Careers in Sports

A career in the sports industry is exciting, compelling and diverse. Ohio State students with a Sports Management degree are prepared to thrive in it. Learn about the actual career paths our students have taken with their degrees.

Find out more about degree programs in sports.

Student jobs and internships

  • 102.1FM/1490AM – Social Media, On-Air Intern
  • 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games – Venue Systems Manager
  • Atlanta Tip off Club Inc. – Remote Naismith Social Media Intern
  • Champs Sports/Capital One Bowl – Lot Manager
  • Chiller Ice Rinks – Coach, CBJ Kiosk Staffer
  • City of Dublin Community Rec Center – Recreation Services Intern
  • Cleveland Browns – Athletic Training, Community Relations
  • Cleveland Cavaliers – Community Relations
  • Columbus Blue Jackets – Game Operations, Marketing, Sales, Ticket Operations
  • Columbus Clippers – Front Office, Grounds, Gameday Operations, Promotions
  • Columbus Crew – Grounds, Marketing, Promotions, Stadium Operations, Ticket Sales
  • Columbus Recreation and Parks Department – Recreation Leader
  • Girls on the Run of Central Ohio – Program Intern
  • Hoops 4 Hope: South Africa – Public Relations
  • Kane County Cougars Baseball – General Intern
  • Licking County Settlers – Gameday Operations
  • Madison Square Garden – Public Relations
  • NBA – Community and Player Programs
  • New Jersey Devils – Ticket Sales Associate
  • New York Rangers – Public Relations
  • Ohio High School Athletic Assoc – Official
  • Ohio Machine – Ticket Sales
  • Ohio State Athletics – Communications, Compliance, Development, Fan Experience, IMG Sports Marketing, Operations, Promotions, Sports Camps, Ticket Sales and Operations, Tutor, Various Club and Varsity Sports
  • Ohio State Recreational Sports – Crew Chief, Facilities, Membership, Supervisor, Official, Office Assistant
  • Skyhawks Sports Academy – Camp Director
  • Sports Time Ohio – Production Intern
  • The 2nd & Seven Foundation – Intern
  • TrueSports, Inc. – Media and Promo Assistant
  • Various AAU, Club Sports, Parks and Rec – Coach, Admin Assistant, Facilities Manager, Instructor, Official, Program Coordinator, Personal Trainer
  • Various Golf and Country Clubs – Grounds, Clubhouse, Member Services
  • Various High Schools – Assistant Coach
  • Walt Disney World – Recreation Intern

Employment within one year

  • Akron Aeros – Ticket Sales Associate
  • Alpha Xi Delta – Educ Leadership Consultant
  • Bakersfield Jam – Basketball Operations Intern
  • Cleveland Browns – Account Executive, Gameday PR Staff
  • Cleveland Cavaliers – Account Executive, Basketball Communications Game Night Assistant, Ticket Sales Team Member
  • Cleveland Gladiators – Account Executive
  • Cleveland Guardians – Season Ticket Service Account Specialist
  • Cleveland Monsters – Game Presentation Assistant
  • Columbus Clippers – Asst Clubhouse Manager
  • Columbus Crew – Stadium Operations
  • Columbus Recreation and Parks Department – Recreation Program Specialist, Field Supervisor
  • Dawson – Administrative Assistant
  • Delmarva Shorebirds – Ticket Office Manager
  • FanSided – Cleveland Cavaliers Contributor for King James Gospel
  • Greater Cleveland Sports Commission – Partnerships Activation Intern
  • Kinsale Golf & Fitness – Player Services
  • Lakeshore Sports Club – Membership Director
  • Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC – Legal Assistant
  • Miami Dolphins/Sun Stadium – Partnership Assistant
  • Marketplace Velocity – Digital Marketing Specialist
  • NFL Players Assoc. – Player Marketing Assistant
  • Nike – Event Manager at NTC Lincoln Park
  • Ohio Machine – Account Exec, Ticket Sales Manager
  • The Ohio State University – Career Outreach Assistant
  • Ohio State Athletics – Event Coord, Ticket Sales
  • Ohio State Mansfield – Director of Athletics and Recreation
  • Philadelphia Flyers – Marketing Intern
  • Playbook Sports – Partnership Associate
  • Speedweek, Daytona Speedway – Lot Manager
  • Super Bowls XLIV & XLV – Scheduling and Reconciliation Manager
  • Turner Broadcasting – Digital Services Representative, Sales Planner
  • United States Olympic Committee – Paralympic Sport Performance Intern & Contractor
  • USA Volleyball – Manager
  • Univ of Wisconsin Athletics – Event Manager
  • Washington Commanders – Membership Services Representative
  • Various School and Club Sports – Coach

