Sport Management (BSSW)
Where Sports & the Business World Meet
As a UD Sport Management major, you'll learn the skills it takes to pursue positions in collegiate and professional organizations, event management and marketing firms, sport media and sales, as well as many areas of entertainment and recreation management.
Coursework includes sport management and business classes. By studying sport management, you'll gain an understanding of facilities, finance, human resource management, law, marketing, media and sales — and how they relate to sports. The program includes a minor in Business Administration.
Our alumni hold positions with collegiate and professional organizations, sport clubs, and athletic federations, as well as public and private recreation. Alumni also work with arenas and convention centers, event management, and all forms of media.
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annual philanthropy tournament
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internship experiences
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$536,000+
raised by Sport Management students to support philanthropy and career development
The professors do a fantastic job of providing networking opportunities, prep for interviews, connections for internships, and much more!
Charlie Slonaker '06, Chief Revenue Officer at Philadelphia Union

The sport communication certificate is designed to respond to both the needs of students and the trends within sport industries. Sport Management students explore the economic, political, social, and global contexts in which sport culture operates. Conversely, Communication students produce and deliver sport content via television, radio and social media. Acquiring both sets of skills – media production and sport management – is intended to enhance students’ major and promote their marketability in the workplace.
The Sport Management degree includes all of the required classes for a minor in business administration. This helps students get a clear picture of all sides of the sport industry and will broaden their career opportunities upon graduation.
To gain hands-on experiences and prepare for a successful career, you'll participate in two internships — one on-campus and one off-campus. These experiences are geared toward your future goals in the sport management field. Our students have gotten internships with professional teams and companies like the Cincinnati Reds, Under Armour, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Amazon, Wasserman Media, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp, KemperLesnik, UD Athletics, Dayton Dragons, and more.
A High-Quality Education
The NCAA tournament has started at University of Dayton Arena since 2001. Sport Management students have ample opportunities to get involved with the tournament and gain real-world experience right in their backyard.
Read more: Sitting in Press RowStudy Abroad with Sport Management
The sport management program plans periodic trips abroad in the summer semester to study sport management in different settings. A recent opportunity brought students to Ireland to learn about global sport and international business.
Read MoreMaking Dreams Come True
Students gain real-world experience in our Sales & Fundraising in Sport class, where they use their skills in sport management and business to help raise funds for a non-profit organization. In 2022, the class raised over $36,000 for A Special Wish in Dayton.
Watch VideoFundraising and Philanthropy Opportunities Through Class Projects
The Gary Mioli Leadership in Community Fund creates a platform for Sport Management students to advocate for 501(c)3 organizations. Students in the Sales & Fundraising in Sport class (HSS 358) participate in an annual Philanthropy Tournament, and the top four students have gifts donated to their respective charities in their names and in honor of Mioli.
Explore the Leadership in Community Fund
The John R. Schleppi Sport Management Career Enhancement Fund creates an opportunity for Sport Management students to attend professional conferences and explore career possibilities. Funds are awarded annually to one winner and two runners-up.
Explore the Career Enhancement Fund
The Keep Playing the Game fund was set up to honor the legacy of Dr. Peter Titlebaum who helped build the sport management program at the University of Dayton.
Explore the Keep Playing the Game Fund

Students in the sport management program had the opportunity to volunteer with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Cleveland last April.

Nicholas Schmidt ’08 merged his passions in marketing and sports and co-founded AutoGrowl, an automotive marketing agency in 2016. As he navigates the road to success, he’s keeping a lane open for current Flyers in UD’s sport management program.

University of Dayton senior Andy Mason wins philanthropy pitch contest with story inspired by his mother’s work.

Filled out your bracket yet? These students have, as part of a class project that teaches the tools to help understand outcomes in sporting events.

From press rooms to locker rooms, it takes a village to put on the NCAA First Four at UD Arena. Students at the University of Dayton working behind the scenes know the effort that goes into hosting the first games of March Madness firsthand. And, they're loving it.

University of Dayton students in Sport Media class head to the #FirstFour as journalists

The two-time UD alumnus and inventor of basketball's Elam Ending will be the guest speaker for the health and sport science annual student awards.

Dr. Corinne Daprano's sport law class stepped behind the mic and learned how to use audio recording equipment as a new approach to dialogue that used to happen on a discussion board.

Explore
Visit Campus
Interested in learning more about sport management? We'd love to meet with you. Schedule an academic appointment by contacting sehs_assistant_dean@udayton.edu. You can also choose to schedule a general campus tour and admission presentation.
Next Steps
$536,000+
raised by Sport Management students to support philanthropy and career development