The sports industry has gone global. Its talent pipeline hasn’t.
That gap is no longer theoretical. It’s showing up in how organizations hire, how teams operate and how quickly the business of sport is evolving beyond the systems designed to support it.
Global is no longer an advantage in sport. It’s the baseline.
Across football, basketball, soccer, golf and motorsports, the industry is now defined by cross-border ownership groups, international fan development strategies and multimarket revenue models. Clubs and leagues aren’t just competing locally — they’re operating as global brands with commercial strategies built to reach audiences across continents.
That shift is accelerating in real time. The NBA’s work with FIBA to build a potential European league with multiple ownership groups already bidding across targeted markets signals how serious global expansion has become. Discussions around alignment with EuroLeague and franchise valuations reaching into the hundreds of millions reinforce a broader reality: The future of major sports leagues is being built across borders, not within them.
This isn’t isolated to basketball. From the NFL’s international expansion to Formula 1’s global media strategy, leagues across the industry are investing aggressively in international growth, not as an experiment, but as a core operating model.
The business of sport has evolved into a global, interconnected system.
The question is whether the next generation of industry professionals is being prepared for that reality.
In many cases, it’s not.
Most talent development models are still built for a domestic, classroom-first environment. Students learn frameworks, terminology and case studies, but often without meaningful exposure to how those ideas translate into real-world operations, especially in international contexts. Even when experiential learning is part of the equation, it’s frequently limited in scope or disconnected from how organizations actually function day to day.
That creates a widening gap between what the industry demands and how talent is actually being developed.
And that gap matters.
Teams, leagues and agencies aren’t just looking for candidates who understand sport business in theory. They need people who can operate inside complex, fast-moving environments who understand how fan behavior shifts across markets, how sponsorships activate differently across cultures and how revenue strategies must adapt in a global context.
Those aren’t skills you develop by sitting in a classroom alone.
They’re built through exposure, repetition and real-world experience.
This summer, I’ll be leading a group of students through a 30-day immersive program embedded with Como 1907 in Italy. The structure is simple: Students aren’t just studying the sports industry — they’re operating within it. The club itself has been intentional about building a global brand, making it a relevant environment for students to see how international growth strategies are not just discussed, but executed.
They’ll observe match-day operations, engage with club executives, analyze branding and sponsorship strategy and see firsthand how a European football club approaches growth, fan engagement and commercial development. They’ll experience how decisions are made, how departments interact and how global strategy is executed in real time.
More importantly, they’ll be exposed to a perspective that is fundamentally different from what most U.S.-based students experience.
That kind of exposure isn’t just valuable. It’s becoming necessary.
Because the gap between domestic preparation and global execution is becoming more visible. Organizations are operating across borders, but talent pipelines are still largely confined within them. The result is a mismatch between the skills being developed and the skills required to succeed.
And that mismatch isn’t just an academic issue. It’s an industry issue.
As sports continues to globalize, the ability to think and operate beyond a single market will become a baseline expectation. Understanding different business models, cultural dynamics and commercial approaches won’t be a differentiator. It will be required.
Experiential learning is moving in the same direction.
What was once considered a value-add is quickly becoming table stakes. Employers are placing more value on candidates who have operated in real environments, who understand how organizations function from the inside and who can contribute from Day 1.
That shift has implications on both sides of the equation.
For educational institutions, it means rethinking how talent is developed. Classroom learning still matters — but it can’t exist in isolation. The next generation of programs will need to integrate applied experiences, industry partnerships and global exposure in a more intentional way.
For the industry, it means recognizing that talent development is no longer just the responsibility of universities. Clubs, leagues and organizations have a role to play in shaping the pipeline through internships, partnerships and immersive opportunities that provide real access and real responsibility.
The organizations that engage in that process will have an advantage. They won’t just be hiring talent, they’ll be helping develop it.
And for students entering the field, the expectation is changing.
It’s no longer enough to understand the industry from a distance. The path forward requires engagement, adaptability and the ability to operate in environments that are increasingly complex and global in nature.
The industry has always evolved. What’s different now is the pace and the scale at which that evolution is happening.
The talent pipeline needs to catch up.
Because the programs and organizations that adapt to this reality will help define the next generation of sports business leaders.
The ones that don’t will fall behind the very industry they’re supposed to serve.
Matt DiFebo is an assistant professor of practice and director of the sport business program at Stetson University, founder of FanSummitGlobal Sport Consulting and the former founder and president of IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions.
