The global sports market was valued at almost $488.5 billion in 2018, according to data provided by Business Wire, representing a 4.3 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the previous four years. Yet, this CAGR is anticipated to increase to 5.9 percent, resulting in this industry growing to a worth of $614.1 billion by the year 2022.

One college degree that enables you to work in this massive field is a sport business degree. But what careers are an option once you've earned your sport business degree? Here are a few to consider.

Athletic Coach

If you enjoy the idea of working with athletes, helping them hone and develop the skills necessary to master their sport of choice, using your sport business degree to work as an athletic coach would likely be very satisfying. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that individuals in this position generally earn around $33,780 per year. Additionally, the number of jobs in this particular role is expected to grow by 13 percent by 2026, making this a great career choice.

Of course, if you're able to move up to higher levels as a head coach at the college or professional levels, the previously mentioned salary figure can certainly skyrocket.

Marketing Director

Another option is to take your sport business degree and use it to oversee a team or organization's marketing efforts. As a marketing director, you are responsible for overseeing all marketing campaigns intended to get others excited about upcoming events, promotional products, and more. The BLS indicates that the median pay for these positions is $132,620 annually, and they are likely to grow at a rate of 10 percent over the next few years.

Sport Facility Manager

A degree in sport business can also help qualify you for roles involving sport facility management. As a sport facility manager, you are tasked with supervising all operations associated with that specific facility—whether related to practices, games, or otherwise—while also sticking to the designated budget. And if new equipment or repairs are needed, you're in charge of those too. The BLS places these roles under the title of "administrative services managers" and notes that the average pay is $96,180 per year.

Contract Negotiation Manager

When athletes agree to play for a specific sports team, they are often required to enter into a contract outlining their rights and responsibilities. You could become a key player in this process by using your sport business degree to work as a contract negotiation manager, whereby you would help the two parties come up with agreeable terms. Median pay for this type of role is $67,600 annually, according to the BLS.

Sports Information Director (SID)

Maybe you have a passion for sharing information. In this case, you could use your sport business degree as a sports information director, therefore being responsible for sharing important information about the team or venue with the media and general public. Essentially, you become their public relations (PR) representative, boasting about their accomplishments and highlighting their statistics for the rest of the world to see. The BLS notes that average pay for this role is $60,000 a year.

Sports Writer

Do you have a love for the written word and for sports too? If so, why not combine the two and become a sports writer? As such, you would spend your days writing blogs, articles, stories, and other pieces of content designed to educate others about what is happening with a specific player, team, or sport. In this role, your pieces may be published in print or online, according to the BLS, and you can expect to earn roughly $43,490 per year.

Sporting Goods Retailer

If you like the product side of sports a little more than the sports themselves or if you feel that team and player-specific apparel and gear plays a significant role in getting revved up before the games, you may want to consider a career in sporting goods retail. Your sport business degree can help you become more successful in this role by giving you a better understanding of the many factors that can affect a sport-related business. IBIS World shares that this is a $52 billion a year industry, and it is trending upward.

Earn Your Sport Business Degree from Saint Leo University

If one (or more) of these top career tracks look appealing to you, start working toward your sport business degree today! Saint Leo University offers students a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Business, which is a 37-credit hour program accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).

While earning your sport business degree at Saint Leo, you'll take classes such as Sport Facility and Event Management, Media Relations in Business, Social & Ethical Issues in Sport, and Risk Management in Sport.

Contact us if you'd like to learn more. Alternatively, if you're ready to start taking the steps necessary to work in one of these roles, apply today. We'd love to help you achieve your sports-related career goals!