Continuing with advice to graduating college seniors, I asked friends of mine: “What path would you suggest for a young person looking to get into sports business?” Here are their thoughts, while sharing their first job in sports.
“Sales continues to be a ‘quick and easy’ path into sports. The growth of women’s sports means there are great growth opportunities there. The same revenue streams and sales opportunities apply to college athletics, and additionally there are fundraising and donations positions in college athletics departments and NIL collectives. Starting in sales does not necessarily mean ending in sales; the ‘sales’ experience can be very valuable experience as one continues their rise in the sports industry. For example, the most common previous work experience for current Division I athletic directors is fundraising. Approximately 60% of D-I athletic directors have fundraising experience. Content creation, business intelligence, compliance and analytics are some of the other growth areas. While sales may be the easiest route into the sports industry, long-term career success will be enhanced by selecting a job type that has both access and a good fit with the person. The sports industry is in a long-term bull market, so this is a terrific time for graduates to be entering this industry.”
— Glenn Wong, professor of sports law, Arizona State University, whose first job was assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts teaching sports law.
“While sales remain an important skill set to learn, the broader need now tends to lean toward someone possessing educational, if not practical, experience in data, analytics, business intelligence and AI, and, as a result, all sports organizations are competitively searching for young professionals who possess those skills. It is important to also focus on mastering communication skills. I’m not attempting to paint the entire Gen Z population as lacking strong communication skills, but I have found those skills/attributes eroding with the younger generation. Graduates should also broaden their focus on roles outside of the ‘Top 5’ sports leagues, as there are many more opportunities to enter the sports industry than in the past decade.”
— Scott Carmichael, Prodigy Sports, who worked part time running the Los Angeles Lakers/Kings Speakers Bureau as a sophomore and landed his first full-time job as director of PR for the LA Kings while a junior at Loyola Marymount University
“Focus on finding a great person to work for, as that person — especially in an initial position — is the most important and will also play a critical role in helping you with your next position. Sales positions are the largest part of an organization. That said, not everyone is cut out to work in sales, and you shouldn’t start out in something solely on the basis of job availability. The second area is business intelligence. Data-driven decision making has become like a thread running through every part of the organization. If you are a numbers person, this could be a great spot. If you are more of a creative, you might look at content creation — finding creative ways to generate and disseminate content is a large part of all sports marketing efforts. Finally, I tell students the most important thing is to be happy. Find something that excites you and pursue it. Bet on yourself and don’t be afraid to make a mistake.”
— Bill Sutton, Bill Sutton & Associates, whose first job was selling sporting goods in a major Pittsburgh department store, Joseph Horne Co.
“There are many ways in, and one has to be open and curious to the whole marketplace. Sales is not always the easiest way in, so don’t be afraid of a non-linear path.
BROAD SEARCH: Make sure you understand the entire sports landscape. Example, what can you be selling? Talent (athletes, broadcasters), properties/naming rights, advisory services for media rights/league and team ownership. You can be buying/advising on behalf of brands and all of the consulting services that go with it. Having experience in any of these areas will be transferable to another part of the industry. Be open to a broad range of opportunities.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS: It has never been more important to have transferable skills, and those skills are how to interpret and apply data, understanding tech innovation and the disruption it is having on the marketplace, especially around content and AI. Those areas will alter the way we consume/engage with sports. Young candidates are at an advantage since they are true digital natives and early adopters of tech.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Do not underestimate interpersonal skills, especially if sales is something you are interested in. It is not always the person with several internships in the sports industry that draws interest, but also someone that has been in a service business — restaurant server, bartender, or held leadership roles in clubs/teams. People with those interpersonal skills are excellent candidates, so be able to talk to all of your experience.
Don’t be afraid of a non-linear path but be cognizant of the skills you are building.”
— Liz Gray, CAA Brand Consulting, whose first job in sports was a marketing research analyst supporting ad sales during the launch of ESPN The Magazine
Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
