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Abstract

Sport management has transitioned from its origins in physical education to an established, business-oriented academic discipline, prompting new questions about how faculty composition and workload shape program delivery in resource-constrained contexts. This case study investigates faculty structures, instructional variety, and workload in sport management programs at small- to medium-sized U.S. colleges and universities, as defined by the Carnegie Size & Setting Classification. A mixed-methods survey of faculty (n = 61) was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. Quantitative results indicated that core courses are primarily taught by full-time faculty, with most programs relying on one to three full-time instructors and reporting a standard 12-credit-hour teaching load per semester. Faculty frequently taught multiple distinct courses annually, reflecting broad instructional responsibilities. Qualitative findings highlighted the centrality of experiential learning (e.g., internships, practicum courses, industry-based projects), the benefits and challenges of adjunct integration, and ongoing constraints tied to budgets, workload, and faculty diversity. Overall, program delivery in smaller institutions appears sustained by lean full-time staffing models supplemented by adjunct faculty, raising implications for curricular continuity, breadth, and innovation. Practical recommendations include adopting equitable workload policies, formalized adjunct integration strategies, targeted faculty development initiatives, and strengthened experiential partnerships to ensure alignment between curricula and professional competencies. Future research should examine direct links between faculty conditions and student outcomes to inform sustainable program design.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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