In the sports industry, internships are a key component to future success. For many students pursuing a sport management major or an adjacent field, internship opportunities can be extremely competitive. Depending on the size of your class cohort or resources at your university, your opportunities for internships may be limited. In this field specifically, finding relevant work experiences before graduation is vital, and the responsibility may fall wholly on the student. 

While forcing a student to network, make connections and hustle to get the top internship experience develops “real world” experience, wouldn’t it be nice if your college’s sport management program already had established partnerships? A recent partnership between the University of Akron and the Cleveland Browns (info below!) inspired us to dig into these strategic educational collaborations. What we discovered was that many universities in the U.S. have partnered with professional sports teams to ensure opportunities for their students to learn, grow, and thrive.

We've developed a list that includes a sampling of these opportunities spanning across markets in professional sports. You'll notice that all types of institutions have been represented on this list. 

If you are looking to work with an NFL team, you may score a touchdown with any of the following partnerships:

• University of Akron; Akron, OH + Cleveland Browns (NFL)
• Loyola Marymount University; Los Angeles, CA + Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
• Rider University; Lawrenceville, NJ + New York Giants (NFL)
• Centenary University, Hackettstown, NJ + New York Jets (NFL)
• St. Joseph’s University; Philadelphia, PA + Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
• University of North Texas; Denton, TX + Dallas Cowboys (NFL) * Online MBA ONLY! 
• Howard University (Washington, DC) + NFL Campus Connection program  (Designed for students interested in Professional Football Management)

The University of Missouri at Kansas City has two exclusive partnerships - one with the World Champion Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) and the MLB’s Kansas City Royals. However, these internship opportunities are not exclusive to Sport Management majors. 

Students at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts have the opportunity to work with Kraft Sports and Entertainment, and have their choice of BOTH types of “football.” Founder, Chairman, and CEO Robert Kraft is the owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. 

The University of Colorodo at Colorado Springs (UCCS) also offers two exclusive professional sports partnerships through their relationship with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (not to be confused with the previously mentioned company!). Kroenke Sports has ownership and management stake in over a dozen professional teams and stadiums, but the students at UCCS work exclusively with the Denver Nuggets (NBA) and the Colorado Avalanche (NHL). 

A few other exclusive professional sports + educational partnerships to note include:

• Suffolk University; Boston, MA + Boston Celtics (NBA)
• California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA + Angel City Football Club (women’s professional soccer)
• Niagara University; Niagara, NY + Buffalo Sabres (NHL) 

Lastly, as we were digging for all of the exclusive educational partnerships, we found some very unique educational partnerships for those who are current or former professional athletes! 

At the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC), current players, MLS greats and eMLS players (the League’s esports competition) are invited to pursue higher-education through customized degree programs that address the needs of professional athletes.

Major League Baseball has collaborated with Northeastern University in Boston to assist current and former players working toward their bachelor’s degree. Using online and in-person instruction in growing fields, such as information technology, health sciences, business, and finance, this program is growing in popularity. 

Finally, the NFL Players Association and Indiana University’s prestigious Kelley School of Business offer ways for former and current players to obtain an online MBA, Masters degree, or certificates in a variety of fields. 

We hope that some of these incredible opportunities for students considering Sport Management and other related fields will offer another consideration when looking at colleges. These premier internship opportunities will undoubtedly churn out some of the sport industry’s future leaders! 

BONUS: For those students interested in Sports Management, we HIGHLY recommend you check out the recording of our STAR Paths Webinar with Monica Gustin, VP of Business Development with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission!