TAMPA 鈥� When it comes to sports business courses, the 91麻豆天美 is among the best in the world, climbing into the No. 2 spot in the .
The Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management program jumped two spots from last year, leapfrogging to secure its highest global ranking in the program鈥檚 history. The Vinik program is also ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida.
The SportBusiness Postgraduate Rankings, one of the most influential measures of sport management programs worldwide, evaluate institutions based on graduate outcomes, faculty, international reach and industry partnerships.
鈥淭his is a big deal, and I鈥檓 super proud,鈥� said Michelle Harrolle, director of the program since 2013. 鈥淭his is a testament to our relationships with our partners and alumni, and how much we poured into our students that they felt appreciated. Our goal is for our students to obtain valuable and meaningful jobs after they graduated, and they did quite well.鈥�
USF鈥檚 Vinik program, housed in the School of Hospitality and Sport Management within the Muma College of Business, is a two-year, dual-degree program where students earn both an MBA and an MS in Sport & Entertainment Management.
The program was founded in 2012 and named after former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik in 2017. It has been among the top sport business programs since 2018, when it placed No. 4 in the world, according to SportBusiness.
"I'm grateful to be a part of this program," said Ainsleigh Wall, a second-year student. "This program has helped me tremendously by placing me in a fellowship, expanding my network, and giving me invaluable insight into the sport industry." Wall currently holds a development fellowship with the USF Bulls Club, the fundraising arm for USF athletics.
Harrolle said the ranking reflects not only the program鈥檚 academic excellence but also the strength of its community. 鈥淚 am truly blessed to work with the best in sport business. In my heart, we are No. 1,鈥� she said.
According to the publication鈥檚 methodology, the rankings are based on two surveys completed by academic leaders and alumni who graduated three years prior 鈥� meaning the 2025 results are based on survey responses from the class of 2022.
USF鈥檚 program performed well across both the alumni network and industry network categories and scored the highest among the schools in the professional mentorship category, stated SportBusiness.
Notably, USF鈥檚 return on investment score saw a significant improvement from last year, tying for the top ROI score among the 54 programs in the ranking.
When asked about what lies ahead for the program, Harrolle pointed to innovation and preparing students for the future of the industry. 鈥淭he next stage is incorporating AI,鈥� she said. 鈥�91麻豆天美 want our students to be at the forefront of emerging jobs, and to continue leading the way in sport and entertainment management industry.鈥