Why Earn Your Sport Business Degree at Saint Leo University?
How much love do you have for the game? With a sports business degree, you’ll score big in one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. today.
At Saint Leo, you’re in a prime location for sports-related internships, apprenticeships, networking and the ultimate prize after college—a job. Our campus—located just outside of Tampa—is within one hour of more than 50 sport organizations, including the Rays, Lightning, Buccaneers, MLB spring training and Saint Leo's NCAA Division II Athletics. While earning your sports business degree on campus, you’ll have access to new and upgraded facilities—including the 3,500-square-foot Fitness Center, six-lane outdoor pool, and brand new, state-of-the-art College of Business building.
Network with industry professionals at national conferences, and build your resume interning with pro sports teams around the world—our faculty have connections everywhere from the Chadstone Lacrosse Club in Australia to FC Bayern Munich soccer in Germany.
Sports business offers a complete immersion into the sport business industry, analysis of management issues, concepts, and strategies as applied to sport organizations.
Learning Experience:
Campus
Est. Time to Complete:
4 years
Credit Hours:
120 hours
Undergraduate Sport Business Program Details
Sports business management degree program examines youth, amateur, and professional sport organizations; recreational, collegiate, and university sports; sports commissions; national and state sport governing bodies; and sport-related goods and services.
Learn Your Way:
Online, On Campus, or Near You
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What are the on-campus facilities like?
Students who pursue their degrees at Saint Leo’s main campus near sunny Tampa Bay, Florida, join a community of enthusiastic learners just like them.
Students enjoy plenty of engaging learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, as well as exciting departmental events.
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What are the benefits of earning your sport business degree online?
Saint Leo University’s online learning experience provides a well-rounded education with the flexibility to tailor your course of study to meet your individual needs. We know our students have lives outside school, and we seek to meet them where they are. Online students can count on receiving excellent academics as well as opportunities for hands-on learning.
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Taking online classes has afforded me the opportunity to learn while maintaining a job. They give me some flexibility to study at times that work more cohesively with my schedule and allow me to utilize resources such as the library 24 hours a day.
Bentley Streat | Hayes, VA
Are education centers near you offering sport business degree programs?
You may also choose to pursue your degree through one of our education centers, which merge a traditional in-person education with the flexibility to match your lifestyle. Education centers offer eight-week academic terms as well as evening and weekend classes.
Career Outlook
No matter which learning experience you choose, you will receive plenty of professional development opportunities, industry knowledge from expert professors, and support from the Saint Leo community. All this together means that you will be ready for a successful career or continued studies upon graduation.
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What skills you will learn?
- facility and event management,
- organizational analysis,
- social relations,
- sport marketing,
- sport finance
How will you gain real experience?
Conferences
Network with industry professionals, attend Saint Leo's annual International Business Conference, and participate in a national case study competition at the Sport Marketing Association Conference.
Internships
Students have interned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Madison Square Garden, International Softball Federation, numerous minor league baseball clubs, and FC Bayern Munich (Germany). View current Sport Business student internship information, including application requirements.
Co-curricular activities
Be an active member of the Sport Business Association.
Study abroad
Tour Australia for three weeks to learn about international sports and tourism, and meet industry professionals in rugby, cricket, netball, water sports and surfing.
What can you do with a sport business degree?
Graduates go on to work in facility and event management, marketing and promotion, sport communication, sales, sport tourism, and amateur and professional sport management.
What are the top sport business degree jobs?
| Career | Growth | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Sport Facility Manager | 9% (As fast as average) | $98,890 per year $47.54 per hour $72,056 |
| Marketing Manager | 10% (As fast as average) | $141,490 per year $68.03 per hour |
| Athletic Director | 24% (Much faster than average) | $76,400 per year $36.73 per hour |
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020.
Where are Saint Leo sport business graduates now?
Many Saint Leo graduates have attained senior-level positions in the sport industry. Graduates work in a variety of sport-related fields—from the collegiate level to the minor and major leagues.
College of Business
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Saint Leo University’s Donald R. Tapia College of Business provides a values-centered education that develops tomorrow’s business leaders. Our students create a personal legacy of character and integrity, developing into responsible global citizens ready to contribute to society across numerous fields. As the largest Catholic business College in the U.S., students find flexible degree program options at University Campus, education centers in five states, and online.
From associate to doctoral offerings, our accredited degree programs infuse student-centered teaching, future-paced research, entrepreneurial leadership, and professional networking opportunities. Students publish papers in esteemed academic journals, present original research at national conferences, and travel around the world to learn about the complexities of overseas markets. Faculty bring decades of practical experience to the coursework, ensuring students are on the cutting edge of their desired field to achieve career success.
Student Stories
“Saint Leo is not just an academic institution, it’s a formation institution. Saint Leo embraced me for who I am, showed faith that I could be my best, and solidified the light that was shining within me.”
Charles Onyeneke ’17
University Campus, Theology
“As a child, my great-grandmother taught me how to pray and to lean on God. Saint Leo inspired us all to learn with compassion and reminded me to keep the faith.”
Brent Patterson ’21
Center for Online Learning, Religious Studies
“As a teacher, building relationships with my students is key to their success. Saint Leo creates those same relationships with its students.”
Brooke Wittington ’17
Education Center, Education
“I had never experienced something as holistic and rewarding as research. Saint Leo University inspired me to take a huge step outside my comfort zone, and I have never looked back.”
Karl Nyman ’22
University Campus, Biology
“Saint Leo inspired me to enjoy learning again, and they had a patient ‘let’s figure this out’ approach.”
Lauren Thomas ’22
Education Center, Management
“Saint Leo believes in me. My professors have impacted my perception of what I can accomplish.”
Tayhana Taylor ’24
University Campus, Accounting
News
Accreditation
Saint Leo University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees.