Sport Management

Overview

If you aspire to combine a passion for sport with a well-developed understanding of the complexities of the business enterprise, then the sport management department at the State University of New York at Cortland is ideal for you. This department will provide you with the formal educational foundation and the practical experiences necessary to gain access to a career in this extremely competitive industry. The Cortland Sport Management Department, which is housed in the college's school of professional studies, is based on a theory-to-practice model of learning in which students are engaged in over 120 hours of field experience prior to their required senior internship. SUNY Cortland offers the only sport management major at the undergraduate level within the SUNY system of colleges and universities.

A department that actively promotes diversity and social justice, Cortland Sport Management features special focuses on information technology and international sport. Located on Cortland's campus are the Sport Media & Technology Learning Center and the national training centers for sport-specific information technology companies such as Dartfish. Internationally, Cortland Sport Management has affiliations with colleges in England, Germany and Australia. The Cortland Sport Management faculty all have significant experience working in the sport industry, and they infuse their real-world knowledge into the classroom to proactively prepare students for careers in sport business.

There are currently over 400 students (fall 2008) in the undergraduate bachelor of science in sport management program at SUNY Cortland. Three graduate programs in sport management are offered: a master of science in sport management (both on campus and online) and a master of science in international sport management. The on-campus master's program started in fall 2006. The online master's program started in summer 2007. The international master's program will start in 2008.

The Industry

There is no debate that sport has become a dynamic growth industry with an annual valuation of over $400 billion dollars in the United States and over $600 billion USD worldwide. The rate of speed, size and scope with which this industry has expanded to become a very interdependent and globalized economy has been almost unimaginable. The scope of the industry is greatly diversified and is expanding to incorporate new growth areas such as e-commerce and new technologies.

With a degree in sport management and the proper training and experience, students will be well prepared to enter the sport business industry in areas such as marketing, public relations, sales, facility management, information technology, law, media, event management, finance, economics and athletic management.