Program Description

The Undergraduate Minor in Sports Marketing prepares students to operate at the intersection of sport, business, culture, and consumer engagement. Designed for students majoring in Psychology, Sociology, Therapeutic Recreation, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mass Communications, Agribusiness, Management, and related fields, this minor transforms an interest in sports into a marketable professional skill set.

Students learn how sport organizations build influential brands, drive fan loyalty, strengthen community relationships, and position athletes and events in a digital and data-driven marketplace. The program emphasizes applied learning and strategic thinking through sport-focused case studies, projects, and simulations. Students are challenged to think critically about consumer behavior, persuasion, sponsorship strategy, analytics, ethics, and cultural relevance within sport environments.

By combining foundational marketing knowledge with sport-specific applications, the Sports Marketing minor equips students to pursue career pathways across professional and collegiate athletics, sport organizations, community-based programs, media and communications, sponsorships and partnerships, athlete branding, and event promotion. Graduates emerge with the confidence and competencies to communicate value, influence decision-making, and contribute meaningfully to sport organizations and sport-related initiatives.

The Sports Marketing minor consists of 18 credit hours offered through the Department of Management and Marketing.