October marked the slowest month of 2024 in the college athletics job market. For the second straight month, Track & Field leads coaching jobs and facilities/event ops/equipment jobs lead admin postings.
Thanks to Intercollegiate’s extensive database that features every job posting in collegiate athletics, we’ve compiled a “by the numbers” report to showcase trends. Whether you’re a coach, administrator, or job seeker, understanding these trends can help you navigate your career path more effectively.
Job Postings Overview
1,317 jobs in collegiate athletics were posted in October. Coaching jobs accounted for 580 postings, while administrative positions totaled 737.
Last month, we wrote about September’s low number of college athletics postings amid a downturn of the job market that coincides with the start of the academic year. The trend continued through October, as the amount of job posts continued to plummet, making it the slowest month to date in the 2024 calendar year.
The chart above depicts job postings rising sharply from January and peak in June, aligning with a hiring surge in the offseason. A steady decline follows in July through the present, with the effects of “crossover season” showing itself in the data in October. As fall and winter sports seasons coincide, the amount of job openings continue to decline. Thus, we deduct that this is the most stable time of the year for placement in the field. Clearly a factoid to keep in mind when searching for your next opportunity.
Even at its low point in the year, keep in mind that there were still an average of 42 job posts per day: all of which are showcased on intercollegiate.co – the only place to find every job posting in college athletics.
From here, we’ll break down which sports and admin categories had the most openings in October.
Administrative Jobs Breakdown
737 job openings were posted this month across administrative job categories, which marks a 21% decrease from September. Departmental categories that posted the most jobs were:
- Facilities, Event Operations, and Equipment: 161 (-26% job postings from the month of September)
- Marketing, Communications, Content Creation: 140 (-15%)
- Sports Medicine: 131 (-40%)
- Student Services: 98 (-26%)
- Development: 64 (+16%)
Some shakeups occurred in the top five this month. This marks only the third month in our record-keeping that Sports Medicine was outpaced in the administrative job market, each time by Facilities, Event Operations, and Equipment jobs. This month, Marketing, Communications, and Content Creation slid up to the second spot for the first time this year. Development jobs saw an increase in postings and cracked the top five.
A trend worth consideration is that there were more administrative jobs posted this month than coaching jobs. That’s only happened four months this year, and prior to September it hadn’t occurred since February.
Coaching Jobs Breakdown
580 job openings were posted for college athletics coaching, which is 40% less than September’s total. Sports with the most jobs posted this month were:
- Track and Field: 41 (-22% job postings from the month of September)
- Softball: 39 (-39%)
- Women’s Basketball: 38 (-48%)
- Lacrosse: 35 (-41%)
- Men’s Basketball: 29 (-64%)
- Soccer: 29 (+37%)
- Tennis: 25 (-21%)
- Golf: 23 (+36%)
- Volleyball: 23 (-63%)
- Football: 20 (-71%)
The effects of “crossover season” show itself in this data. A positive jump in postings for golf and soccer helped them break into the top ten, while sports in season saw declines in job postings for the second straight month.
Top Job by Salary
Intercollegiate hosts two unique features that allow us to share this data. Salaries and pay details, when provided, are displayed on Intercollegiate’s site, allowing you to filter by pay to help you find a job that meets your needs. Open and expired job posts remain visible, allowing you to see key data such as the last time a search was conducted for the respective job.
In the month of October, here were the highest-paying jobs of postings that listed a salary range:
- $375,000 – $507,000/year: Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports: Fordham University
- $212,113 – $250,000/year: Head of Revenue: Stanford University
- $110,000 – $180,000/year: Director, Athletics Policy and Strategy: University of Arizona
Get the Most out of Intercollegiate
While the job market slows with the school year in full swing, it’s easy to keep tabs on the entire market and plan your next move. Intercollegiate.co showcases every job from every school, giving job-seekers the peace of mind to find everything they need in one place.
Pro tips for navigating Intercollegiate:
- Explore the latest job openings by narrowing your search filters. For narrowed results, tailor the search to a specific state, conference, salary minimum, or even a specific school.
- Example: Enable “active and expired job posts” to view compensation trends from previously-posted positions.
- Use Intercollegiate Wire to its fullest potential by using filters and keyword searches to narrow the Wire to showcase personnel movements relevant to your niche.
- Create a free account to unlock the ability to bookmark job posts, create custom email alerts, view profiles of the 50,000+ personnel across college athletics, and more.
FAQs
How many job openings were posted in collegiate athletics in October 2024?
- A total of 1,317 jobs were posted in October, with 580 coaching positions and 737 administrative roles. This marked the slowest month for job postings in 2024.
What contributed to the decline in job postings during October 2024?
- The decline in postings can be attributed to the effects of “crossover season,” when fall and winter sports overlap. October continued the trend of fewer job opportunities, a seasonal low following the hiring peaks in the offseason.
Which administrative job categories had the most postings in October? The top administrative categories were:
- Facilities, Event Operations, and Equipment: 161 jobs
- Marketing, Communications, and Content Creation: 140 jobs
- Sports Medicine: 131 jobs
Which sports had the most coaching job postings in October 2024?
- Track and Field led with 49 job postings, followed by:
- Softball: 39
- Women’s Basketball: 38
- Lacrosse: 35
- Golf and soccer saw an increase in job postings, while sports in season (such as volleyball and football) experienced a sharp decline.
What were the highest-paying jobs posted in October 2024? Some of the highest-paying positions with salary ranges included:
- $375,000 – $507,000/year: Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports at Fordham University
- $212,113 – $250,000/year: Head of Revenue at Stanford University
How can job seekers make the most of Intercollegiate during slower hiring months? Take advantage of Intercollegiate’s comprehensive job database by:
- Narrowing searches by state, conference, or salary range.
- Enabling “active and expired job posts” to explore past trends in compensation.
- Creating a free account to set custom alerts and bookmark job posts for future reference.
