Applications
Rolling admissions
Accepted while space or waitlist capacity remained.
Sports Management
by National Student Leadership Conference
A residential pre-college programme exploring sports business through simulations, leadership workshops, expert insights and industry visits.

by National Student Leadership Conference
A residential pre-college programme exploring sports business through simulations, leadership workshops, expert insights and industry visits.

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We review public programme details such as eligibility, age range, cost, duration, location, format, accommodation, meals and application timing.
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Current status
Past
Eligibility
High school students
Age range / Year group
Ages 14-18
Location / Region
New York, NY; Durham, NC
Cost
$4,395; $4,595
Duration
9 days
Format
In-person
Accommodation: Supervised campus dormitory
Meals: On-campus meals included
Latest verified cycle: Summer 2026
Campus experience: Classrooms, roommates, trips, tours
Tutors / faculty: Industry guest speakers
A pre-college introduction to the commercial and leadership side of sport, spanning marketing, sponsorship, public relations, management and communication.
Students undertake practical simulations, including representing an athlete, creating an agency promotional video and shaping a client’s public image.
It suits students who want to test a sports-business pathway through workshops, industry perspectives and behind-the-scenes visits rather than focus on athletic training.
The Sports Management programme is a pre-college experience run by the National Student Leadership Conference. It introduces the business decisions behind professional sport, including negotiation, advertising, sponsorship, public relations and management.
Students learn through immersive workshops, a multi-day athlete-management simulation, promotional media work and leadership activities. Guest speakers and visits to sports venues and organisations add practical context to the classroom experience.
The multi-day client-management simulation gives students a concrete way to test agency work and athlete representation.
Marketing tasks include promotional video creation, press releases and public-image strategy rather than lectures alone.
Industry speakers bring experience from organisations including professional leagues, teams, universities and sports businesses.
Venue and organisation visits reveal how commercial sport operates behind the scenes.
The programme combines subject exploration with communication, networking, interview and leadership practice.
Students curious about sports marketing, agency work, sponsorship, events or leadership who want a practical introduction to the industry.
You want intensive athletic coaching, a formal business qualification or a low-cost non-residential course.
This programme can be worthwhile for a student who wants to test whether the business side of sport genuinely interests them. Its simulations, professional-skills work and industry visits provide more evidence for that decision than classroom discussion alone.
The main limitation is value for money: residential tuition is substantial, and the programme is exploratory rather than a formal qualification. Families should weigh the practical experience, included accommodation and activities against less expensive business, volunteering or self-directed project options.
A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.
Cost and what is included
$4,395; $4,595; includes Supervised campus housing., On-campus meals., Course materials and academic expenses., Trips, tours and activities., Off-campus event transportation..
Accommodation
Supervised campus dormitory
Meals
On-campus meals included
Provider details
Review the National Student Leadership Conference provider page and official sources before making a final decision.
Dates and logistics
9 days; New York, NY; Durham, NC.
What to check before committing
Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.
Compare this programme with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.
Compare with similar programmesEffort level
Moderate to high.
Best started
Begin planning two to three months before a preferred session to allow for enrollment, payment, travel and residential preparation.
Main challenge
Contributing confidently to collaborative business simulations and presentations.
Review the programme themes and identify a sports team, athlete or campaign you can discuss.
Practise a short introduction and basic public speaking before arrival.
Plan travel only after confirming your place and checking the student portal.
Use the packing list and record dietary requirements in the student profile.
Useful if
You already follow the commercial side of sport.
Students move between sports-business workshops, an extended athlete-representation simulation, leadership development, guest-speaker sessions and industry-focused trips.
Learn how marketing, sponsorship, event management and partnerships shape sports businesses.
Act as an agent representing a rising athlete in a multi-day simulation.
Negotiate opportunities and help the athlete navigate the collegiate sports landscape.
Create a promotional video presenting the agency’s strengths and achievements.
Develop press releases, public-image ideas and social-media marketing approaches.
Practise networking, résumé writing, interviewing and public speaking.
Join leadership workshops on communication, listening, resilience and empathy.
Visit sports venues, museums or business organisations linked to the programme location.
Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.
Applications
Rolling admissions
Accepted while space or waitlist capacity remained.
Columbia session one
12-20 June 2026
New York residential session.
Columbia session two
24 June-2 July 2026
New York residential session.
Duke session one
6-14 July 2026
Durham residential session.
Duke session two
18-26 July 2026
Durham residential session.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Applications | Rolling admissions | Local | Reference date | Get next-cycle reminder |
Columbia session one | 12-20 June 2026 | Local | Reference date | Get next-cycle reminder |
Columbia session two | 24 June-2 July 2026 | Local | Reference date | Get next-cycle reminder |
Duke session one | 6-14 July 2026 | Local | Reference date | Get next-cycle reminder |
Duke session two | 18-26 July 2026 | Local | Reference date | Get next-cycle reminder |
Ages 14-18.
Completed at least one high-school year.
Current high-school students or recent graduates.
Academic excellence and leadership ability encouraged.
Programme tuition
$4,395; $4,595 — Residential 2026 rates varied by location.
Funding or discounts
What's included
Supervised campus housing., On-campus meals., Course materials and academic expenses., Trips, tours and activities., Off-campus event transportation.
Open the NSLC online enrollment portal.
Create an NSLC ID if you do not already have one.
Enter the student’s birth date, gender and current grade.
Choose the Sports Management programme and an available session.
Complete the online enrollment application.
Place the required deposit by card, or contact NSLC to pay by check.
Use the student portal to review enrollment, travel and programme details.
The programme covers the following focus areas.
Client Management
Represent a rising athlete and pursue deals and promotions in a multi-day simulation.
Sports Marketing
Explore branding, sponsorship strategy, partnerships and public-image decisions.
Promotional Media
Create an agency video and communicate why athletes should sign with your team.
Professional Skills
Practise networking, résumé building, interviewing and public speaking.
Leadership Development
Develop communication, listening, resilience and empathy through leadership workshops.
Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.
Students hear from guest speakers with practical sports-industry experience. Past speakers have held leadership roles across professional leagues, teams, athletics departments, universities, marketing and sports-management businesses.
Past speakers include professionals associated with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the New York Giants, Duke Athletics and university sports-management programmes.
Students are generally housed with one or two roommates on a floor with peers in their age range.
After completing this programme, participants often pursue:
Use the experience to judge whether sports business merits deeper study.
Develop examples for future applications, essays or interviews.
Continue into business, marketing, public relations or sports-management study.
Apply communication, networking and interview skills to later opportunities.
Consider the optional one-credit American University online course.
The optional college-credit course is separate, online and charged additionally.
The verified 2026 programme ran at Columbia University in New York City and Duke University in Durham. Students lived on campus and joined location-specific visits such as major sports venues, museums, business schools and professional sporting events.
NSLC states that it is not affiliated with Columbia University and is not sponsored by Duke University.
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Content reviewed by
Co-founder, Succeed | Founder, Immerse Education (2012–2026)
Sean works at the intersection of academic enrichment, programme quality and university preparation, with expertise in evaluating pre-university experiences for ambitious secondary school students.
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
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