Skip to Main Content

News Story

March 10, 2025

Pittsburgh’s Entertainment Scene Inspires New Major at La Roche University

A crowd of people outdoors at night watching a band perform on stage at the Four Chord Festival.
PITTSBURGH, March 10, 2025 – In response to Pittsburgh’s growing entertainment landscape and rising industry demand, La Roche University has launched a Sports and Entertainment Management major.
Home to three professional sports teams, acclaimed music and arts festivals, major movie productions and live performance venues, Pittsburgh has emerged as a vibrant entertainment hub. This unique environment offers an ideal setting for La Roche’s competitive new major, which is designed to meet a demand for qualified professionals in the sports and entertainment industries.
Rishi Bahl, Ph.D., assistant professor of Marketing at La Roche, said, “I was always weary about entertainment-related majors because I knew it would take a special approach to ensure students would be prepared for the volatile nature of the industry. I am happy and excited to have helped put together a program that gives me confidence in the preparedness of our students to enter the industry.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities in the sports and entertainment sector are expected to double between 2022 and 2032, with over 100,000 new positions anticipated each year. The diverse nature of these industries offers a wide range of career paths, including roles in sports management, sports marketing, venue operations and arts management.
The Sports and Entertainment Management major at La Roche offers a comprehensive curriculum emphasizing both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Courses include:
  • Sports and Entertainment Management
  • Sports and Entertainment Marketing
  • Sports and Entertainment Law
  • Sports Governance and Policy
  • Risk Management in Sports and Entertainment
Students will develop supplementary skills in ethics, professional presentation and communication, ensuring they are well-rounded and ready to thrive in a fast-paced and competitive entertainment industry.
“The goal for this program is not only to understand the nuances of the entertainment world, but to know how to produce in the entertainment world,” Dr. Bahl said.
The faculty includes current and former curators and owners of music festivals, international touring musicians, acclaimed entertainments lawyers and more. With years of industry experience, these professors offer La Roche students real-world insights that enrich classroom learning.
The program will begin in Fall 2025. To learn more about the Sports and Entertainment Management major and to apply, please visit laroche.edu or contact the Office of Freshman Admissions: admissions@laroche.edu or 412-536-1272. Transfer students should email transferadmissions@laroche.edu or call 412-536-1260.
About La Roche University: An independent liberal arts university in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers 68 undergraduate programs of study, seven master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, nursing, and health and medical sciences as well as interior architecture & design and graphic design. This residential university provides a vibrant campus community for women and men enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
###