What classes are in a Sports Management degree? What's his computer background up until this point? Has he grown up in a PC or Mac environment? There are pros and cons to both Mac and PC. My guess is that there aren't a lot of heavy graphics and arts kind of demands in that degree. If this background is based around PCs, then buying a Mac for the sake of buying a Mac is kind of overkill. Don't get me wrong, they're great computers and I have one and have had a few before, but you're looking at just about a grand for what may essentially be an internet and Microsoft Word machine. A Windows PC with good specs will run you just about half of the cost of the Macbook and accomplish roughly the same thing. It'll give him a little more leeway with any potential software that may be required, though unless he's specializing in something graphics or computer arts specific, chances are that the only requirements will be access to word processing software that can format to a basic .doc format, and there are a few free solutions that would accomplish that if you really needed it.
On the other hand, if he's grown up in a Mac household, then it would make more sense to get him something that allows him to accomplish his tasks without dealing with the learning curve of a new operating system. In that event, the extra money may be worth it for a Macbook to eliminate that frustration. The longevity of computers is almost a moot point. I have a cheap, crappy Compaq laptop that I bought back in 2008 that's still chugging along. The only thing wrong with it is the battery won't hold a charge, but is otherwise flawless. I've relegated it to trying out different flavors of linux and getting a feel for that operating system. I've seen Macbook Pros go through trackpads like candy, Lenovos that burn out memory, and hard drive failures across many brands. My only recommendation would be to stay away from cheap HPs because they're cheaply constructed and use components of questionable quality, but my HP I bought for a while ago still works, even if it is a little slow.
Long story short: find out what he needs, and gear your purchase towards that. PCs are no better than Macs, and Macs are no better than PCs. Some just happen to be specialized towards certain things. He's a college kid. I wouldn't worry too much about getting into a battle of specs until it becomes important.
