VCU news

By Greg Burton
Center for Sport Leadership

The Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University has again been ranked by SportBusiness as one of the world’s top graduate programs in sport business and sports management.

The center is ranked No. 8 worldwide and No. 6 in North America in the news and data service’s 2024 Postgraduate Rankings. This is the second consecutive year the CSL has been in the global top 10 – and it earned the top ranking for its alumni network.

“We are thrilled and share this honor with everyone connected to our program,” said Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D., executive director of the CSL. “It is an honor to be ranked in the top 10 globally and domestically, but to have the No. 1 alumni network in the world is incredible.”

The CSL is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024 and held an alumni reunion in August, with more than 125 graduates attending.

“This alumni network ranking is validation of our commitment to students and alumni,” LeCrom said. “We are dedicated to creating an impactful learning experience during their time on campus. It is equally important we stay engaged and support them beyond graduation as they advance in their careers.”

In other categories, the center ranked second in North America (and third globally) in job support as well as in professional advocacy, and second in North American (and fourth globally) in career advancement.

This is the 13th year SportBusiness has ranked programs worldwide, and the news and data service received a record number of entries for consideration. Rankings are based on factors including graduates employed within three months of graduation, work placement, male/female ratio, domestic/international student ratio and average salary after three years of graduation. There is also a student satisfaction component, which is based on surveying a program’s alumni from a designated year.

The Center for Sport Leadership at VCU was established in 1999 to offer an innovative, practical learning environment that would prepare students for careers in the sport industry. Modeled after the Brandcenter, VCU’s nationally ranked graduate advertising program, the CSL launched as a nontraditional graduate program that focuses on experiential learning through hands-on experiences and networking opportunities.

In 2018, the CSL joined VCU’s School of Business, strengthening its commitment to teaching the business of sport. The center has more than 800 alumni working in all areas of the sport industry, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, USGA and more than 50 Division 1 college athletic departments across the country.