Sports administration: an academic boom in a challenging market

Ten years ago, sports administration programs in Canada were few and far between. Today, they are flourishing: Canadian universities offer nearly 30 programs in the field. The growing professionalization of the sports industry is causing the surge — but can the job market keep pace?  

The world of sports is a highly lucrative market under rapid expansion, and specialized managers are needed to help the industry grow. According to Dr. Michael Naraine, associate professor in sport management at Brock University, the rise of sports administration programs is directly connected to the trend towards professionalization. “One of the main reasons sport management and business have grown recently is the surge in popularity of the sports industry,” said Dr. Naraine. “The industry requires an increasing degree of professionalization and deeper knowledge.” 

Major international events like the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, and various world championships have drawn attention to sports’ complex organizational and business needs and spawned new jobs requiring specialized skills in subfields including sport management, marketing, law and finance. 

“Attention should be paid to what these programs have to offer and whether students can find jobs after graduation.”

Specialized training, narrow market 

Sports administration programs offer a combination of theory and practice, providing students a solid foundation in management while immersing them in real sports industry environments. “As a business, the sports industry functions similarly to the automobile, finance, and consumer packaged goods industries,” Dr. Naraine explained, “with one major difference: the main product is intangible. When it comes to sports, the consumer experience is created and taken in simultaneously.”  

Theoretical foundations in sociology, psychology and management are essential to ensure sports managers bring added value to sports organizations, argued Dr. Naraine. The practical side of these programs enables students to experience the tangible and intangible elements of sports while applying their theoretical foundations in different contexts. “Employers don’t expect students to be fans, but rather to be well-informed, data-driven and conscientious,” he added. “They need to be trained for the current needs of the sports industry in Canada and abroad, not industry needs in the 1980s and 1990s. This is why many business schools categorically opposed sports as a program in the past — they didn’t know how to manage both the theoretical and practical aspects of this growing and hybridized industry.” 

Graduates of these programs can pursue a wide variety of careers in sports. Professional and amateur sports organizations, clubs, leagues and federations provide jobs in operations, recruitment and player performance analysis. In sports marketing and communications, they can develop partnerships, sponsorships and branding. Event planners are also needed to organize competitions and manage relationships with sponsors and media, while the subfield of sporting infrastructure and services offers opportunities in stadium operations and the development of community sports. 

A limited job market 

But the Canadian job market remains relatively small. Frank Pons, director of the Observatoire international en management du sport at the Université Laval’s faculty of business administration, cautioned against creating more university programs in the field if there aren’t enough available jobs in the market.  “There are only a few positions being offered in Canada,” he said. “It’s not a significant job market compared with the United States or even Europe. Attention should be paid to what these programs have to offer and whether students can find jobs after graduation. The number of large employers in sports is so limited here — except maybe in Toronto, where the market is well established.” 

Though jobs in this field are attractive, salaries don’t always meet expectations. “There are certainly jobs managing sports organizations and planning events,” added Dr. Pons. “Governance and leadership are also major subfields. But it’s harder to find work with large professional sporting organizations because, quite simply, there are fewer jobs here than in other fields.” 

Growing recognition from business schools 

The tepid job market hasn’t stopped Canadian universities from planning and developing new sports administration programs. Previously relegated to physical education departments, sports management is gaining recognition in business schools, with some universities — including Brock University — partnering with them to develop their sports administration programs. 

“At Brock, we are proud to launch a master’s program in sport management delivered jointly with the Goodman Business School,” said Dr. Naraine. “This partnership demonstrates the essential role the field of management studies plays in sport management. To date, only one MBA program specializing in sports exists in Canada, but more and more MBA programs in the United States are integrating sports content into their curricula, including the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Michigan.” This trend points to the growing role sports play in the economy, and the need for future managers to be trained in the field’s financial realities and strategies. 

The uptick in sports administration programs in Canada reflects how rapidly the field is evolving: as industry needs change, more programs marry theory and practice to produce qualified professionals. But balancing training opportunities with the realities of the job market is key to avoid oversaturation. In the meantime, these programs strive to develop future talent for an increasingly professionalized industry.