<p>I'm going to be a high school senior and I want to major in sport management. I have a 4.0 and I am ranked 1st in my class, and getting into a school shouldn't be a problem. My ultimate goal is to be either a AD at a D1 school or a GM of a professional team. I'm trying to decide which option would be better. I could go to a small college like Baldwin Wallace, where they have connections with all the Cleveland teams, and I would play varsity soccer there, or I can go to a larger school like Indiana U or Bowling Green, where they are bigger programs with more prestige, but only play intramural soccer. Any suggestions or thoughts?</p>
<p>Hard to say. Prestige doesn't count for much with Sports Management although Bowling Green does have a good program. It's about networking. BG and Indiana is likely to provide you with better opportunities if only for their size. However, being a varsity athlete would help a lot.</p>
<p>No other takers? Thanks ferryboat10, i think i know what i'm going to do now.</p>
<p>Umass amherst has the top sports managment program in the country. But it is a big party school.</p>
<p>Its not that simple to just become an AD or GM, takes alot of time and who you know, but if you go to Baldwin Wallace that is where jim tressel and his father coached.</p>
<p>Being an AD or GM is my ultimate goal...I willing to put the forth the time and effort necessary to get there, I don't expect to be handed a position like that right after college. I know I will have to work my way up.</p>
<p>Sounds like me and you are in the same position. I'm wondering if I should stay in state and go to a large school like Florida State or Central Florida, or schools surrounded by large teams such as Drexel in Philly or Pace in NYC. </p>
<p>I'm fine with starting my career working for a minor league team (which is what going to a school in a suburban campus would probably get me) but I wonder if attending a school surrounded by major league teams is worth a shot. Any advice?</p>
<p>Look into Ohio University, it has produced the most athletic directors out of any school in the country. They have the top sports management program in the country, great connections to Ohio sports teams. I would also second the recommendation of Bowling Green.</p>
<p>You said you are from Florida, there are tons of great SM programs in Florida. Flagler College, University of Miami, University of Florida, Florida State, Central Florida, Barry, FAU. Central Florida has a GREAT masters program, Florida State produces a ton of PhD in Sport Management students, Miami has great connections with and 4 professional franchises to get involved with that are minutes away, in addition to a top athletics department. Florida has the nations largest athletics budget, best intramural sports program, and a good SM program with tons of options for a 4+1 (4 years B.S. 1 year M.S.), joint MBA/MSA.</p>
<p>Being an AD/GM has absolutely nothing to do with your education and degree and everything to do with your connections and networking. So many people get these jobs because of a prior relationship with someone or because they are an iconic figure. Everyone wants to be a GM, there's hundreds of thousands of people out there who work in sports, but only about ~120 professional general managers. You need to realize that to work in pro sports, the entry level is 95% ticket sales, where you will be cold calling customers and getting them to games.</p>
<p>yeah but with a 4.0 you shouldn't look at lower end schools.</p>
<p>go to a great school with a great program, not a so-so school with a great program. you probably would find that you wouldn't fit in when you are well above the rest of the student population.</p>