Bachelor of Business Administration

Sports Management with a concentration in Athletic Administration

The game never ends. You can continue your game at the only university in the world that coordinates the Olympic academic experience. With a strong foundation from classes in sports marketing, facilities design and management and athlete development, TU students have the chance to travel to the Olympics, partner with the Cleveland Indians or serve as athletic directors of a NCAA football bowl series team. The finish line is there for you, waiting for you to win.

All Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) – Sports fulfill their academic requirements for graduation by completing 121 hours of course work which, includes a minimum of 200-contact hours in a sports or recreation internship experience.

What You Can Expect From Your Major:

The purpose of the Tiffin University Sport Management major is to promote, stimulate, and guide study, research, and professional career development in the area of sport and recreation management (broadly interpreted). A primary component of the program is an integration of theory with practical requirements.

BBA to MBA Program

TU offers MBA classes that count as dual credit towards both your undergraduate business degree and a master of business degree. Undergraduate business students, who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, will have the opportunity during their senior year to take up to four graduate courses. This opportunity allows students to finish their graduate degree program faster and will save them money in the long run. After completing these classes, and upon your undergraduate graduation, you will be able to complete your MBA in less than a year (only 45 weeks). At that time, you will also qualify for the alumni tuition discount.

Your Ticket To The Big Time

TU notables include the NFL Vice President of Player Development, a majority team owner of a minor league franchise, an NFL scout, a former Assistant GM, a two-time NFL Super Bowl wide receiver, and a PGA tournament director. In 2009-2010, students interned with the Cleveland Indians, Women’s Sports Foundation, Salem Red Sox, LRMR (LeBron James) Marketing Company, Lake Erie Monsters, Columbus Crew, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

Several courses in The BBA and MBA are taught by a certified NBA sports agent, President of the National Olympians Association in Sierra Leone [Africa] and the former Director of Media Relations for the Boston Celtics and Marketing Coordinator for the Atlanta Braves.

Consider some of the other locations TU alumni and students work, have worked, or interned: Cleveland Browns; Pittsburgh Steelers; Tennessee Titans; Buffalo Bills; Milwaukee Brewers; Salem Red Sox; Indianapolis Pacers & Fever; Indianapolis Colts; St. Louis Cardinals; Atlanta Braves; Toledo Mud Hens; Akron Aeros; Lake Erie Monsters; Florence Freedom; Rockford Thunder; Philadelphia Force; Greater Cleveland Sports Commission; Detroit Metro Sports Commission; Mid American Conference; NCAA Final Four; ESPN Detroit Radio; Penn State University Athletics; Wake Forest University Athletics, the NFL Players Association; and IMG.

Sports Management Club - The student-led Sports Management club meets the first Wednesday of the month during the school year to coordinate practicum opportunities. Members work many of the TU athletic events and organize a co-ed volleyball tournament fundraiser. The past several years have featured speakers from Cleveland Cavaliers, NHL Columbus Blue Jackets; The Ohio State University Athletic Department; the Detroit Tigers; and the National Fastpitch Softball League. For the past few years the club has financed student members to attend the Ohio Parks and Recreation Student Conference, the NCAA Women’s Leadership Symposium; and special tours with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dayton Dragons.

Program Accredited by Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)

Tiffin University’s School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The ACBSP is a leading specialized accreditation body for business education supporting, celebrating and rewarding teaching excellence. They accredit business education programs at the associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctorate degree levels worldwide. Institutions with this accreditation are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want. Every quality business program worldwide is accredited.

Sports Management Core 18 hours

CONCENTRATION: ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

SMG220 Principles of Athlete Development 3 hours

SMG315 Supervision in Sports 3 hours

SMG325 Facilities Design and Management 3 hours

SMG375 Sport Governance and Administration 3 hours

Total 12 hours

Some courses may have prerequisites. See course description for details.

Students should take SOC280 Sports in American Society as an open elective.

