Why Birmingham is THE place to study sport management
Every weekend, the UK becomes alive with sport. Whether it be football, tennis, rugby, cricket, golf, or whatever else is in season, Brits are obsessed with playing, watching and analysing the weekend’s action.
Birmingham is no different in this, only it is one of the few places in the country that can offer everything we mentioned above 52 weeks a year. This diverse sporting map makes it the ideal place to study a sports management degree.
Here are a few reasons why we think Birmingham is the place to study sport management.
Venues
Everywhere you go in the second city, you’re never far away from sport. As you can see on this sport map of Birmingham, nearly everything is either in walking distance or a quick train journey from the city centre.
Take football for example. You won’t find a better concentration of football league grounds outside of London than in Birmingham and the surrounding area. Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Walsall, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers are the major teams in the West Midlands, but several other big names such as Stoke, Coventry and Leicester are only a short distance away, and there are also plenty of non-league teams here as well for those who enjoy grassroots football.
That’s not to mention Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the Priory Tennis Club, Handsworth Golf Club, Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium and of course Alexander Stadium. Mix in the plethora of amateur clubs within Birmingham, and there are plenty of opportunities to work across a wide range of sports both during and after your sport management course.
Birmingham Arenas
Birmingham is also blessed with two world class arenas – the Genting Arena near the NEC complex, and the city centre Arena Birmingham. Both of these attract sporting events from across the globe.
We regularly see tours from American staples such as the WWE and the Harlem Globe Trotters, as well as high profile boxing and MMA cards. The Horse of the Year show is held annually at the NEC complex, and several athletic sports hold championships at the two arenas, including gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading.
These all come with their own organisational challenges, and can offer you exposure to sports outside of the norm.
Commonwealth Games
In 2022 Birmingham came alive as it hosted the Commonwealth Games. The games created thousands of jobs, voluntary and permanent, and saw the stadium undergo a massive renovation.
The city is still feeling the benefits of hosting the event, with one of the long-lasting benefits it has had on BCU being providing a new home for Sport courses at the Alexander Stadium.
Industry Links
We have forged links with industry that can get you closer to the sporting venues and events in the city. We have good working relations with the Genting Arena, and Birmingham City University are the official University partner of Warwickshire County Cricket Club. Our students have already enjoyed placement opportunities there, through our sandwich placement year scheme.
Expert Teaching
During your Sport Management degree, you’ll be part of a school with extensive industry experience across all of the management sector. You’ll get to hear from experts in office, corporate and retail management, who can all bring their insight into the classroom to make sure you pick up a wide range of managerial skills.
We believe that Birmingham represents the best place to study a Sports Management degree, in more ways than one. Interested? Check out our Global Sport Management degree and find out more about this great course.