A Look at a Hypothetical Major in Sports, Part I: Introduction

The tagline for an NCAA public service announcement in the mid-2000s was "...going pro in something other than sports."

And while it is true that the vast majority of student athletes will find career opportunities in fields such as medicine, education, and business, there are some who will go pro in sports and make a long career in the industry.

Why shouldn't those students, who see themselves as potential workers in the field of athletics (at the intercollegiate level and above) be encouraged to enter into a major—with a certain emphasis in the electives/additional required courses—that would allow these student athletes to gain access to the skills and knowledge base to be successful in the endeavor of sport?

This is a thought experiment; a mental exercise in trying to compose a major in sports that is a broad based approach to addressing the needs of people who are going to be employed as an athlete in a professional sports organization (either team or individual) and/or as an administrator after leaving the playing field.


Four academic programs were used as the basis for the program under consideration:

Bowling Green State University Bachelor of Science in Education in Sports Management
University of Central Florida Sport Business Management Minor
University of Miami Bachelor of Science in Education in Sports Administration
University of Massachusetts Bachelor of Science in Sports Management

Now, please keep in mind that this is an academic exercise; the idea of a program with these educational goals being implemented are slim to none, and it is merely something fanciful. Educational aims and general education requirements vary wildly from state to state.

What was sought was to think about an idealized course of study that would provide student-athletes with a hybrid liberal arts/business educational background to allow them to think critically about problems in sports; examine and understand the role of sports in society; understand basic business principles on a personal and microeconomic level; ultimately prepare students to work in and around sports as athletes, front-office staff or administrators at the high school, college or professional level.

This would not be limited to student athletes only; however, in order to be eligible for admission to the program, all students (athletes or not) would have to have a write a goal statement explaining why they want to pursue the major. An interview may be required as well.