Total BBA hours 121

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate course offerings for this major. Consult the official Academic Bulletin for detailed registration and advising information.

On Campus - Offered in a 15-week semester format with a start date of January and August

All Sports & Management offered

Sports Marketing and Promotions (SMG235) - This course is designed to assist students in understanding the techniques of writing common to the sports business with a focus on social and digital media applications for successful marketing and promotion campaigns. Students will gain exposure to writing, designing, and editing a variety of documents used for sport sponsorship proposals, brand awareness campaigns, fan loyalty programs, marketing plans, endorsement deals and event fundraising plans. Students will apply fundamental principles of sport blogging, meeting deadlines and web layout for the internet.

Facilities Design and Management (SMG325) - Provides dynamic models and options for planning, maintaining and managing sport & entertainment facilities in the present and future. Concentration is on the design, maintenance, and full utilization of facilities that are realistic, cost efficient, environmentally sound and aesthetically pleasing. Topics include design, construction, refurbishing, finance options, risk assessment, risk management, security, operations and procedures.

Principles of Athlete Development (SMG220) - This course explores the physical, psychological, and emotional aspects of development for athletic performance at the youth & interscholastic, recreation and leisure, intercollegiate, professional and elite level. Issues will also address athlete development influenced by substance abuse, career-transition and off-field behaviors.

Supervision in Sports (SMG315) - This course explores the responsibilities and duties of sport supervisors in the youth, scholastic, collegiate, club and professional sectors on a national and global scale.

Academic Advisor
Athlete-Services Coordinator
Athletic Administrator
Athletic Director
Compliance Coordinator
Equipment Manager
Facilities Manager
Facility / Ballpark Operations
Fitness Trainer
Game Operations
Head Coach
Park Services
Player Development
Program Specialist
Recreation Services
Scouting Services
Sponsorship Coordinator
Ticket Sales
Tournament Operations
Umpires and Referees

9 Round Fitness
Buckeye Impact
Cal Ripkin Baseball – Myrtle Beach
Cincinnati Reds Ballpark Operations
City of Westerville Parks and Recreation
Columbus Crew
Delaware North
Edison State Community College Athletics
First Energy Stadium
Heidelberg University Athletics
Hurricane Jr. Golf
Indianapolis Colts
Lakeland Community College Athletics
MC Sports
Millersville University Athletic Department
Northwood University
Oakland United School District
Pacesetters Soccer Club
Rio Grande University
Sacramento River Cats
Sandusky Country YMCA
Sandusky Sports Park
St Lawrence University Athletics
Stay Fit24
University of South Carolina Athletics
University of Wisconsin Lacrosse
USA Softball
Western Governors University
YMCA Greater Cleveland
Youngstown State University

Faculty

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Btiell@tiffin.edu
419-448-3261

Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

D.S.M., United States Sports Academy – Sports Management and Human Resource Management
M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Sports Administration
B.S., Troy University – Physical Education N-12

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Bonnie Tiell, who earned her Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy (USSA), is a professor of sport management at Tiffin University. She has been widely recognized for her contributions to intercollegiate athletic administration and global sports governance. Tiell is the founder and co-director of the Olympic Academic Experience (OAE), a program through Tiffin University that offers students from around the world the opportunity for on-site study of the organization, supervision, and management of international sport venues and elite competition in an Olympic host city. She is also co-founder of a humanitarian program for underprivileged youth in Olympic host cities with two-time Olympian, Dr. Francis Dove-Edwin, who serves as co-director.

Tiell received Tiffin University’s Provost award in 2017, the highest recognition for faculty at the institution. In 2016, she was recognized as Woman of the Year in Sports by the Cleveland Chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE). In the same year, it was the second time she was the recipient of the Region 4 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Tiell also received the Donahue Service Award in 2013 from NCAA II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.

