Sports and business are closely intertwined to the point where one could not exist without the other—both at the professional and collegiate levels. But how could these two fields enhance each other?
Dr. Tim Gramling, dean of the Jabs School of Business at California Baptist University, stated that business knowledge could greatly benefit sports.
“From baseball’s use of scorekeeping in the 1870s to the Moneyball approach that endures to this day, business analytics has been an important part of maximizing performance for individual athletes and teams,” Gramling said. “An example here at CBU—marketing interns have helped our Division I wrestling team maximize the team’s engagement with our community, including ticket sales.”
Gramling emphasized that business professionals working behind the scenes in sports played a significant role in team success.
“The role of business leaders is to set the tone for team success, which includes ensuring the team has sufficient resources to operate effectively,” Gramling said.
He also highlighted the importance of marketing, especially in sports.
“Perhaps the most important part of marketing is getting fans to attend games in person,” Gramling said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a marked difference in the home-field advantage for sports teams because their fans were not present.”
He added that sports management was a growing field.
“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects sports management and similar fields to grow more quickly than average through 2033,” he said. “A degree can be very helpful for building skills and connections and is especially effective for students who take on an internship during their studies, which we have seen several times happen in the Jabs School of Business here at CBU.”
Anthony Venegas, graduate business administration student, agreed that proper marketing could boost any sports team if executed effectively.
“Marketing would help enhance a team by providing potential customers with information they might not have known—to help the team thrive in sales and build a better audience,” he said. He believed basketball, in particular, could benefit from strategic marketing to bring in more funding and generate more fan support.
Levi Garrett, director of the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology program, noted how the importance of business in sports had evolved over time.
“In the past, college students were happy with a free education in exchange for playing a sport they loved and having the potential to continue playing beyond college,” Garrett said. “Early on in the evolution of professional sports, athletes had to work a normal job in the off-season to make ends meet financially. Today, owners and players are making a substantial amount of money, which can certainly impact the dynamics of the game.”
Wendy Thomas, junior exercise science major, said business knowledge could support a team’s financial stability.
“Business expertise can help with effective marketing tactics, which will help create a loyal fan base,” Thomas said. “It also helps in making sure the team will last for a long time by keeping budgets and getting sponsorships to gain recognition.”
Thomas added that people working behind the scenes played an essential role in a team’s success.
“They are in charge of all of the background parts of the team, which puts less stress on the athletes, allowing them to fully focus on what they love to do—the sport,” Thomas said.
Nguyen Phuong Linh Phan, graduate business administration student, also believed business skills could enhance sports performance and longevity.
“Sports require maintenance costs, so financial knowledge will help maintain profits,” Phan said. “In addition, marketing and branding activities also preserve the influence of teams, attracting more attention from viewers.”
Phan explained that sports managers had a significant impact.
“These professionals ensure that operations run smoothly so athletes and coaches can focus on performance as they handle contracts, branding, budgeting and logistics,” she said. “Their work directly influences the team’s reputation, financial health and growth opportunities.”
Ultimately, sports and business went hand in hand. Professionals in both fields needed to work together to achieve sustainable success.
