Oklahoma Sport Management Degree Programs

Alexis Bennett

Collegiate D1 Golf Coach; MS Sport Management, University of Florida. Last updated February 28, 2023.

Depending on the level of degree you are seeking, there are over 10 sports degree programs available, several listed below, located in the state of Oklahoma. Of the 12 programs listed here, 9 are North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) certified and 3 are offered online.

Are There Online Sports Degrees in Oklahoma?

Yes, though limited in offerings, there are a few chances to earn a sports management degree at an institutional whose home base is situated within the state of Oklahoma.

Click for more online sports programs that are taking applications for 2025.

5 Top Universities for Sport Management Degrees in Oklahoma

Oral Roberts University - On-Campus B.S. in Sport Management

As a university, ORU meet the highest accreditation standard set by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Located in the heart of Tulsa, Oral Roberts sport management degree is unique for a few reasons. Being a private school, the most unique aspect for Oral Roberts is that each student also has a spiritual life component that is a central theme to an education earned from this university. Their mission statement reads, "To develop Holy Spirit-empowered leaders through whole-person education to impact the world." If an education tied to the values of Christianity is appealing to you, ORU is a wonderful option. You also may not find sport management housed in its traditional space at Oral Roberts. Health, Leisure, and the Sport Sciences actually fall under the College of Engineering, though still have the traditional business and leadership threads running through them. While it's acceptable to stick to generic sport management, Oral does also three specializations to choose from, if students wish: sport broadcasting & media relations, sport operations & analytics, and sport sales & marketing. Because it's an on-campus program, cost of attendance (which runs just over $40,000 annually) does include both room & board as well as a meal plan.

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Oklahoma State University - On-Campus Bachelor in Management - Sport Management

This program in Stillwater is heavily weighted towards the management portion of sport management. As a degree in management within the Spears School of Business, students have "options" (often referred to as specializations or concentrations) of which Sports Management is one. The other three are Business Sustainability, Human Resource Management, and Non-profit Management. AS one of the largest student populations in Oklahoma, there is a club or group for nearly every interest. The Sports Management Club offers a networking branch for both the sports management and other business programs at OSU. In addition to other future partners or colleagues amongst your peers, professionals from across several sports industries from the OKC Thunder to EA Sports have spoken with OSU students at club meetings. A stat they should be proud of, OSU boasts a 94% rate of 3-month post graduation job placement or declaration of further education meaning the vast majority of OSU students move on successfully, and do it quickly!

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Southern Nazarene University - On Campus B.S. in Sport Management (Concentrations in Business or Communication), Online M.A. in Sport Management and Administration

Sport Management at Southern Nazarene is a multidisciplinary area of study offering a Kinesiology foundation that is further enhanced with courses that include business and communication principals. That duality is one of the defining features of this program as it includes 64 credits, but 30 are from the School of Business and 34 are from the School of Kinesiology. The School of Business is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. As a Masters degree, SNU offers short, albeit intensive, course structures with the option to learn 100% online or attend classes in person one night a week. With focus being on only one course at a time, it's the perfect program for working professionals or those looking to make a career change. Your focus is not required on multiple subjects at one giving an opportunity for mastery in each one. At an affordable $575 per credit hour, this advanced degree can be completed in as little as 20 months!

Undergraduate Website, Graduate Website

Southwestern Oklahoma State University - On-Campus and Online B.S. in Sports Management and On-Campus M.Ed. in Sports Management

The degree programs at Southwestern Oklahoma State University fall under the Department of Kinesiology, though the masters degree is firmly planted in an educational background. SWOSU, as far as sports management degree programs are concerned, has one of the widest selections of specializations, if you wish to pursue one. On top of a core group of courses, you can personalize your degree to include either athletic training, operations, coaching, nutrition and health, or performance components that give specific insight into those areas. SWOSU also has a faculty dedicated to delivering both online and traditional courses to allow you to choose the method of instruction that fits your personality and life stage best. For the graduate degree program, students must have completed 24 undergraduate credit hours in one of the following areas at a qualifying university: Parks and Recreation Management, Health and Physical Education, Kinesiology, Athletic Training, Business Management, Marketing, or General Business.

Undergraduate Website

Graduate Website

University of Oklahoma - On-Campus B.B.A. in Sports Business

Given the historic levels of success in nearly every sport sponsored on campus, there are few universities to study sport management that have a better overall landscape of athletic dominance to be modeled and to learn from than the University of Oklahoma. As a result, it's clear to see why the sport management program at OU has strategic partnerships with its own department of athletics as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA), which sends Vice Presidents and executives to OU's nationally ranked business school to guest speak and even teach a few classes. Like many of the sport management programs out there, you have a few tracks to choose from. The three specific to Oklahoma are Professional Sports, Intercollegiate Sports, or Business Data and Statistical Analysis which are a bit different from the traditional options at other universities. Because of the existence of those sports-specific tracks, students will come into contact with courses like Pay for Play: College Sports at the Precipice, Licensing and Intellectual Property Management in Sports, and Intercollegiate Athletic Administration, among others.

