Bachelor of Arts in Sports Business
Prepare for a winning career with a sports business degree.
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Build the Skills You Need to Be a Game-Changer
Sports today is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. Given the economic magnitude and pervasive nature of popular sport in American society, the need has never been greater for sports business experts.
The Bachelor of Arts in Sports Business at Concordia University Irvine utilizes experience-based curriculum to prepare you to be a leader in the sports industry. Our small classes within the sports business major offer instruction that will challenge you to apply what you have learned into actual sport settings.
Whether you want to work in sales, promotions, finance, or another area of your choice, you can build the necessary skill set with a sports business management degree.
Career Relevant
Gain real-world skills for a life of service and leadership.
Collaborative Classes
Learn in classes with a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Caring Community
Discover your second home on our beautiful campus.
“The whole faculty at Concordia are there because they want to help students learn. They’ve had their own businesses and worked corporate, and genuinely care about the students.”
Maria Sartin ’24
Founder, Uncontainable activewear
Getting Started
The sport business major at Concordia University Irvine sets you up for behind-the-scenes work in sports. The B.A. in Sports Business curriculum consists of 10 business courses and nine sport business courses. One of your sports classes allows you to choose a particular area you’re interested in pursuing, like social media or human resources. You will take the required business core courses that provide an overview of areas like finance, marketing, and business law. You will also take more specific sports-related courses, such as Sports and Entertainment Venue Management, Finance and Economics of Sports, and Sport Management Strategy.
The sports business program requires completion of an internship, so you can take what you’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to the workplace. It allows you to fine-tune your skills, build your resume, network, and more. Plus, our Southern California location puts you in the ideal area for sports internships and career opportunities.
Next Start
January 11, 2027
Curriculum
Complete ALL of the following Courses:
- ACT211 – Financial Accounting
- ACT212 – Managerial Accounting
- BUS224 – Business Writing and Presentations
- BUS251 – Legal Environment of Business
- BUS261 – Business Analysis Tools and Business Statistics
- BUS483 – Business Ethics
- ECO201 – Macroeconomics
- OR ECO202 – Microeconomics
- FIN331 – Finance
- MGT321 – Management
- MKT341 – Marketing
- SPBU222 – Principles of Sports Business
- SPBU323 – Sports Marketing
- SPBU326 – Sports and Entertainment Venue Management
- SPBU350 – Sport Law
- SPBU420 – Fiscal Management in Sports Business
- SPBU430 – Sports Business Leadership
- SPBU475 – Sports Business Strategy
- SPBU490A – Professional Development and Internship
View the Concordia University Irvine Online Catalog for a full list of courses.
Upon completion of your sports management degree, you will be able to:
- Explain the major concepts in the functional areas of accounting, marketing, finance, and management.
- Evaluate the legal, social, and economic environments of sports business.
- Describe the global environment of business.
- Describe and explain the ethical obligations and responsibilities of sports business.
- Apply decision-support tools to business decision making.
- Construct and present effective oral and written forms of professional communication.
- Apply knowledge of sports business concepts and functions in an integrated manner.
Tuition and Fees
At Concordia, we understand that investing in your education is a significant decision. That’s why we offer a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make your academic journey more affordable. In fact, 100% of our students receive some form of financial assistance! View tuition costs and fees for undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
View the Concordia University Irvine Online Catalog for full details on application and admission requirements.
Nationally Recognized Q&I Curriculum
Concordia University Irvine is among a distinctive group of universities that offer a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum for all of its students. Our nationally recognized Enduring Questions & Ideas curriculum (Q&I, for short) is carefully crafted so that you discover the purpose of a liberal arts education — to grow intellectually, ethically, and spiritually.
Internships
Every student pursuing a bachelor degree in business is required to complete an internship before graduation. Concordia enjoys good working relationships with a large number of businesses in Southern California. Here are a few examples of where our students have interned.
Career Outcomes
The sports industry is one of the largest in the world, with a 2024 survey ranking it as ninth on the planet at $2.65 trillion.1
Careers in sports and entertainment are growing. In fact, they’re projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2023 to 2033.2 That’s about 108,900 openings projected each year, on average.2
Our B.A. in Sports Business program prepares you to pursue careers in a variety of sports-related settings, such as:
- Professional sports
- College sports
- Health clubs
- Amateur sports
- Sport retail markets
- Sports and Entertainment facilities or venues
- Golf venues
Academic Opportunities
As a Sports Business major, you can augment your studies with a related minor, another major (dual major), or a pre-professional program. Opportunities also exist where you can earn a dual degree by studying in Paris for a year or transition directly into our MBA program.
Extracurricular Activities
The School of Business and Economics offers many opportunities for you to become involved with on-campus events, clubs, and organizations. Our students also regularly participate (and excel) in national competitions with business students from other universities.
- SoBE events
- Center for Civics Education
- Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity
- Enactus
- LCEF National Student Marketing Competition
- International Business Club
- Sports Business Club
- Sigma Beta Delta (honors society)
- Concordia Business Challenge
- Concordia Business Plan Competition
- Women in Business Club
- Concordia Investment Group
- Travel abroad opportunities (SoBE specific)
Life at Concordia
Join a community where you’re free to explore your interests and pursuits, make relationships that last a lifetime, and develop your own relationship with God. What will you explore?
Explore Financial Aid
Reduce your tuition costs with financial aid — with help from a team that wants to make your time at Concordia as affordable as possible.
Meet Our Faculty
-
Elizabeth June McLaughlin
Adjunct Professor, School of Business
-
Laszlo Zoltany
Adjunct Professor, School of Business Contact Email: Email Laszlo Zoltany…
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Kellie Playter
Assistant Professor & Internship Director, School of Business & Economics
FAQs
What is a sports business degree?
A sports management degree is a program that teaches you business fundamentals and gives you a foundation in sports. If you know there’s a certain area of sports business you’d like to work in, consider pairing your bachelor’s degree with a minor, like marketing or accounting.
What can a degree in sports management offer you?
Earning a sports business management degree could be a great start to getting your dream career. A degree with a strong set of business core courses can truly take you anywhere, but when paired with several sport business classes, you will be prepared to seek sports-related roles in:
- Advertising
- Athletic fundraising
- Campus intramural recreation
- College athletics
- Community sport and recreation
- Corporate sales
- Facilities coordination
- Facility management
- Financial operations
- Marketing and promotions
- Risk management and legal issues
- Sports broadcasting
- Sports information
- Sports sponsorship
- Sports and Entertainment venue management
How can I advance my sports business career?
If you’re planning to enter or have already joined the workforce, you can advance your career in a few ways. You can speak with your manager about opportunities that may be coming up. You could also use the network you’ve built up to see what other roles are out there.
Or you could further your studies with an MBA in Sport Business. For example, at Concordia, you could take courses like Sports Leadership, Business Leadership Strategies, and Science of Management to prepare for your next position.
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Sources
1Global Institute of Sport, The true size of the global sports industry, on the internet, at:
- https://gis.sport/news/the-true-size-of-the-global-sports-industry/ (viewed Nov. 8, 2024.).
2U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, on the internet, at
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/ (viewed Nov. 8, 2024).
Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.