Master of Sports Law and Business (MSLB)

The Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business program blends the study of sports, law and business from a top-ranked law school led by world-class faculty with years of expertise in sports management, law and operations.

Next start date: August 17, 2026
Total credit hours: 36
Duration: 1-2 years
Delivery: part-time or full-time; on-campus
Program cost: $49,168 - $55,242*

*Tuition and fee range estimates reflect the total cost to complete the degree based on current-year resident and nonresident rates. Tuition and fees may change each academic year. Prospective and current students are responsible for verifying tuition and fee amounts before registration.

 Apply now   Request information 

Two MSLB graduates stand next to each other in front of an ASU Gold semicircle with ASU Maroon plus signs hovering above their heads.

On This Page:

  1. Home
  2. Degree Programs and Emphases
  3. Master of Sports Law and Business (MSLB)

What is the Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business program?

#1 in the U.S. for legal master's graduates

– NCES, 2019 - 2024

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: SLB 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 MLB 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.

This 36-credit degree prepares students for a lifelong career in sports. It is the only law program in the U.S. that combines sports, law and business into one comprehensive degree program. With a foundation of legal knowledge and numerous networking opportunities, students in this program can propel themselves into a career in the industry. The MSLB program admits a cohort of students each fall and students can complete the degree in either one or two years. Graduates of this program will receive a Master of Sports Law and Business degree, not a Juris Doctor.

The concurrent degrees allow students to earn both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Sports Law and Business in just seven semesters. Students enrolled in this dual degree program will have the chance to become lawyers, along with all the benefits of the MSLB program, including access to renowned faculty members, networking opportunities and so much more. 

Applicants for the concurrent program must apply to both separately, and must be accepted to both programs to enroll. MSLB classes begin in the second year of the dual program, so students may apply to the MSLB program before entering ASU Law or anytime during the first year of the program.

Explore the JD

Request MSLB information

Phone number must be 10 digits only, no spaces or special characters.
Cancel

By completing and submitting your information to ASU, you consent to:

1. ASU using this information to contact you regarding information as you request.
2. The terms of ASU's Privacy Statement.
3. If you are in the European Union or another country or state that has adopted GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or similar privacy protection, please also read ASU European Supplement to ASU's Privacy Statement.
4. By providing your mobile phone number, you agree to receive text messages from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel.

Why ASU Law?

ASU Law is a highly ranked and respected public law school dedicated to educating the next generation of legal professionals. In honor of its namesake, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, public service is at its core, and is committed to advancing justice in the communities it serves. Learning from some of the nation’s foremost scholars and innovative legal instructors, ASU Law graduates are educated to become skilled and compassionate advocates and difference-makers.
 

Explore ASU Law 

 

 

Top 25%

of law schools in the U.S.

– U.S. News and World Report, 2027

 

#1

ASU worldwide rank for education, employability, faculty and research

– Center for World University Rankings, 2024

 

7:1

student-to-faculty ratio

Small class sizes and accessible faculty enhance classroom discussions and encourage the sharing of diverse perspectives.

 

85%

of 2024 MSLB graduates have sports jobs/internships within six months of graduation

 

85%

of total alumni are actively working in the sports industry

 

11

current SLB students are working toward their JD degree

Experiential learning opportunities

Whether through one-of-a-kind events or engagement in student-led opportunities, ASU Law offers real-world opportunities that empower students to develop specialized skills in sports, law and business.

Academic details

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). Applied Sports Marketing will be offered during the Spring term. Click here to view a detailed description of the program curriculum.

Required courses

  • Amateur Sports Law OR Professional Sports Law
  • Negotiations & ADR in Sports
  • Sports Analytics
  • Sports Marketing
  • US Law and Legal Analysis
  • Sports Career Strategies
  • Internship/Applied Project (3-6 Credits) 

Elective courses (sampling)

  • SLB Impact on Law & Society
  • Law of Sports Branding
  • Applied Marketing
  • NCAA Compliance
  • Pro Team Sports: Operation and Legal Issues
  • Regulatory Issues in the Sports Industry
  • Revenue Generation in Sports


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 directly 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.