Professional positions: 3-5 years post-graduation

  • 247Sports – Digital Content Manager/Senior Writer
  • Capital Club – Athletic Club Manager
  • CDC Medical, LLC/Arthrex – Orthopedic Sports Medicine Sales Associate
  • Cleveland Guardians – Coordinator, Fan Services
  • Columbus Blue Jackets – Event Presentation Coordinator
  • Detroit Tigers – Account Executive
  • DICK’S Sporting Goods – Lead Jordan Specialist
  • Fandom – Account Executive
  • Golden State Warriors – Activation Assistant, Coordinator for Corporate Partnerships
  • Healthcare Regional Marketing – Marketing Assoc
  • KaBOOM! – Coordinator of Philanthropy
  • Major League Baseball – Remote Operations Staff
  • Marquee Development – Event Programming Specialist
  • Nationwide Financial – Financial Services Rep
  • NetJets – Owner Services Account Manager
  • Pittsburgh Pirates – Baseball Operations
  • Road Runner Sports – Associate
  • SBC Advertising – Traffic Manager
  • Sinclair Broadcast Group – National Director of Client Partnerships-Sinclair Sports Group
  • Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center – Event Services Assistant
  • Univ of Illinois at Chicago – Assoc Dir Facilities
  • YMCA – Youth Sports & Camps Coordinator

Professions other than sport industry

  • Banking – Branch Management, Loan Officer
  • Mortgage Processor
  • Business to Business Sales
  • Business Relations Manager
  • Event Coordinator
  • Food Service, Restaurant Management
  • Grants & Contracts Writer
  • High School Sports Coach
  • Publications Sales & Service
  • Retail Management
  • Sports Lawyer
  • Travel Agent

Professions with an advanced degree

  • Ader – Account Manager, Director of Accounts
  • Auburn Univ – Athletics Development Officer
  • Brown University – Manager of Sports Foundation Marketing
  • Columbus Crew – Partnership Marketing Coord
  • Eaton – Human Resources Specialist
  • LA Sparks – Marketing & Sponsorship Mgr
  • New York Mets – Human Resources Rep
  • OSU Athletics – Asst Director of Event Mgmt
  • Paine College – Sports Information Director
  • Phoenix Suns – Account Executive of Premium Sales & Service, Business Development Manager, Sr. Manager of Premium Sales & Service
  • Philadelphia 76’ers – Sales Associate
  • Pittsburgh Penguins – Director of Ticket Sales
  • Rogue Fitness – International Business Development
  • ROOT SPORTS – Affiliate Relations/Operations Coordinator
  • San Francisco 49ers – Area Scout
  • SBC Advertising – Project Manager/Account Executive
  • Seattle Seahawks – Street Team, Game Entertainment
  • Seattle Sounders FC – Matchday & Events Assistant
  • Univ of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Learning Specialist
  • Univ South Carolina – Experiential Education Coordinator
  • Various Parks & Rec – Supervisor, Manager
  • Youngstown Phantoms – Media Relations, Broadcaster

Graduate schools attended by Sport Industry majors

  • California University of Pennsylvania
  • Kent State University
  • Louisiana State University
  • The Ohio State University – EHE Sports Management, Fisher
  • Temple University
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Florida
  • University of Georgia

Pay, job outlook and work environment

Data for the following professional area is available at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A Sport Industry degree develops skills that transfer to other professions, including:

Activities to enhance your hiring potential

  • Build a LinkedIn profile to 100 percent
  • Coach a youth sports team
  • Participate in a professional association and read career periodicals
  • Lead or plan a successful event for a related student organization
  • Minor in business, human nutrition, communications, behavioral or social sciences, public policy
  • Intern or work at a sports organization, theme park, camp, or recreational facility
  • Blog or write about fitness or sports
  • Volunteer