In 2014, Tiell was named USSA Alumnus of the Year. She currently serves as a member of the Academy’s National Faculty, a prestigious group of educators who teach international sport administration and coaching programs abroad. In 2017, Tiell participated in the Academy’s program to teach sports management to students from the Sports Authority of Thailand in Bangkok. She taught the Academy’s International Certification in Sports Management program, which prepares participants for leadership roles in sport. In 2018, she is administering a similar program for the Federation of Disabled Sports in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Tiell is also co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Symposium, a program partially financed and now administrated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Women Leaders in College Sports. The three-day program facilitates the entry, retention, and advancement of females in intercollegiate athletics.

A published scholar of almost 100 articles and manuscripts, Tiell authored a textbook for Jones & Bartlett on “Human Resources in Sports: A Managerial Approach” in 2017. The book features best practices, case studies, global spotlights and industry voices from respected executives from every facet of the sports industry. Tiell has traveled across five continents speaking and delivering sport education programs.

Tiell is spearheading a “Salute to Olympians” week in Tiffin, Ohio in 2018 which will feature a slate of activities involving Olympic athletes and coaches from multiple countries. She led a group of 17 students and scholars in the 4th Olympic Academic Experience during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil highlighted by programs at the Olympic Reunion Center, the Brazilian Sailing Federation Headquarters, and at the 8th International Sport Business Symposium which featured executives from the IOC and local organizing committees. The Salute to Olympians Week will coincide with the opening of registration for participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Academic Experience.

In her faculty role at Tiffin University, Tiell served as the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative, Dean of Graduate Studies, and MBA Chair. She also taught in the Executive MBA program in Bucharest, Romania. Prior to her faculty appointment, Tiell served as Senior Woman Administrator and an assistant athletic director. She is a member of the TU Hall of Fame for her extensive coaching accolades. She has coached volleyball, softball (1993 national qualifier), and tennis (2006 national qualifier) for Tiffin University. She also coached briefly at Alfred University in New York (volleyball and track) and at Peace College in North Carolina (basketball - assistant).

Tiell she holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Troy University, a master’s degree in sports administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in Sports Management from the USSA. She writes a monthly column for the Advertiser-Tribune focusing on economic, global, and social issues in sport. She and her husband, Greg, reside in Tiffin, OH. Their oldest daughter (Kimberly) is a sales manager in Atlanta, GA and their youngest (Katie) is a student-athlete (swimming) studying communications and emerging media while minoring in sport management at Lynn University in Boca, Raton, FL.

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Professor of Management

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Professor of Management

Btiell@tiffin.edu

419-448-3261

Testimonials

“There is always gonna be a little doubt in any person's mind when it comes to new things. But for me, I think proving people, who said I couldn't do it, wrong is my biggest motivation. There's really nothing that seems impossible to me anymore, the world is constantly changing and I feel like I am much more capable of adapting to those changes now compared to when I was walking on to TU's campus for the first time.”
Alexandra Tozzie
Class of 2018
Louisville, Colorado
"I chose TU because of its reputation for excellence, national recognition, many extracurricular opportunities and because it offers in a small, diverse college environment. I have learned the significance of academics, leadership, diversity, communication, and relationships. TU allowed me to get out of my comfort zone in order to lead and inspire. It has prepared me to make wise and imperative decisions that will benefit me in my career and my life.”
– Ivan Santiago, Class of 2015
"I chose Tiffin because it is a university with people from all parts of the world, and the fact I could be here and meet all of them is simply amazing. Better yet, I came here for swimming and it was an honor for me to be a part of TU’s newest athletic program.”
- Ygor Bortolato, Brazil
"What I love about Tiffin University is the fact that I am learning about real-life experiences inside the classroom. Once I graduate, I know I will be prepared for a career in my field. I am thankful for the support I have received from my professors and classmates."
- Hasan Abdul Elah, UAE
"The aspects of Tiffin University that I really like include low tuition cost and the fact that there are generous scholarships available for international students. Tiffin’s quiet atmosphere makes it easy to concentrate on your studies, but the surrounding cities have plenty to explore including a vibrant entertainment scene.”
- Xin Guo, China