UWindsor's Master of Sport Management and Leadership program has once again ranked number one in Canada (FILE/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
For the fifth year running, the University of Windsor’s Master of Sport Management and Leadership program has ranked first in Canada.
The 2026 rankings, released by global consulting firm SportBusiness, rely on surveys of program graduates and course leaders from 2023, taking into account factors such as mentorship, extracurricular activities and industry and alumni networks.
Shaun Smith, now an account manager with experiential marketing and sponsorship agency XMC, was among the graduating class surveyed for this year’s rankings.
“When I look across the folks who were in my grad class, today they professionally represent worldwide brands such as the NHL, NBA, PWHL, Olympics and World Cup,” says Smith.
“The foundation of that experience was laid at the Sport Management program at UWindsor. We came to the program with the promise of making a difference in sport, and UWindsor provided us that opportunity.”
UWindsor’s MSML program, which ranked No. 22 in North America and No. 34 globally, received scores above 90 per cent for quality of faculty, curriculum and graduate employment at 12 months.
Graduate Dale Bellaire, now a PhD candidate in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, says the practical aspects of the curriculum were a major benefit of the program.
“What makes the MSML program so special is the opportunity to learn from industry experts and engage with real-world case studies in an environment that challenges students to think critically,” Bellaire says.
“The program equipped me with the skills and confidence to thrive in a dynamic and constantly evolving field.”
Dr. Jess Dixon, professor in the Department of Kinesiology and interim dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, says the ranking reflects the program’s continued relevance and quality.
“We are so very pleased to learn that the Master of Sport Management and Leadership program has once again been ranked first in Canada and among the top 40 in the world,” says Dixon.
“For the past 15 years, SportBusiness has been ranking postgraduate sport business programs from dozens of different countries. Over that time, a lot has changed in the business of sport, including how the rankings get calculated. What hasn’t changed, though, is our program’s ongoing commitment to quality academic programming and teaching, which continues to pay dividends in helping our graduates launch successful careers in the sport industry.”
The MSML program has taken the top spot in Canada 12 times since the rankings began and consistently ranks among the top 40 globally.