Explore the SLB Graduate Assistantship Program.

Speakers at the 2025 Selig Speaker Series event

Hear from our students

 

 

Julia Jacome

Julia Jacome

MSLB '25

“From the moment I interviewed for the MSLB program and was accepted, (Assistant Dean) Aaron Hernandez believed in me. When I essentially took over the role of graduate assistant for social media, he backed me completely, trusting my vision and supporting everything I wanted to do with MSLB’s social media. Coming into a new space where I didn’t know anyone could have been overwhelming, but Aaron made the transition seamless. More importantly, he’s taught me to trust my ideas, believe in my voice and have confidence in what I bring to the table, regardless of outside opinions. That might sound simple, but it’s something I’ve had to work on and continuously work through.”
 

Explore Julia's story 

 

Kyle Goodier

Kyle Goodier

Concurrent JD/MSLB ‘24

“My ‘aha’ moment came during my first year after participating in a negotiation competition at Tulane Law. Having to delve into the intricacies of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement for the first time truly opened my eyes to the strategic complexities of building a competitive roster. I was fascinated by the intersection of legal expertise and the business of sports. I knew then that I wanted to pursue a career as a salary cap professional in an NBA front office.”
 

Explore Kyle's story 

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

Kevin Omell

Kevin Omell
Director of Admissions and Operations, 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

Caleb Jay

Caleb Jay
Professor of Practice; General Counsel, Arizona Diamondbacks

Frank Jee

Frank Jee 
Clinical Associate 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

Mike Hackman

Mike Hackman
Faculty Associate

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.

 

Where MSLB graduates work

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Major League Baseball (MLB)
  • Major League Rugby
  • Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
  • Nashville Predators
  • National Basketball Association (NBA)
  • National Football League (NFL)
  • National Hockey League (NHL)
  • New York Islanders
  • New York Mets
  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers

  • Atlantic Coast Conference
  • Big 12 Conference
  • Fiesta Bowl
  • MAAC Conference
  • Missouri Valley Conference
  • National Collegiate Athletic Association
  • Big West Conference
  • Rose Bowl
  • Southeastern Conference
  • Sun Belt Conference
  • Sun Devil Athletics
  • Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

  • Adidas
  • Athletes First
  • Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission
  • Arizona Sports & Events Alliance
  • AXS
  • CAA Icon
  • Divine Sports and Entertainment
  • DraftKings
  • Elevate
  • Excel Sports Management
  • FanDuel
  • Formula 1
  • Influxer
  • Insight Sports Advisors
  • ISE Worldwide
  • John Deere Classic
  • LA28 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
  • Monumental Sports & Entertainment
  • Nike
  • Oak View Group
  • PGA of America
  • PGA Tour
  • Player 15 Group
  • Playfly
  • Red Bull
  • SportsTrust Advisors
  • Sports Business Ventures
  • Steve Levine Entertainment
  • The Familie
  • The Upper Deck Company
  • Unlimited Potential Basketball
  • U.S. Soccer Federation
  • United States Tennis Association
  • USA Triathlon
  • VaynerSports
  • William Morris Endeavor
  • Wasserman

Advisory and alumni boards

  • Dale Adams –  Executive Director, Arizona Exposition and State Fair
  • Ray Anderson –  Former Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director, Arizona State University
  • Lon Babby – Retired President of Basketball Operations, Phoenix Suns and Retired Player Representative
  • Jeff Benz – Arbitrator, Mediator, and Special Master, Jams
  • Kevin Blue –  CEO and General Secretary of Canada Soccer
  • Dan Burns – Executive Chairman, EXOS Human Performance
  • David Brookbank – Co-Founder, IPC, Inc
  • 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 – Chief Legal Officer, Golden State Group
  • Richard Ensor – CEO and Founder, Broadwalk Sports Event Management
  • Sean Ford – Men’s National Team Director, USA Basketball
  • Dave Gardi – Senior Vice President, Football Initiatives, Washington Commanders
  • Brook Gardiner – Senior VP and General Counsel, MLS NEXT Pro
  • Melissa Goldenberg – Former 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 –  Co-Founder, Banner Sports Group
  • Jeff Ianello – Executive Vice President of Client Partnerships, SeatGeek
  • Zaileen Janmohamed –  President and CEO, Bay Area Host Committee
  • 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 – Liberty Media
  • 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, Baseball and Chief Commercial Officer, Unrivaled Sports
  • Bernadette McGlade – Commissioner, Atlantic 10
  • Lou Melendez – President, Lou Melendez, LLC
  • DeeDee Merritt - Managing Director, Leadership Development, NCAA
  • 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 –  CEO, Heisman Trophy Trust
  • 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 –  Principal, Strickland Consulting
  • 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
  • Andrea Williams – Director of Athletics, University of Illinois Chicago

