For example UMass is reaching into the industry itself, planning to offer continuing education courses for the executives who run the NBA Celtics, NHL Bruins and MLB Red Sox. But they have a sense that they need to get training somewhere. Pro sports is such a big business now, you can t take the risk of not having top business people in charge. Sports-business education is becoming global as well. In Europe, sports management programs are working to create a uniform degree that will allow a graduate to move from nation to nation without accreditation problems.
Interest is high in Australia and Asia as well, experts say.
They want to learn how things are done in America, and then to adapt that to their own countries. Many of them want to teach sports management. Meanwhile, scholars are debating whether there are too many programs in the U.S. that lead to sports business degrees. A few think there s room for growth. Then, of course, the popularity will cool.