Sport Management
Master the Business of Sports & Build a Successful Career in the Sports Industry
Have you ever wondered what gets fans into seats and athletes onto the field for the big game? Catawba College’s Sport Management bachelor’s degree program teaches the behind-the-scenes skills and business acumen necessary to support sport marketing agencies, intercollegiate athletic departments, and professional sports organizations.
Sport management is an interdisciplinary subject examining topics you might not have thought about, such as facilities management, law, and management information systems in addition to business basics like marketing, accounting, finance, and leadership. Not only will you learn how the sports industry works, but you will also become fluent in general business.
Career preparation is another key component for Sport Management majors at Catawba College. Your professors will guide you toward career development experiences helping you choose a winning fit from among the enormous variety of sports-related careers available.
The upshot? By the time you graduate with your B.S. degree in Sport Management, you will have the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue the sports management career of your choice or to enroll in a sport management master’s degree program.
Program Highlights
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Apprenticeships
Start gaining for-credit, first-hand experience your freshman year working for Catawba College’s Athletic Department as part of a required 40-hour apprenticeship.
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Practicums
Earn college credit working on-campus or in another area of sport management –marketing, sales, event management, public relations, coaching – as part of your required practicum.
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Business Double Major
The curriculum of the Sport Management degree lets you easily leverage the business core requirements toward a minor or even a double major in Business.
The Sport Management Degree Program
Catawba College’s Sport Management BS degree program teaches the behind-the-scenes skills necessary to support sport marketing agencies, intercollegiate athletic departments or professional sport organizations, so you can build a successful career in the sports industry.
Unbeatable Location
Uniquely positioned in the epicenter of North Carolina’s sports industry with access to sports teams and organizations in the Charlotte area (such as the Panthers, Hornets, Knights, Checkers, NASCAR, Cannon Ballers, UNC-Charlotte, Davidson College, Big South Conference and CIAA), Winston-Salem (including Learfield, Dash, Wake Forest University and High Point University) and Greensboro (the ACC, Grasshoppers, UNC-Greensboro, Greensboro Coliseum and NBA G-League), Catawba offers countless opportunities for you to build your resume and acquire skills beginning your freshman year.
Other Opportunities in Sport Management
Build your professional network by working major sporting events. Due to Catawba’s educational partnerships, you will have the opportunity to help at events such as the Big South Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media Day, Joe Gibbs Racing Fan Fest, ACC Football Championship, March Madness at Spectrum Center, CIAA at Bojangles Arena and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Education Day.
Josh Stewart ’18 Sport Management MajorWorking the Youth Football Combine at the ACC championship was one of my favorite experiences as a Catawba student. My day included interacting with fans, throwing footballs with kids and taking in the College Game Day experience.
Program Details
Internships in Sport Management
Internships in Sport Management
Gain job search skills and additional experience during a required internship working for organizations such as the Carolina Panthers, Durham Bulls, Wake Forest Athletic Department, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Fuel Sport Management Group, Joe Gibbs Racing, Pro Sport Management, Greensboro Sports Foundation, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, or shadow NCAA Division I professionals.
Net Price Calculator
Net Price Calculator
Estimate your share of college costs and how much financial aid you may be eligible to receive
Our calculator is designed to give you an early indication of what type of financial aid you may qualify for if you were attending Catawba College as a first-year, transfer, online, or graduate student.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Careers - Graduates with Catawba College Sport Management majors are currently working as the following:
- Assistant Athletic Director
- Operations and Account Executive, Minor League Baseball Team
- Senior National Accounts Manager
- President and Sport Agent at Sports Company
- Pit Department, NASCAR Racing Team
- Head Coach and Head Varsity Coach
- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Compliance Specialist/Assistant Strength Coach
Graduate Schools - Catawba College Sport Management alumni have gone on to receive graduate degrees at the following schools:
- University of Georgia - Sport Management
- UNC-Chapel Hill Law School
- West Virginia University - Sport Management
- University of South Carolina - Sport and Entertainment Management
- Nova Southeastern University - Sport Management
- Arkansas State University - Sport Management
Catawba College is proud to celebrate the achievements of its Sport Management students in the 2024 National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC), marking a continued legacy of excellence and growth in this competitive arena.
Catawba College’s Goodman School of Education spearheaded an effort to provide over 2,000 gifts to Oakley Elementary School for its annual Holiday Fair. The initiative brought together faculty, staff, and community partners in Rowan County to support students and teachers in Buncombe County, an area recently impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Catawba College Sport Management hosted a remarkable lineup of leaders to speak in its annual ‘Day of Culture’ Sport Lecture Series.
