MSLB students talking outside of ASU Law building

Master of Sports Law and Business (MSLB)

Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business program

The Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is centrally located in vibrant downtown Phoenix. This unique program blends the study of sports, law and business from a nationally-ranked law school and is led by world-class faculty, starting with the program’s esteemed namesake: MLB Commissioner Emeritus Allan “Bud” Selig. Phoenix is home to four professional sports teams and is an annual host of some of the nation’s most important sporting events, like spring training and the WM Phoenix Open. That buzz creates plenty of opportunities for students to learn and work with some of the best in a highly competitive field.

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80%

of 2022 graduates have sports jobs/internships within six months of graduation

 

73%

of total alumni are actively working in the sports industry

 

21

current SLB students are working toward their JD degree

 

sports law students

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Sports Law and Business degrees


Sports Law and Business curriculum

The Master of Sports Law and Business degree is comprised of 36 credits and can be completed in either one or two academic years based on the student’s preference. The 36 credits are divided between required courses (21 credits), electives (9-12 credits), and an internship or applied project (3-6 credits). Click here to view a detailed description of the program curriculum.

Applied Sports Marketing will be offered during the Spring term.

Assistant Dean and Executive Director of SLB Aaron Hernandez and students holding up a pitchfork with their hands at the graduation dinner.

Student opportunities

The SLB program offers graduate assistant opportunities to select admitted students, allowing them to work directly with faculty and staff. These positions are awarded based on merit, including students who have had success working in the sports industry.

Allan “Bud” Selig Scholars Program

Commissioner Selig and the SLB program select one MSLB candidate and one JD/MSLB candidate each academic year for this prestigious scholarship program. The $5,000 scholarship is awarded to candidates who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and a true passion for the impact sports can have on communities.

MSLB Graduate Assistantship Program with Sun Devil Athletics

The SLB program has proudly partnered with Sun Devil Athletics to offer admitted MSLB students the opportunity to work with ASU’s top-notch athletic program. Positions are awarded to those who have demonstrated excellence working in sports and a true understanding of the business of the industry. The number of positions available varies each year and is dependent on Sun Devil Athletics.

Click below to learn more about the Allan "Bud" Selig Scholarship and the MSLB Graduate Assistantship.

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Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Alumni

SLB graduates have gone on to secure positions in some of the top sports organizations or law firms around the country. The flexibility of the program allows students to pursue their passions, whether they hope to go into marketing, operations, compliance, player development, communications or a related field. See where some of our students have ended up in the list below.

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Arizona Coyotes
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Chicago Bears
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minor League Baseball
  • National Basketball Association
  • National Football League
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Islanders
  • New York Mets
  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns

  • Fiesta Bowl
  • Georgia Tech Athletics
  • MAAC Conference
  • Missouri Valley Conference
  • NCAA Final Four
  • NCAA National Office
  • Big West Conference
  • Pac-12
  • Rose Bowl Game
  • Sun Belt Conference
  • Sun Devil Athletics
  • University of California, Irvine Athletics
  • University of Florida Athletics
  • Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

  • Adidas
  • Athletes First
  • Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission
  • CAA Icon
  • Divine Sports and Entertainment
  • DraftKings
  • Excel Sports Management
  • FanDuel
  • Influxer
  • Insight Sports Advisors
  • ISE Worldwide
  • John Deere Classic
  • Monumental Sports & Entertainment
  • PGA of America
  • SportsTrust Advisors
  • Steve Levine Entertainment
  • Unlimited Potential Basketball
  • USA Triathlon
  • William Morris Endeavor

Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Advisory and Alumni Boards

  • Dale Adams – General Manager, Desert Diamond Arena Vice President Event Development, AEG Facilities
  • Ray Anderson – Professor of Practice, Arizona State University
  • Lon Babby – Retired President of Basketball Operations, Phoenix Suns
  • Jeff Benz – Arbitrator, Mediator, and Special Master, Jams
  • Kevin Blue – Chief Sport Officer, Golf Canada
  • Dan Burns – Executive Chairman, EXOS Human Performance
  • Gregg Clifton – Partner, Lewis Brisbois (Phoenix Office)
  • Ahron Cohen – Venture Partner, ADvantage Sports Tech Fund
  • Willie Derrick Crawford – Vice President, Hearing Operations, National Collegiate Athletic Association
  • Woodie Dixon – General Counsel, Chegg Inc.
  • Richard Ensor – CEO and Founder, Broadwalk Sports Event Management
  • Troy Ewanchyna – General Manager, Princeton Sports Properties
  • Sean Ford – Men’s National Team Director, USA Basketball
  • Dave Gardi – Senior Vice President, Football Operations, National Football League
  • Melissa Goldenberg – General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Phoenix Suns
  • Robin Harris – Executive Director, The Ivy League
  • Rocky Harris – Chief Sport and Athlete Services, USOPC
  • Bill Hubbard – Chairman, Tokio Marine HCC – Specialty Group
  • Alexa Huchingson – Vice President, Business Development, Elevate Sports Ventures
  • Jeff Ianello – Executive Vice President of Client Partnerships, SeatGeek
  • Zaileen Janmohamed – Head of Partnership Development and Innovation, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties
  • Caleb Jay – General Counsel, Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Scott Kaufman-Ross – Senior Vice President, Head of Fantasy and Gaming, National Basketball Association
  • Nina King – Vice President, Director of Athletics, Duke University
  • John Langbein – Founder and President, Ticket Exchange Inc.
  • Nona Lee – CEO and Founder, Truth DEI
  • Burke Magnus – President of Content, ESPN
  • Warde Manuel – Director of Athletics, University of Michigan
  • John Martin – Vice President, Media and Event Technology, NASCAR
  • Wade Martin – CEO, Bouldering Project
  • Bernadette McGlade – Commissioner, Atlantic 10
  • Lou Melendez – President, Lou Melendez, LLC
  • Vicky Neumeyer – Senior Vice President, and General Counsel, New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints
  • Dave Palanzo – Senior Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs, Women’s Tennis Association
  • Jeff Price – Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America
  • Tom Sadler – President and CEO, Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (ASTA)
  • Bud Selig – Commissioner Emeritus, Major League Baseball
  • Debbie Spander – Founder and CEO, Insight Sports Advisors
  • Naima Stevenson – Partner, Lewis Stinson
  • Bill Strickland – Senior Vice President, Life Sports Media Entertainment, LLC
  • Ben Tario – Deputy Commissioner/Chief Financial Officer, Business and Legal Affairs, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
  • Travis Tygart – Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
  • George VanderZwaag – Executive Director of Athletics, University of Rochester

 

  • Angie Allen – Assistant Commissioner for Student Athlete Well-Being, The Big West Conference
  • Tanner Martin – Account & Sales Manager, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
  • Zoe Lamb – Coordinator of Team Operations, Chicago Bulls
  • Amanda Andalis – Coordinator of Coaching Operations, US Soccer Federation
  • Samuel Bilderbeck – Chief of Staff, Sports Business Ventures
  • Jackson McDonnell – Executive Chairman, EXOS Human Performance
  • Jessica Newton – Partnerships Activation Manager, Legacy 15 Group (Phoenix Suns, Mercury, Valley Suns)
  • Austin Moore – Account Executive, Sales & Client Services, Playfly Sports
  • Tay Hawker – Football & Rugby Agent, Halo Sports
  • Marshal Lamb – Manager of Tournament Operations, John Deere Classic
  • Corbin Hill – Director, Account Management - Sports and Subscriptions at AXS
  • Rebecca Childress – Sr. Coordinator of People Operations, Arizona Cardinals
  • Nora Deleske – Executive Business Associate, Money 23 Green Enterprises, LLC
  • Jordan Brown – Community Marketing Manager, AZ Bouldering Project
  • Trevor Goodwin – Associate Director, Marketing and Promotions at the University of Florida
Four student working together while sitting in the ASU Law Library.

Sports Law and Business Expertise

The SLB program is home to an impressive roster of faculty and staff with decades of experience working in sports. Faculty members provide unique insight and experience to students and dedicate their time to make sure SLB students can successfully navigate careers of their own after graduation.

