Kogod, McDonough & Central Florida: 3 Schools Prepping Future Sports Business Leaders

The business of sports has never been bigger than it is right now. Behind every game is a sprawling industry of media, technology, analytics, finance, and entertainment – with plenty of opportunities for those who know the business side.

At American University’s Kogod School of Business, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and the University of Central Florida’s College of Business, students are getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a career in the business of sports.

KOGOD: BUILDING A SPORTS BUSINESS PIPELINE

At American University’s Kogod School of Business, the Sports Business Management specialization is already attracting students ahead of its official fall 2026 launch.

“We’re officially in the calendar and catalog for fall 2026, but many of the classes we’re adding have already been running,” says Matthew Bakowicz, the program director for Kogod’s Sports Business Management track. Right now, they are in the program’s pre-season.

“We have about 90 students going through the classes right now. We’re full for the fall and have a waitlist for spring 2027,” he adds.

Kogod’s sports business specialization was built to be business-heavy. “We wanted something business-related, housed in the business school, teaching sport leadership,” Bakowicz says.

A three-year internal study solidified that choice for the school.

“Only 16% of sports management programs are in business schools. That’s our competitive advantage.” Kogod’s goal is to prepare students for front-office roles, while allowing students from across the university to participate.

A PROGRAM BUILT ACROSS DISCIPLINES

Kogod is attracting students from across the university to its sports curriculum. “We have accounting students layering in sports management, finance students, School of Public Affairs students who want to be sports agents, School of Communications students interested in sports journalism,” Bakowicz says.

Through its Courtside Classroom, Kogod students get real-world experience using analytics and AI to study American’s men’s basketball team.

“We put together a team of six seniors interested in analytics, computer science, and coding,” Bakowicz says. Students coded every shot taken by the team, examining defensive pressure, lineup efficiency, and scoring trends. “We created player development programs for the offseason. Players even email us asking about their profiles because they’re actually using the data.”

The program also leverages Washington, D.C.’s sports ecosystem. “DC is amazing for sports. We’ve got seven professional teams,” Bakowicz says. Students now have opportunities with the Washington Commanders, Nationals, Monumental Sports, and Washington Spirit.

Senior leaders from the Buccaneers, Sacramento Kings, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Commanders, and Goldman Sachs are always at the ready to provide guidance for students.

“The board is to advise us on curriculum and help students with internships and jobs,” Bakowicz says.

Bakowicz says he hopes to next expand the specialization’s focus to include women’s sports, AI, and NIL and salary-cap management. Just as importantly, he wants the curriculum to keep evolving alongside the industry, preparing students for roles that may not even exist today.

“Three years ago, the job of a general manager for a college basketball team didn’t exist,” Bakowicz says. “Now it does. I want my students prepared.”

GEORGETOWN: A FELLOWSHIP BUILT AROUND ACCESS

Over at Georgetown University, the school’s Durban Sports Business Program offers a selective fellowship. The program layers sports business onto students’ existing undergraduate business education.

“These nine credits are in addition to whatever major they’re studying – finance, accounting, analytics, operations, strategy,” says Executive Director Luis Maes. “They’re business first, with the sports overlay on top.”

The program’s biggest differentiator, Maes says, is what happens outside the classroom.

“What distinguishes our program is the quality and depth of the co-curricular and experiential learning.”

That includes regular encounters with Georgetown’s alumni and industry network through dinners, lectures, and treks. Its New York City trek, for example, brings students together with organizations including the Professional Bull Riders, Arctos, the NFL, and the NBA.

The Durban program will soon bring students overseas for learning opportunities.

“We’re developing partnerships with Pro Sports Assembly,” Maes says. “Right now we are planning a trip to Spain to learn about sports in Europe, and the role of sports in economic development with Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and the local government.”

INTENTIONALLY CONNECTED TO INDUSTRY

Career preparation is another major piece of the program.

“We’re building a robust staff, with at least three full-time people,” Maes says, including a role focused specifically on career pathways in the sports ecosystem. Students will have one-on-one coaching, workshops, and career-development experiences.

Academic Director Michael O’Leary says the curriculum offers a sophisticated look at global sports business.

“It begins with a foundational course, Introduction to the Global Sports Industry, that gives students a sense of this interconnected space,” he says. “It’s not just ticket-driven events anymore. It’s events plus media plus products, and it’s global.”

In the curriculum, sports business students then move into valuation, contracts, compensation, incentives, and the social impact of sports. “The curriculum moves into valuation, applying classic business tools to assets like the Celtics, the Lakers, or an individual athlete’s value as a spokesperson,” O’Leary says.

Students can enter the fellowship as early as the spring of their first year, giving them several years to build relationships and pursue experiential opportunities.

The program’s namesake donors, Egon and Abby Durban, have also helped open doors for students.

“They’ve been the best possible philanthropists – generous financially, but also generous with their connections,” O’Leary says. “They’ve already opened doors for our students for internships, and that will only grow.”

UCF: A LIVING CLASSROOM IN ORLANDO

At the University of Central Florida, the DeVos Sport Business Management Program in Orlando has built a reputation for immersive, team-based learning. DeVos students earn both an MBA and an MS in Sport Business Management, combining traditional business disciplines with specialized training for an industry that stretches across so many surfaces.

The program partners with professional franchises, collegiate programs, and sports organizations, providing opportunities to connect academic lessons to real industry challenges. DeVos students can work with organizations across the NBA, MLS, NCAA Division I athletics, NASCAR, the LPGA, the WTA, and community-based sports initiatives.

Students move through the two-year experience as a cohort in teams, studying finance, international business, strategic management, marketing, and other core business disciplines.

The program’s reach can be seen in its influential alumni network, with graduates now at the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Sporting KC, Orlando City, NASCAR, the LPGA, WTA, Special Olympics, Octagon, Wasserman, and SKY TV.

TURNING CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE INTO CAREERS

One student, Andrés Carreño, writes in an Instagram post that the program’s combination of academics, experience, and community became especially meaningful during his two years in Orlando. “What started as a dream after graduating college became one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of,” Carreño says. “In 2024, I arrived in Orlando with no idea how much this city would give me – the people, lessons, challenges, and memories that would shape me.”

Living independently also gave him a new sense of confidence. “I’m capable of far more than I imagined,” he says.

While at DeVos, Carreño earned two master’s degrees, worked with an NCAA Division I athletic program, and continued growing Latam Sports, the company he co-founded to help student-athletes across Latin America pursue opportunities in the United States.

“When I arrived in Orlando, we had hosted three camps, were a team of three, and had helped three student-athletes study and play basketball in the U.S.,” he says. “Today, Latam Sports is a team of eight, has hosted more than seven camps, and has helped over 25 student-athletes pursue their academic and athletic dreams through scholarships.”

Now back in Colombia and focused full-time on Latam Sports, Carreño sees his experience at DeVos as good preparation for what comes next.

“The work is far from over,” he says. “I’m returning to Colombia to fully embrace my role as CEO and co-founder of Latam Sports. UCF and the DeVos Sport Business Program, thank you for helping shape me into a better leader and professional.”

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