  • Angie Allen – Assistant Commissioner for Compliance & Student Athlete Well-Being, The Big West Conference
  • Tanner Martin – Director of Corporate Sponsorships, U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation
  • Zoe Lamb – Senior Coordinator of Team Operations & Family Engagement, Chicago Bulls
  • Amanda Andalis – Special Events & Premium Hospitality Manager, U.S. Soccer Federation
  • Samuel Bilderbeck – Chief of Staff, Sports Business Ventures
  • Jackson McDonnell – Manager of Player Development & Complexes, Baltimore Orioles
  • Jessica Newton – Partnerships Strategy & Service  Manager, Player  15 Group -Phoenix Suns, Mercury, Valley Suns
  • Austin Moore – Sales & Client Services Account Executive, Playfly Sports
  • Tay Hawker – Vice President of Talent, NOCAP Sports
  • Marshal Lamb – Assistant Tournament Director, John Deere Classic
  • Corbin Hill – Sports & Subscriptions Account Management Director, AXS
  • Rebecca Childress – Creative Project Manager, Arizona Cardinals Football Club
  • Nora Deleske – Business Development Coordinator, Elevate
  • Jordan Brown – Marketing Communications Manager, Rancho Solano Preparatory School
  • Trevor Goodwin – Associate Director ofMarketing and Promotions, University Athletic Association at the University of Florida
Career Services faculty hosting a speed coaching networking event

Career Services

Career Services at ASU Law can help students identify goals, find employment opportunities and help students pursue their passions. The Career Services team offers hands-on interview preparation, resume reviews and the guidance job seekers need as they enter the workforce. That resource is available to students the moment they start their ASU Law journey and lasts long after graduation.

Explore Career Services

Frequently asked questions
 

Program FAQ

 

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 JD 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 consists of 36 total credits and can be completed in either one year or two years, based on the preference of the student. 30% of the Fall 2025 cohort are on a two-year track, 60% are on a one-year track and 10% are on the concurrent degree 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.

To stay up to date on the Sports Law and Business Program, follow our social media accounts on Instagram (@SeligSLB) and on LinkedIn (Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program) If you have any additional questions, reach out to the program at [email protected].

Admissions FAQ

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 Fall 2025 cohort was 3.63, and 100% of students in all cohorts ever admitted had previous sports experience, which includes volunteering, internships, jobs and student-athlete experience.

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

Yes, it is $500 to confirm your seat.

Financial Aid FAQ

The cost of this program can be found on the tuition and fees page. For more information about the program and tuition fees, please reach out to Eric Border at [email protected].

The SLB program does not currently offer scholarships. Although, 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.

ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Contact Us

Support ASU

Quick Links
Student Portal Faculty and Staff Intranet Ross-Blakley Law Library Academic Calendar
Impact
Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures) Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Connect
Visit Us Upcoming Events Newsroom ASU Law Talks Beus Center for Law and Society Interactive Tour
Maps and Locations Jobs Directory Contact ASU My ASU
Repeatedly ranked #1 in innovation (ASU ahead of MIT and Stanford), sustainability (ASU ahead of Stanford and UC Berkeley), and global impact (ASU ahead of MIT and Penn State)
Copyright and Trademark Accessibility Privacy Terms of Use Emergency