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
Academically, I majored in marketing and even with how much marketing has evolved socially/digitally since my time at Saint Leo, I use so much of what I learned every single day. My international business courses have absolutely come in handy when doing business in other territories and overseas, knowing when I have to adjust to different standards.
Joey Gandolfo, class of 2008
Saint Leo was a smaller and more intimate environment than many other institutions. That intimacy helped to reinforce the value of building relationships that has stayed with me and benefitted my career.
Davion Cooper, class of 2011
I feel a natural and symbolic connection to the core values of the college and my own Catholic values. Saint Leo really lives up to its reputation for promoting a values-based education through the core values.
Lauren Boos, class of 2019
I think the sense of community at Saint Leo, the teachers, and those working with Saint Leo in many capacities, truly prepare their graduate and undergraduate students to become teachers and administrators. I don’t know of any other university where you get that sense of community. Even with the online programs, there is that feeling of being a part of the community.
Mike Lastra, class of 2015
My experience at Saint Leo was amazing. I had the flexibility to learn from home, while at the same time, having an available teacher to help me when I became stuck or confused. The fact that I completed my degree while working full time, raising two little kids, and being a wife to my husband. The focus that I had while completing my degree, to me, is a huge accomplishment.
Retania Patterson | Online Health Care Management Program
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.
