For many student-athletes pursuing scholarships in the United States, the ultimate goal is a professional sports career. However, with only a select few reaching the elite level, a career within the sports industry offers a compelling alternative. From coaching and managing major events to brokering sponsorship deals and working in sports media, the possibilities are vast.
Choosing to study sports management at university can be the perfect first step on this journey. But breaking into this competitive field requires dedication and the right opportunities. LaGrange College, a small but dynamic academic institution in Atlanta, is making significant strides in preparing its students for success in the sports industry.
In our recent webinar, FirstPoint USA spoke with Dr. John Head – Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience at LaGrange College – to explore the exciting initiatives and opportunities available to their sports management students.
Above: LaGrange students working at the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament
“We have 160 different corporations connected to us and that provides great opportunities for our students when it comes to internships and jobs after college. We are a tight knit campus, you’re going to know everybody and its place where you’re going to be known by name, and you’ll have a really great experience here.”
There are just under 1,000 students on campus at LaGrange and Dr. Head points out that while many prospective students will be attracted by some of the much larger, higher profile universities, attending a smaller institution brings many advantages.
“I would say that’s the opposite. Let’s just say you had 35,000 students at a university, well you’re competing against 35,000 students for opportunities. Here at LaGrange, you don’t have that and at 800 to 900 students, your chances of being involved are a lot better.
In taking on the Sports Management degree, LaGrange focus on balancing classroom work with experiential learning and what sets them apart is getting students out and working as soon as they arrive on campus.
“We really want our students to gain experiences of working in sports management and we really help them secure those internships and placements that can make a difference. We have a dedicated careers office that helps them find internships and work opportunities and helps them build their resume, in addition to the core subjects they will take in class, such as accounting, finance, marketing and economics.”
LaGrange prides itself on the incredible opportunities in the field of sports management that have been created for its students, and in the past 12 months alone, students have worked at the NCAA National Championship basketball tournament, NBA side Atlanta Hawks, MLS club Atlanta United, the MLB’s Atlanta Braves, the PGA Tour’s flagship event, The Players Championship and a NASCAR event. Arguably, the icing on the cake was a group of students being given the chance to work at the Super Bowl LIX event in New Orleans for a full week.