Which Are the Top Sports Management Schools In Illinois That Offer Degree Programs?

by Alex Morgan · January 21, 2023

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Sports is one of the most lucrative industries to work in today. So, which school in Illinois is the best to help you get started?

The Prairie State has many great job opportunities and one of the lowest employment rates (4.5%) in all of the United States. So, to look for a sports management job in Illinois isn’t a bad idea, considering sports management salary in Illinois is one of the highest.

So, which are the best colleges for sports management in Illinois? Let’s help you find a few of them.

Why It’s Good To Have A Degree In Sports Management from Illinois?

Sports have many different aspects besides the athletic side of it. This includes management, marketing, broadcasting, etc. Thus, A degree in sport management is a great way to get into the industry of sports. It gives you the opportunity to learn about all the different aspects of managing a sport.

Besides that, in most universities, the sports management course can be taken as a full degree or at an undergraduate level. And there are also many opportunities for internships and placements that are available with this degree.

Therefore, with a degree in sport management in Illinois, you will be able to work in any field of sports, from finance, marketing, and broadcasting to administration and management.

Top 5 Sports Management Schools In Illinois

Finding the right type of program can be a daunting task for high school students. Where to go? Which university to choose? The best way to go about it is by picking the nearest and the best option in your state.

Hence, we’re talking about the 5 best sports management degree colleges in Illinois. So, let’s dive into it.

1. Western Illinois University with Sports Management Program

Western Illinois University is one of the best colleges for sports management in Illinois. The sports management program offered by the institution has a vast array of opportunities for students to study and learn about sports through their degree programs in Illinois.

The University is known state-wide, and considered one of the best, and that’s why it has amazing options for sports management, including the two most lucrative options, which are:

Bachelor of Arts in Sports Broadcasting

Master of Science in Sport Management

WIU is one of the few universities to offer a great degree program for the broadcasting side of sports management. The program is called the Bachelor of Arts in Sports Broadcasting (BABST), and it gives you an outstanding understanding of the news media of sports management in general. It covers areas such as:

Sports Facility and Event Management

Sport Governance and Policies

Sport Marketing

Public and Media Relations in Sport

Besides lucrative bachelor’s programs it’s one of the few universities in the state that offers a Master of Science in Sport Management (MSSM). Besides that, you have the choice to take up both these programs online, or on-campus, with alternatives between the two options– making it a truly remarkable option for sports management in Illinois.

2. Concordia University Chicago’s Sports Management Program

Concordia University Chicago is a public university located in River Forest, Illinois. CU Chicago offers both undergraduate and graduates degrees through its College of Business, College of Education and Human Services, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The school offers two degrees, one for undergraduate students and the other for graduate students. Including its two famed sport management degrees:

B.S. in Sport Management

MBA in Sport Management

The undergraduate degree program is an associate degree in Sport Management in Illinois that takes about four years or 120 credit hours to complete. It is designed to give students a strong foundation in business management skills and leadership abilities that are essential for careers in the sports industry.

The graduate degree program is a master of business administration with concentrations in Sport Management, Sports Marketing, Exercise Science, or Human Performance & Leisure Studies. The MBA program takes about two years to complete, and it provides students with the skills necessary to become successful leaders in the sports industry as well as elsewhere.

3. Lewis University’s Sports Management Programs

Lewis University is a private university in Romeoville, Illinois. It’s one of the leading colleges in Illinois with sports management majors. Moreover, it’s known for its flexibility and broad horizon. In other words, it offers programs that cover a wide area in specific industries.

The program you should be interested in is called:

B.A. in Sport Management

The Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management is one of the undergraduate programs offered at Lewis University, which is designed to provide you with the right understanding and skills to pursue careers as sports industry professionals.

So, what will you learn? It’ll focus on specific areas, such as marketing, finance and law of various sports– not only in the United States, but around the globe.

Besides that, the reason you need to consider this program is because of its outstanding curriculum, as it includes courses such as:

Sport Leadership

Research in Sport Management

Sport Promotion and Sales

Sports Program Administration

Sport Finance

Sport Broadcasting

Foundations of Coaching

So, as you can see, the program tackles various areas in sport management. Allowing students to become an expert in each area.

4. Greenville University’s Sports Management Degrees

Greenville University is one of the most renowned and prestigious universities in the United States. It is a private, non-profit university with a total undergraduate enrollment of about 3,000.

The sports management program at Greenville University has been consistently ranked among the top programs in the country for over two decades. The degrees on offer include:

B.S in Sport Management

M.A in Education: Sports Coaching

Greenville University is the only university in the world that offers a B.S. degree in Sport Management and an M.A. degree in Education with a specialization in Sport Management.

The B.S. in Sport Management degree is created to sharpen students with an understanding of sport and leisure from a business perspective, and it offers students the opportunity to prepare for careers in sports and recreation management or related fields that require knowledge of sports industry practices.

Students at Greenville University have the opportunity to earn both degrees by taking classes for one degree while being enrolled for another degree, or they can enroll for both degrees at the same time and graduate with both degrees in as little as five years.

5. Judson University’s Sports Management

Judson University’s sports management program is one of the best programs in the United States. It is considered one of the top undergraduate sports management programs in the country and definitely one of the best sports management degree colleges in Illinois.

The program offered by the university includes the following:

B.A in Sport Management

The B.A. in Sport Management program offers a specialized track for those who want to pursue a career as a professional sports agent or player representative. The curriculum includes courses on business law, sports marketing, sport finance and accounting, sports facilities management and operations, and much more.

Expected Sports Job Opportunities and Employment Rate in Illinois after College

In a state that features teams like Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Cubs, it’s imperative that there’ll be lucrative job opportunities. As of this writing, there are more than 1200 sport-related jobs open in Illinois.

And according to Zip Recruiter, the median pay for people who are in the sports industry in the Land of Lincoln averages $53,000 – $99,000. With the top 10% earning over $100k. This should tell you the lucrative nature of this industry and why people look for sports management jobs in Illinois.

Conclusion

These are some of the leading colleges in Illinois with sports management majors. All of these colleges and universities offer great programs and internship opportunities. So, it comes down to which one is nearest and most plausible for you. Thus, picking any one of these schools for sports management in Illinois would be a wise choice.

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