Utility In A Sports Management Masters Degree

I probably get fielded a question like this through email atleast three times a week: What is the best route to take if I plan on negotiating contracts and being a knowledgeable sports agent in future; getting my masters in sports management or obtaining a law degree?

My response is usually along the lines of, There really is no “right” route.

Law school will teach you the most about negotiation and contracts. A masters in sports management will probably do less, but may prove to be rewarding.

I obviously hold slight bias as a current law student, but from what I have heard and read, obtaining a J.D. was more valuable than gaining a masters in sports management as long as one was willing to put in the three years of time to receive the degree and countless hours in the library to prevent failing out.

A new story is making me reconsider the weakness of obtaining a masters in sports management. In fact, the most valuable masters degrees in sports management may be coming from schools that you would not at first consider when applying for graduate school. San Diego State University, Arizona State University, Ohio University, and University of Oregon have sports management masters programs that are among the top in the United States. SDSU has a strong relationship with the San Diego Padres and Arizona State with the Phoenix Suns. Then there is always top rated Wharton at University of Pennsylvania, where one has a chance of being taught by a premier sports business professor, Ken Shropshire.

If law school is not for you, but you want a post graduate degree (possibly so that you can be a certified NFLPA agent), signing up to be a sports management masters program student may not be such a bad idea. Do your research and learn which program is best for your future goals.