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