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Finding the right program

These programs all are well-equipped with the tools to level up your understanding of the sports business industry and prepare you to either enter the job market, move up to a higher rung on the corporate ladder, or make a life-changing career industry switch. With their hands-on experiences and connections to university athletics departments, sports agencies, professional teams and beyond, students will leave these programs armed with the necessary equipment to become thought leaders and operational experts within the context of their favorite sports or teams.

List of Sports Degrees in Oklahoma

Click for 100% online sports programs that are taking applications.

Common Curriculum and Areas of Study

Diversity and Inclusion in Recreation and Sport

Focuses on the understanding of people’s differences and potential barriers to participation in sport. Often, there are hours of volunteer work with people who have disabilities required as part of the course requirements. Students will leave with tactics they can use to make sure anyone they encounter has an enjoyable experience no matter what their obstacles are with their sport of choice.

Sport Programming

Foundational principles, administrative duties, delivery systems and standard practices of varying levels of sport programming. Program delivery systems overview with emphasis on problem identification associated with sport programs. Topics include recreation league administration, youth sport delivery and organization, tournament operations, community-based sports, and programming at the collegiate level.

Sport Governance and Compliance

This course covers a broad overview of the different organizations that govern sport. Organizations to be included in the discussion are High School athletic associations, NCAA, and the USOC. The course will emphasize organizational and policy development as well as ethical decision making.

Event Management and Corporate Sponsorship

Coordinating logistics from sponsorship acquisition and resource allocation to in-game promotions and staffing all contribute to successful event management. Sporting events especially, typically include many moving parts and require expertise in organization, communication, and risk management.

Marketing, Fan Engagement, and In-Game Promotions

Understanding how to generate excitement surrounding sporting events is a fundamental part of working in sports and making a team successful in terms of the bottom line. Marketing means creating a brand strategy, designing social media campaigns and driving target by specific consumer groups to events. Once you have an audience, merchandising, signage, concessions, music, and entertainment all contribute to that audience’s loyalty and likelihood of returning. Behind the scenes, sports information directors track statistics, records, streaks, and everything numbers. They help tell the story of the entire experience.

Evidence-Based Decision Making in Sports, Recreation, and Tourism

An introduction to and application of the processes required for evaluating and analyzing the cost and benefit of sport programs: development of evaluation criteria, data collection, analysis, synthesis of findings, and communication of results. The course emphasizes an understanding, development, and application of various types of designs.

Sport Organization, Leadership, and Management

This course examines various organizational structures and leadership styles within the sport context. Includes a review of leadership roles, management techniques and standard operating practices in a variety of unique sport organizations including corporate sport businesses as well as traditional athletic settings like colleges and universities.

Ethics and Sport Law

Laws and regulations guide decisions made by sport organizations and their ownership. An understanding of historical law rulings in sports helps inform decision-makers and provide a path for the future. Especially important when working in educational settings, an understanding of legal precedence and procedures prevents violations, penalties, and fines.

Finance and Revenue Generation

Sports today, at every level, have become big business. The bottom line will always circle back to profitability. A clear comprehension of accounting, budgeting, payroll, and investment is necessary to work in a sustainable sport organizations. Every corporate environment needs people to balance the books, forecast revenue and the different streams of from which it will be generated, and provide insights to increasing efficiency and stretching the budget to maximize profits.

Careers and Sport Organizations in Oklahoma

Professional sports organizations abound in Oklahoma at levels all across the board: OKC Blue (NBAD), OKC Thunder (NBA), Tulsa Oilers (CHL), Tulsa Drillers (AA-MLB), Tulsa Roughnecks (Minor League Soccer) PGA and LPGA venues, NCAA Division I Athletic Departments at Oral Roberts University (Summit League Conference), the University of Oklahoma (Big XII), Oklahoma State University (Big XII), and the University of Tulsa (American Athletic Conference) as well as opportunities to work with NASCAR, AAU Jr. Olympics, FCA, the National Football League and the retired NFL Players Association.

Sports Degrees by Level

• Bachelors degrees in sports
• Online Bachelors in Sports Management
• Online Masters in Sports Management
• Doctorate degrees in sports

Sport Program Areas

• Athletic Administration Degrees
• Exercise Science Degrees
• Kinesiology Degrees
• Coaching Degrees
• Health and Wellness Degrees
• Sports Industry Management
• Sports Analytics Degrees
• Sports Marketing Degrees
• Sports Psychology Degrees
• Recreation Management Degrees