How to Pick a Sport Management Program

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To fully comprehend the business of sports, general business courses are a necessity.

"It's important to understand what the program is designed to do and how much flexibility the degree offers," Oregon's Swangard said. "A caution I throw out for undergraduates is that they spend four years with a degree with the word 'sports' in it and 10 years later they don't want to do sports anymore— that degree won't be as flexible."

Internships and Networking

Because of the high competition for many sport management jobs, the ability of a program to provide networking and internship experience is crucial. "Five years ago, many thought if they got a degree in sport management that was their ticket to work in professional sports, in the four major sports leagues (football, baseball, basketball, hockey)," said Michael Mondello, associate professor of sport management at Florida State University. "But now they realize that those jobs are few and far between, and the turnover is small."

"Networking, networking, networking," stressed Heather Blackburn, program manager for the undergraduate degree in sport management at Drexel University. It really is important to be able to position yourself for a job after you graduate. Most schools, such as Drexel, will bring in guest speakers working in the field. This provides a lot of practical insight for students curious about the industry.

Comparing Cost and Size

As with any undergraduate major, the cost of sport management programs will vary between schools. What's the payback? Starting salaries are as varied as the opportunities. Working for a professional team vs. a college-level job can make a big difference, Drexel's Blackburn said. "It could be $25,000 or $40,000."

Most sport management programs are small and competitive. For instance, the University of Connecticut's program enrolls only 10 to 15 students a year. To see where some sport management undergrads are working, see our slide show.

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Lawyue is a BusinessWeek reporting intern.