-world application in organizing and maintaining an athletic facility and planning events.
• The program emphasizes student learning outcomes, including the ability to:
• Evaluate and integrate core knowledge across the breadth of functional business areas to solve problems and capture opportunities.
• Apply leadership and team building skills to develop strategies, manage resources, and achieve goals.
• Recognize the importance of ethical issues, integrity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility in real-world business behavior.
• Identify, analyze, evaluate, and solve business problems using both discipline-specific and cross-functional integrative thinking.
• Utilize written and oral communication skills to effectively interact with stakeholders.
• Recognize global business concepts and practices that present opportunities and challenges in an environment of diversity and multiculturalism.
• Demonstrate concentration knowledge and appropriate application of the business concepts, opportunities, and practices in their respective business major.