Sport Management

Behind the scenes in the business of sports.

Americans love their sports. In fact, the sports industry in the U.S. generates more than $200 billion per year, and sports and sports-related businesses depend on a wide variety of professionals to carry out day-to-day operations. When you take your passion for sports behind the scenes, you make the game possible on the court or field.

  • Accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation
  • colleges of distinction 2025-2026
  • ranked as a national university by u.s. news and world report

Advantages

  • High quality internships
  • Real world projects with nationally known sport organizations
  • Networking with sport business professionals
  • Resume building volunteer experiences (NCAA Championships, College Football Championships, Indy 500, NBA All-Star Game)
Ranked Top Program in the Sport Management Degree Guide

#14 on the Top 30 Best Sports Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Alum Story
Joel Zawacki headshot
Joel Zawacki
Sport Management, Class of 2006, Assistant General Manager - Corporate Sales & Marketing at Indianapolis Indians

We produce 72 professional baseball games in five months. I'm responsible for everything from recruiting corporate sponsors to game day activities. I've learned to hone my management skills at UIndy. My professors got me to believe that I could do anything. And just as in sports, that's the foundation for success.

Accreditation

COSMA seal

The sport management bachelor's and master's degree programs at the University of Indianapolis have received specialized accreditation through the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) located in Fort Collins, CO, USA. 

UIndy's sport management programs were the first in Indiana to be accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). Accreditation protects the interests of students, their parents, the academic, and potential employers by ensuring that educational programs have attained a level that meets or exceeds standards that were developed by experts in the field. Accreditation also ensures that students demonstrate a certain set of skills and abilities, as reflected in the accreditation criteria.

COSMA offers the sport industry, students, and parents the assurance that graduates from accredited programs are of a high quality. Programs that have gone through the accreditation process are in a continuous cycle of improvement and collect and analyze data on student learning every year. Click below to learn more about our program outcomes, measurements, and efforts to continually improve student learning and job preparedness.

Notification of Student Achievement and Program-Level Outcomes

Sport Analytics Minor

The sport analytics minor equips students with the skills and knowledge to analyze, interpret, and communicate data in the dynamic world of sports. A minor in sport analytics (20 credit hours) will bridge technical expertise with practical applications in economics, marketing, administration, communication, and athletic performance. Students will gain hands-on experience in database programming, regression modeling, and data visualization, preparing them for a wide range of careers in the sports industry.

See Sport Analytics Minor Curriculum Guide
Student Story
Vania Wyatt headshot
Vania Wyatt
Sport Management

I am more than grateful to receive the opportunities from networking events to internship experiences that greatly assisted with my personal and professional development. The UIndy Sport Management program has been very supportive and helpful throughout my years here and has prepared me with my own endeavors to gain entry within the sports industry.

Potential Careers

  • Intercollegiate athletics – athletic director, compliance coordinator, facility manager
  • Professional sports – ticket sales, marketing, sponsorships, facilities
  • Recreational sports – sports program director, park manager, youth sports manager
  • Event management – volunteer coordinator, event manager, marketing, tickets
  • Nonprofit organizations – sport/program management, marketing, community relations
  • Public and media relations –  professional sports teams, intercollegiate athletics, or sport facilities
  • Advertising and sales promotion – private organizations, nonprofit organizations, professionals sports

Curriculum Guides

These curriculum guides outline the classes you'll need to take as a Sport Management major. The general education curriculum guide lists your class options and requirements to fulfill UIndy's general education requirements, while the Sport Management curriculum guide lists the classes needed to major in Sport Management. You'll need to look at both guides to get a complete picture of what classes you'll take at UIndy.
Alum Story
Connor Stouder headshot
Connor Stouder
Senior Uniform Specialist at Adidas

Clear communication is a skill I use on a day-to-day basis and was also a key focus in my time at UIndy. The UIndy Sport Management professors taught me that gaining experience by volunteering my time and making the right connections in the field would be a big key in having a successful career in sports.

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