Best Online Sports Management Degrees of 2025

Do you want a behind-the-scenes sports career? A bachelor’s degree in sports management can engage your passion for sports while teaching you all about the business side of the industry.

You’ll explore various aspects of the industry, like sports law, sports marketing, and sports psychology. This can prepare you to pursue management and leadership positions within athletic organizations.

If this sounds like a career for you, read on to explore the best programs of 2025 and learn all about online sports management degrees.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Curious what courses you’ll take online? Check out our sports management program guide.

Before you enroll in an online sports management program, consider tuition costs, program length, and the possible careers you can pursue after you graduate.

Over four years, tuition and fees for an online bachelor’s degree in sports management cost an average of $41,892 — without financial aid. With financial aid, tuition and fees cost around an average of $23,600. This is according to 2019-2020 data from NCES.

You can see how much financial aid can reduce the cost of tuition and fees — often by thousands of dollars.

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year you plan to attend college to qualify for financial aid, including grants and scholarships.

Bachelor’s programs tend to require four years of study as a full-time student. You’ll have to earn around 120 credits to graduate — typically 30 credits per academic year.

There are plenty of excellent online bachelor’s programs in sports management like the 120-credit program at the University of Florida and the University of Iowa. You can also seek out accelerated and degree-completion programs.

If you’re interested in an advanced degree, and you have transferable college credit, you can pursue an accelerated sports management dual-degree bachelor’s/master’s program, such as ones at West Virginia University, Texas Tech University, and George Mason University.

With a bachelor’s in sports management, you can pursue a variety of careers in advertising, agenting, and athlete management.

According to the BLS, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers are among the top earners in this field, making a median salary of $156,580 per year, as of May 2023.

The lowest earners are coaches and scouts, who bring in a median salary of $45,910 per year. In most other roles, you are likely to earn over $70,000 per year, with agents and business managers of athletes earning a median annual salary close to $85,000.

Entertainment and recreation managers earn a median salary of $73,460 per year, while the median annual salary for athletes and sports competitors is a little over $70,000.

Whether an online bachelor’s in sports management degree is worth it depends on your learning style and career goals.

Our Online Education Trends Report shows that over half (56%) of online bachelor’s students and graduates say their online classes included assignments they could use to explore future career options. Fifty-one percent say their online classes included assignments they could relate to their future jobs.

Consider that and the following benefits: You’ll have the flexibility to balance work and career or family commitments and the potential to save money when compared to traditional, on-campus programs.

Plus, you’ll get to turn your passion for sports into a satisfying career.

However, you’ll have limited face-to-face interactions, including networking opportunities. You’ll also have less hands-on experience. And you may be more reliant on technology than traditional, on-campus students.