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This study examined how academic programs administrate their internships, including implementing and executing their philosophy and internship rationale, and connecting with and managing relationships with internship agencies while accounting for contextual information (e.g., geography, size, and research vs. teaching focus). Using a case-study methodology, 12 sport management programs’ internship approaches were analyzed, leading to several cross-case themes and larger interpretations useful for advancing future research and practice related to internships. Several commonalities and differences were observed that offer insight important for interpreting existing research and recommending practices across programs.

Internships help position college students to succeed in the sport industry but have historically been unpaid. In response to a call from Walker et al. for more research on the impacts of unpaid internships, this study interviewed internship supervisors regarding their perspectives on unpaid internships. Data analysis was framed by institutional theory, exploitation theory, and efficiency wage theory. Results showed that supervisors use several narratives to justify unpaid internships and organizations are often slow to change without a pressing reason. While the supervisors believed that higher pay would attract better candidates and produce higher quality work, they also believed that some organizations are not capable of paying their interns and sport organizations are popular enough to attract many applicants without paying.

This case study highlights the symbiotic relationship between sport management programs and athletic departments, emphasizing the benefits of leveraging on-campus athletics for practical student experiences. Given the prominence of intercollegiate athletics in the United States, universities have a unique opportunity to offer sport management students hands-on learning while on campus. Through the lens of a fundraising project, this study demonstrates effective strategies for building partnerships with athletic departments. It underlines how such projects provide real-world industry experience, focusing not only on technical skills but also on soft skills. The case study shows that both students and athletic departments can significantly benefit from this collaborative approach, enriching the educational experience and contributing to the professional development of future sport industry leaders.

Short-term mega sporting events provide an opportunity for students to not only gain a memorable career experience but also enhance student skills and learning. However, very few (if any) researchers have explored students’ confidence related to key skills before and after such an event. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of experiential learning at the National Football League’s 2023 Super Bowl LVII mega event on students’ learning outcomes. Students (N = 103) responded to an online survey distributed to assess their self-confidence across 18 learning-outcome skills covering problem solving, communication, sport-industry knowledge, and professional development. Each dependent-sample t test done to examine the students’ self-confidence with the individual learning outcome skills was significant (p < .001) and had meaningfully increased (Cohen’s d range: 0.47–0.97) from pre- to postevent. The results suggest that students can experience a notable increase in self-confidence when volunteering at a short-term mega sporting event. From a practical standpoint, the results provide sport management educators with strong evidence of the meaningful student learning related to problem solving, communication, sport-industry knowledge, and professional development that can occur with a single short-term mega-event experience.

Student-athletes face a variety of stressors and are at risk for mental health issues, particularly with “name, image, and likeness” issues creating new pressures and distractions. This article outlines a leadership development program geared toward student-athletes and the enrichment of their mental health. The courricular content described within includes self-development material delivered by faculty in a team context. Early findings indicate that the Positive Leadership Program appears to make impactful improvements in mental health outcomes and can be introduced into sport management curricula.

Due to increased industry demands for specialized experience, students and sport industry professionals alike often feel stifled during the job search process. As a result, practices have been absorbed into the curriculum to provide this link to future employability, with a distinct focus on internships. Therefore, if we seek to create a diverse workforce that more closely represents the individuals that we both see and serve, we must assess the primary practice used for professional development in sport management. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to explore both barriers and pathways that sport management students face when participating in for-credit internships. To do so, a mixed-methods, two-phased, approach was adopted. Results indicate primary barriers in the areas of lack of time and the competitive nature of the sport management internships.