It’s fun getting to work with kids who want to be there… they want to improve and they want to get better, and that’s what I want to do going into coaching.
Bachelor of Arts
Sport Management
Major | Minor
Turn Your Love of Sports Into a Career
If sport is your world, this is how you build a career in it.
Sport management at Goshen College is a four-year bachelors degree in the business and leadership of sport. You build skills across both business and communication to lead in coaching, athletic administration, facility and event management and community recreation.
You’ll work at the intersection of athletics and leadership through hands-on projects and real internships, supported by small classes, faculty mentorship and a values-driven curriculum centered on service and community impact. You graduate ready to lead in the sport management field.
Built for People Who Live and Breathe Sports
This is a program for people who want sports to be their career, not just their pastime. You’ll be in good company: about a third of Goshen undergraduates are intercollegiate athletes, so you’re surrounded by teammates who get it. The learning is experiential from the start, with internships; student-led projects with organizations like GC Athletics, the Boys and Girls Club and local sports clubs; and on-campus leadership in intramural events and Student Life.
What You’ll Study
You’ll build communication, leadership, organizational and problem-solving skills specific to the sports industry. Courses include Introduction to Sport Management, Event and Facility Management, Sport Culture and Psychology and The Organization of Business.
View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Where a Sport Management Degree Takes You
Graduates pursue careers in areas such as:
- Athletic administration
- Sports Information
- Ticket sales
- Athletic compliance
- Facility and event management
- Officiating
- Sport agent
- Coaching and youth sports
- Sports marketing and media
- Recreation and fitness leadership
You’ll be ready for roles with sports teams, clubs, athletic facilities, nonprofits, and schools, and some graduates go on to earn advanced degrees in fields like business administration or athletic training.
Eli Simones '26
Sport Management Major at Goshen College
Paying for Goshen
Goshen College offers academic scholarships and financial aid to help make your education affordable, and student-athletes may also qualify for athletic scholarships.
To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator or explore your options at the financial aid and scholarships pages.
Common Questions Asked About the Sport Management Major
Yes, definitely. You don’t need to play a sport or be on a varsity roster to major in sport management. The program focuses on the business and leadership side of the industry: finance, marketing, event planning, facility management, communication and sport law. What matters is your interest in how sports organizations run, not whether you compete in one.
The hands-on opportunities are open to everyone, too. Every sport management student completes an internship or a practicum experience, and you can work alongside Maple Leafs Athletics and use the same marketing and promotional tools as the college’s communication and sports information teams. An athletic background is welcome but never required, curiosity about the field and a willingness to get involved matter far more.
Graduates work in athletic administration, sports marketing and media, facility and event management, coaching and youth sports, and recreation and fitness leadership, with sports teams, recreational facilities, nonprofits, and schools. Some go on to advanced degrees in fields of sport management, business or athletic administration.
Sports Management is built specifically around the sports industry, covering athletics-specific topics like event operations, athletic compliance, and sport marketing that a general business degree won’t cover in depth. If your goal is a career specifically inside athletics, the dedicated major gets you there more directly.
Faculty know whether you’re aiming for athletic administration, event management, coaching, or sports marketing, and they can connect you individually to internships and industry contacts that match those specific goals instead of a generic list of openings. In a field where who you know often opens the first door, that personal attention matters.
Start your application at the Goshen College apply page, or request information first if you’d like to talk through fit, internships, and athletics before committing. You can also schedule a visit to meet faculty and see the athletic facilities.
Jewel Lehman
Professor of Kinesiology
Justin DeWeese
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
Michelle Horning
Professor of Accounting
Program Director
Department ChairAlysha Liljeqvist
Associate Professor of Business
Patrick Farran
Associate Professor of Business
Andrew Hartzler
Professor of Accounting