 

Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Hernandez
Executive Director; Assistant Dean, Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program

Evan Singletary

Evan Singletary
Assistant Director, Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program

Griffin Limongelli

Griffin Limongelli
Program Coordinator, Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program

Commissioner Emeritus Allan H. Bud Selig

Commissioner Emeritus Allan H. "Bud" Selig
Sandra Day O'Connor Distinguished Professor of Sports in America

Joe Garagiola Jr.

Joe Garagiola Jr.
Professor of Practice;
Senior Director of Special Projects, Diamondbacks

Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson
Professor of Practice

Glen Wong

Glenn Wong
Distinguished Professor of Practice, Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program

Lon Babby

Lon Babby
Faculty Associate; Former President of Basketball, Operations, Phoenix Suns

Stephanie Jarvis

Stephanie Jarvis
Teaching Associate Professor; Principal SJarvis Consulting

Don E. Gibson

Don E. Gibson
Professor of Practice;
CEO, Brandtheon

Michael Mokwa

Michael Mokwa
Professor and Pat Tillman Foundation Distinguished Professor of Leadership and Marketing, W. P. Carey School of Business; Faculty Associate, Sports Law and Business Program

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee
Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, W. P. Carey School of Business; Owner and Consultant, ChristopherLee.com

Melissa Goldenberg

Melissa Goldenberg
Faculty Associate; Senior Vice President and General Counsel,
Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury

Jessica Guffey

Jessica Guffey
Faculty Associate; Group Director, Brand and Marketing
at OH Partners

Caleb Jay

Caleb Jay
Professor of Practice; General Counsel, Arizona Diamondbacks

Annie Riches

Annie Riches
Faculty Associate; Senior Digital Media Strategist - Paid Social

Ryan Kota

Ryan Kota
Clinical Assistant Professor

Sonja Robinson

Sonja Robinson
Faculty Associate

Marquita Armstead

Marquita Armstead

Faculty Associate

Tony Defeo

Tony Defeo

Faculty Associate

Robert Yowell

Robert Yowell
Faculty Associate; President, Gemini Sports Group

Dan Burns

Dan Burns
Associate Faculty; Executive Chairman, EXOS. General Partner, Sonoran Founders Fund

Frequently asked questions about the Sports Law and Business program

The Selig Sports Law and Business Program is a master’s program that is housed in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Graduates of this program will receive a master’s degree, not a J.D. degree. Applicants apply directly to the SLB program and are not required to complete the law application or take the LSAT unless they plan to pursue a concurrent JD/MSLB degree.

The MSLB degree is designed for students to achieve any desired path in the sports following graduation. Alumni of the program have gone on to jobs in the sports industry in areas such as operations, marketing/branding, compliance/legal, sales, community relations, communications, business development, sponsorships, student athlete/player development and more.

The SLB program is comprised of 36 total credits and can be completed in either one year or two years, based on the preference of the student. 58% of the 2021 cohort is on a two-year track, with the other 42% on a one-year track. Graduate assistants with Sun Devil Athletics are required to do the program in two years due to work commitments.

Yes, an internship is required as part of the SLB curriculum. It is the responsibility of the student to secure an internship, but the SLB department will assist as best as we can in finding an internship. If the internship is completed over the summer, the student will have to pay for the summer credits through ASU.

No, the SLB program is only available in-person with no online option.

Applicants must submit the SLB application, resume, personal statement, two reference contacts and an elevator pitch to apply for the SLB program. Visit the SLB admission page for full application requirements and our application timeline.

The three main factors the admissions committee considers are previous sports experience, academic performance and quality of your application materials. For reference, the median GPA for our 2021 class was 3.55, and 100% of students in the 2022 and 2023 classes had previous sports experience, which includes volunteering, internships, jobs, and student-athlete experience.

The cost of this program can be found on the tuition and fees page. For more information about program and tuition fees, please reach out to Eric Border at eric.border@asu.edu.

The SLB program offers two Selig Scholarships each year, along with several graduate assistant positions with the program. Outside of the program, Sun Devil Athletics offers graduate assistant positions, including a select few that are only offered to SLB students. You can read more about these positions here.

 

Yes, the Sports Law and Business Program is open to and welcomes international students.

To stay up to date on the Sports Law and Business Program, follow our social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@SeligSLB), as well as our LinkedIn. If you have any additional questions, reach out to the program at mslbasu@asu.edu.

Yes, it is $500 to confirm your seat.