Women Leaders in Sports: Progress, Barriers, and the Path Forward
For decades, women have fought to carve out their place in the sports industry, and while progress has certainly been made, the path to leadership still has obstacles. The numbers tell a story of both advancement and enduring disparity—for example, women now make up over 20% of NBA team presidents, a significant leap from just 1% in 2004. Yet, barriers like pay gaps, exclusion from decision-making, and work-life balance challenges remain stark realities.
What does it truly take for women to not only succeed but thrive in sports leadership? In order to start to answer that question, we partnered with Women Leaders in Sports, an organization that empowers women to advance into positions of influence and transform the landscape of sports leadership, to conduct an in-depth study of nearly 500 industry professionals (adults 18+). Through this research, we uncovered the nuances behind these barriers and, more importantly, the solutions that can drive meaningful change. The future is promising—but only if organizations take the right steps now. Here’s what the data reveals.
The most significant barriers we uncovered to working in sports span four key areas. While these four key areas may not be too surprising, we found interesting nuance within each:
- Salary and compensation
- Work-life balance
- Exclusion and stereotypes
- Representation
These challenges are often more pronounced for women and can vary depending on factors such as age, organization type, and seniority level.
Salary and Compensation
Women are almost twice as likely to report salary limitations as a barrier. Seniority level further influences these experiences, and our data shows that barriers can intensify as women progress in their careers. Organization type also plays a role with differences seen between collegiate and professional sports.
Work-life balance
Over half of those surveyed say a barrier they face is difficulty balancing work and personal life. Similar to salary limitations, those in a senior manager-level role show the highest difficulty with work-life balance. However, over 8 in 10 directors and executives still report regularly working outside traditional hours and during vacations.
Exclusion and Stereotypes
Women working in the sports industry often face invisible barriers to advancement. Nearly 30% of women report feeling excluded from key meetings or decision-making processes, compared to just 20% of men. This challenge is most pronounced at mid-level/manager levels, where 41% of professionals face exclusion. Additionally, 36% of women surveyed experience pressure to conform to a male-dominated culture. These stereotypes not only undermine confidence, but also perpetuate environments where women feel undervalued, making it harder to bridge gender disparities in leadership.
In terms of representation, there is a stark difference when looking at gender for those that believe leadership lacks sufficient female representation. When considering differences between organization types, 64% of those working in the collegiate space say their company promotes inclusivity, compared to 77% of those working in the professional space.
Representation
Professional organizations (such as Women Leaders) are vital for overcoming workplace barriers. Women in these organizations report higher career satisfaction and inclusivity. Among organization members, only 12% cite job insecurity as a challenge, compared to 31% of non-members.
These benefits come at the cost of membership fees, which disproportionately affect women (60% of women vs. 29% of men reported fees as a barrier to joining organizations).
“Informal networks have helped me get promotions. I have both utilized mentors in the field and been a mentor.”
– Female respondent working in the collegiate space
Informal networks also play a crucial role, with 76% of women participating. An informal network is one which forms without the guidance of a formal organization or governing body, such as water cooler conversations, lunch groups, and after-work social gatherings. Research, such as Gendered Leadership in the NCAA: Analyzing Affiliation Networks of Senior Women Administrators and Athletic Directors underscores the critical importance of informal networks for career advancement in the sports industry.
Organizations aimed at championing those in the sports industry contribute to the optimistic outlook and pathways forward for women working in sports.
“Anytime I engage with these women-focused networks, I come back wanting to find a way to lift other women (who aren’t as involved) within my own organization.”
– Female respondent working in the collegiate industry
Our research found that those who are members of an organization like Women Leaders have more influential networks and feel more confident while navigating their careers in sports.
The Path Forward
Looking ahead, the outlook is hopeful. A significant majority of women (83%) are optimistic about the growing visibility of women working in sports, with many anticipating a cultural shift toward greater acceptance and support. Organizations with flexible policies, transparent promotion processes, and structured mentorship programs are essential to creating equity. While 7 in 10 women and 9 in 10 men expect to see more women in executive roles, proactive organizational changes will be key to turning these expectations into reality.
“My motivation stems from showing up as a female leader in sports.”
– Female respondent in a leadership role in the collegiate space
To truly level the playing field, organizations must proactively offer membership to organizations and networks as a benefit to support employees. Our research has highlighted the critical role that membership organizations play in career development and progression, yet fees remain the number one obstacle. By covering membership costs as an employee benefit, organizations can actively champion their workforce and foster career growth. Organizations also need to be careful not to overlook acts of exclusion, stereotyping, and underrepresentation. These actions go beyond a commitment to equity—they are investments in the future of the sports industry. Together, we can create a more inclusive and thriving industry, paving the way for lasting progress that benefits everyone.
