Wisconsin may be known for its wealth of dairy products, but look beyond the grazing cattle and you’ll discover one of the country’s hidden gems for outdoor recreation: over 2,700 miles of hiking trails, 15,000 inland lakes, 43,000 miles of river, and two Great Lakes. Only Alaska, Michigan, and Florida have more water. In the summer, outdoors enthusiasts enjoy whitewater rafting, camping, cycling, and fishing; in winter, the fishing turns to ice fishing, and the slopes are open for skiers. Deer hunting is also immensely popular, but Lambeau Field is where the real game is: catching a Packers game on the “frozen tundra” at Lambeau Field (or a neighborhood bar) is a rite of passage here. Beyond the Packers, Wisconsin is home to the Milwaukee Brewers (MLB) and Bucks (NBA), plus a number of minor league hockey and baseball teams. The University of Wisconsin is a highly competitive D-1 school with several NCAA championships, and Marquette is a regular challenger in college basketball. In sum, Wisconsin is a great place for current and aspiring sports management professionals, with a range of opportunities and activities. To review some of the top sports management degrees available in-state, check out our favorite locations, universities, and degree programs below!
Planning Your Education
Currently there are 6 universities in the state of Wisconsin offering online programming in sports management degree fields located throughout the state. While this level of choice and convenience is great, potential students should be counseled to know that there are many potential ways to enter into sports management fields. Many degree types can give students a variety of unique edges on competition, but it’s for students to choose which degree type is the best for entering into a sports management field or role of their choice. For an in-depth treatment of this subject, check out our degrees page. Or if you already know what degree types your interested in, check out our directory of sports management degrees in Wisconsin.
Types of Degrees Surveyed:
- Sports Management
- Coaching Education
- Nutrition
- Recreation Management
- Kinesiology
- Communications and Public Relations
- Physical Education
- Health and Wellness
- Sports Psychology
- Business Administration: Sports Management
Degree Levels Surveyed:
- Associates
- Bachelors
- Masters
- Doctoral Degrees
- Graduate and Undergraduate Certifications
Career Opportunities
Number of Jobs
With just under 5,200 sports management professionals, Wisconsin accounts for 2% of the sector’s workforce nationwide. According to Indeed.com, most available positions are full-time entry-level, but part-time, commission, contract, temp, and internship roles are also available. (A third are mid-level.) As with the rest of the state, Milwaukee is the largest magnet for sports management jobs — home to two professional sports organizations – followed by Green Bay, Madison, Germantown, and La Crosse. The Milwaukee Brewers (MLB) and Bucks (NBA) boast established fanbases, having been in town since the late 60s, and The Packers (NFL) are among the most storied and successful franchises in American sports. Jobs with the big three professional organizations are tough to find, but worth pursuing nonetheless. Current students and recent graduates should keep track of internship and part-time roles which may have room to grow. From there, Wisconsin’s range of colleges and universities are another great place to look for job opportunities, especially at the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System (which offers a number of relevant online degrees through the UW Extension program).
Earning Percentiles for Sports Management Professionals in Wisconsin
Wisconsin ranks 21st in the country for median household income, and sports management salaries seem to follow that trend, landing middle-of-the-road compared to other states. For comparison, the mean salary for management positions in spectator sports nationwide is $117,000, which lands between the 75th and 90th percentile in Wisconsin. Still, there’s reason for optimism: salaries have necessarily increased in recent years with the recent downturn in overall employment. In other words, if you’re fortunate enough to secure a job you’re going to be compensated appropriately – indeed, twice as much as the mean income for other professions – and Wisconsin’s low cost-of-living means your dollar goes a long way. Considering the number of top-tier higher colleges offering sports-relevant tracks, Wisconsin remains a quality state for sports management professionals.
Need more inspiration to pursue sports management-related opportunities in Wisconsin today? Check out the range of job opportunities below!
Top Sports Management Degree Programs: WI
While there are a variety of top schools offering a range of sports management-related degrees online in Wisconsin, students will first and foremost want to consider the exact degree type they're interested in pursuing. We've chosen out our three "recommended" schools for Wisconsin below, but aspiring students should keep in mind that not each of these universities will necessarily have a program of study that can lead directly to the particular sports management career of your choice. If you're already set on pursuing sports management-related schooling in the state of Wisconsin, we advise you to not only consult out ranking of top schools below, but also peruse our database of all sports management-related programs in Wisconsin below. While there are additional benefits of pursuing an online degree in your own state (in-state tuition, and the ability to take classes or intensives in person), future students should also note that there are many online programs available nationwide, and consult our wide-ranging rankings for the top online sports management schools in the nation.
With that said, there are many top Wisconsin-based programs available entirely online. We've selected our top three through equally weighting two metrics: the number of sports-management related degrees available online through the institution, and the academic prestige of the given institution.
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WI Sports Management Degree Database
Military friendly
| Ottawa University-Milwaukee | Brookfield, WI | Online SM Degrees: 1 | |
 ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO (855) 392-0002
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| Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton, WI | Online SM Degrees: 1 | |
 ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO (920) 735-5600
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