Professor Brian Turner, back row, second from right of NCAA logo, took his sport management students to Indianapolis to visit the Indianapolis 500 track and the NCAA headquarters, as well as learn about the NFL Scouting Combine. They met with NCAA executives, who are led by alumni of the college’s program.
Prospective graduate students, if you’re interested in honing your expertise in sport management, our Master of Science in Sport Management is among the best programs in the United States and the world.
Alumni, if you earned the MS in Sport Management, be assured that your program is considered one of the most respected.
The latest postgraduate program rankings from SportBusiness saw the college’s Master of Science in Sport Management move up compared to last year.
Our program now ranks No. 9 in the United States and No. 12 in the world. These rankings specifically cover in-person programs, rather than including three online programs.
Ohio State also is the only university in the Big Ten with a ranked sport management program.
"Our Sport Management master's program attracts the best and brightest, with over 100 applications annually, ensuring a top-tier student body,” said Brian Turner, professor and coordinator of the Sport Management program and a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology. “Our program excels in providing hands-on experience through robust partnerships with local sport organizations.”
“Thanks to the incredible vision of former Athletic Director Gene Smith and current Athletic Director Ross Bjork, our students can gain invaluable experience interning at one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive intercollegiate athletic departments in the country,” Turner said. “We are proud to offer an education that blends rigorous academics with exceptional, real-world opportunities."
More accolades for the Master of Science in Sport Management
The survey also gathered data in a variety of specialty categories. The college’s program is:
- No. 2 in the country among land-grant universities
- No. 5 in the nation for the number of enrolled female students in the major (58.8%)
- No. 9 in the country for quality of faculty
- No. 9 in offering students robust connections to network with the industry
Strengths of the program
The master’s degree prepares students for careers that range from facilities managers and sports marketers to athletic directors and head coaches, in all areas of sport.
Courses cover foundational elements of sport management. They include sport management and leadership, sport marketing principles, sport and the law, sport research, as well as planning and managing both sporting facilities and events.
Students have the flexibility to complete either a real-world internship or produce an in-depth thesis on a project that expands their understanding of sport management.
A strong industry network provides contacts for tours, mentoring and coveted internships. This includes the unique, first-hand experiences provided during the faculty-led European Model of Sport education abroad program.
Columbus, the 15th largest city in the United States and Ohio State’s home, offers a multitude of opportunities for educational and professional sports experiences. The program offers access to:
- Ohio State Athletics, one of the largest programs at a United States university
- Ohio State Recreational Sports, with indoor and outdoor facilities
- More than 30 professional teams located within a three-hour drive of Columbus
- More than 20 central Ohio school sports or recreation programs
- Five other universities with athletic programs in the central Ohio area and more within an hour’s drive
- Columbus' many hosted state, national and international sporting events, with nearly 100 taking place in 2024
Current students, alumni speak highly of the program
Abrianna Ohliger earned a bachelor’s degree in the college’s Sport Industry program in spring 2025 and entered the Sport Management program this autumn.
She had multiple, real-world opportunities during her undergraduate degree, including making a connection with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. She now works there part-time while pursuing the master’s degree.
"The Buckeye family is defined by support and connection, creating a community that both welcomes and empowers,” Ohliger said. “During my time in the Sport Management program, I’ve had the privilege of learning from professionals across the industry, each generously sharing their time and expertise — a testament that being a Buckeye means belonging to a network that pays forward.”
“Through a blend of seminar-style discussion and hands-on experiences, the program transforms classroom knowledge into practical solutions for real challenges of sport management. Being part of the Sport Management program has prepared me to lead with innovation that will bring lasting change to the sport industry."
Taji Flynn is an Ohio State scholar-athlete who earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Fisher College of Business in spring 2025. He first committed to Ohio State in 2021 and joined the Men’s Lacrosse Team. Flynn continues to play lacrosse with the Ohio State team as he works toward the Master of Science in Sport Management.
“Since starting this program, I have been taking the Management of Sport Delivery Systems course, which has allowed me to engage with intelligent people in productive conversations about the happenings in the sports industry and how elite-level sports organizations operate,” Flynn said. “I’m also developing the knowledge required to be successful in a sports organization through the Theoretical Approaches to Sport Organizations course.”
“The program is helping to prepare me for my desired future career, working either in athletic administration or sports media marketing. It allows me to build relationships with people who share similar interests and assists me in learning more about these fields from a high-level perspective.”
“I would definitely recommend the program to anyone looking to learn from world-class professors who have been thoroughly engaged in the industry, to engage with other elite students aspiring to work in the industry and to conduct a practicum in the field to develop professionally and be set up for success in the workforce,” he said.
Alyssa Hoying Lucio graduated from the college’s undergraduate Sport Industry program in 2018, then earned the MS in Sport Management in 2021. She is now the public events and sponsorship coordinator with the College Football Playoff, the organization that ranks college football teams and hosts the annual College Football Playoff and championship game.
“I originally came to Ohio State to continue my athletic career on the varsity synchronized swimming team,” she said. “I learned about a program that translated what I was learning every day in the pool into an entire industry to study. I was fascinated by the idea of an industry that is growing at a pace that most people can’t imagine.”
After graduating, she interned with the College Football Playoff, then she moved back to Ohio and enrolled in the Sport Management MS program.
“I was delighted to see how easy it was to pick up my learnings from both my internship and undergrad degree and take it even further,” Lucio said. “The courses about Sports Marketing, Sport Law, Origins of Sport and others expanded my thinking within the sport industry and challenged me to think more critically about how intercollegiate and professional athletics work.”
“Now as a full-time employee at the College Football Playoff, I am faced daily with challenges to make the overall experience around one of the largest sporting events better each and every year."
"Understanding your audience, identifying which are the die-hard sports fans and navigating legal issues were basics I learned in the MS program.”
“I truly am fortunate to be able to apply both of my degrees to what I do each day. I owe so much to the professors in the Sport Management program for helping me pave the way to a successful career in sports.”
