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To prepare sport management students, curricula should align with industry. Given recent changes in sport management, the first step in aligning curricula with industry is to review current curricula. This study reviewed Australian sport management curricula using content analysis of the Common Professional Components based on the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation. From 39 universities, 11 (28%) undergraduate sport management programs were identified. The most common required sport management course was management concepts, followed by sport marketing and finance, budgeting, accounting, and economics. Public relations and ethical aspects were the least common required courses. Technology and sport sales were not offered. Results indicate that the current curricula may not be keeping pace with the sport management industry.

Student learning outcomes and assessment of those outcomes have become standard in almost every accreditation, reaffirmation, and most annual reports for accrediting bodies. Additionally, outcomes and assessments are vital to continuous improvement of sport management programs. This interview was conducted with an expert on outcomes and assessment at the national level, who can provide insight from an expert on the “outside looking in.” The purpose of this interview is to discuss broader standards in educational assessment and how those standards can be applied specifically to sport management. This resource is most useful for those early in the process of outcomes and assessment creation, those who may not already have Commission on Sport Management Accreditation and training opportunities, or those who simply want to improve their classes.

With increased interest in outcomes-based assessment in sport management programs, the Specifications Grading model can be implemented within individual courses to facilitate the process. Specific requirements that are articulated at course onset with explicit directions, samples of high-scoring work, and access to evaluation rubrics can set students on the path for achieving measurable benchmarks. Thus, the submissions become objective expressions of learning instead of a points-based bargaining tool. Implemented into an Introduction to Sport Management class, the model provided opportunities for consistent engagement with assessment tools in which students had agency and multiple chances to focus on improving the assessment to meet the benchmarks. The instructor reflected upon the experience, noting administrative elements to change to assist the overall implementation of the system but discovered that the Specifications Grading model centered the students in the learning process while providing meaningful outcome data for assessment purposes. Recommendations are provided for faculty interested in implementing it in their own classrooms.

A routine critique of programmatic accreditation in the academic discipline of sport management is the tangible return from investment in specialized accreditation. As the sole accrediting body offering programmatic accreditation in the field of sport management education, the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) provides members with a systematic outcome-oriented approach to assist in the development of holistic sport management undergraduate and graduate degree programs. A strategic emphasis on professional competencies’ (e.g., Common Professional Components) and student outcomes’ assessment positions COSMA to be of unique value to accredited programs, specifically in the area of curriculum development. Utilizing direct student feedback, this study examined student perceptions of a sport management undergraduate curriculum at a COSMA-accredited institution. Results indicated that undergraduate students found COSMA-accredited sport management courses to be enjoyable, relevant, and of practical value. Findings are illustrative of the significance of programmatic accreditation through COSMA to the sampled institution in both systematic curriculum development and student perceptions of quality.

Diversity and inclusion are identified as necessary for enhancing the sport industry. Undergraduate sport management programs play an important role in educating aspiring sport professionals with respect to these topics. However, the literature indicates that sport management education can improve with respect to this work. Therefore, the purpose of this instructional technique review is to discuss two comparable teaching activities that sought to incorporate diversity and inclusion education into the content area of disability and sport-related compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Student feedback showed that despite similarities between the activities (i.e., active engagement with the Americans with Disabilities Act as it pertains to sport facilities), students had substantially different reported learning outcomes related to diversity and inclusion. This review is thus designed to illustrate the importance of deliberate framing decisions in the sport management classroom, which can have a transformative impact on students’ learning around diversity and inclusion content.

Program-level accreditation ensures that students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a career that is based on industry standards. Numerous researchers have reported the cost and benefits of pursuing specialized accreditation in different disciplines. There is a dearth of research related to specialized accreditation at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in general and none specifically for sport management accreditation. Therefore, this study aims to fill the void of research on the perception of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) by faculty and administrators at HBCUs. The researchers were given permission to utilize an existing survey. Results of this study found that the top benefits of accreditation were accountability for program improvements and recognition as a superior (elite) program/institution. Cost and redundancy were reported as major barriers to COSMA. Although HBCUs must deal with fewer resources and a lower budget than most predominantly White institutions (PWI), they are evaluated using the same accreditation standards as PWIs. Therefore, if HBCU sport management programs are going to seek accreditation with COSMA, they must be understood within the context in which they are operating—and how that may be different from PWIs.

The curricular content of sport management degrees has been scrutinized and criticized by internal and external stakeholders. Before specialized accreditation, individual institutions decided the content of their degrees. Accreditation established a baseline of curricular content known as the Common Professional Component. To add to the body of literature on undergraduate sport management curricular development, this study analyzed the content of accredited sport management programs and the impact of institutional forces on that content. Despite institutional differences, results show consistency across the curricula of accredited programs, with experiential learning, management concepts, and sport marketing appearing most frequently.

This manuscript shares insights on the process of creating and operating a student-led equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) club centered in a sport management program through five reflective stories (i.e., three students and two faculty members). Sport Helps Everyone Make Allies is a student-led EDI club created at one of the largest sport-management-specific degree programs in North America. Based on critical reflections from the five stories, we identify key lessons for the creation and management of student-led EDI clubs: (a) resisting the chilly climate, (b) EDI initiatives within hierarchal systems, (c) EDI initiatives and the challenges of performative allyship, (d) EDI initiatives as agents of change, and (e) the essential role of faculty. By sharing our insights and reflections, we hope to help future social-justice-focused student groups navigate the development of a student-led EDI club.