Abstract: In the age of the reconfiguration of urban-rural relations, combining the goal orientation of enabling the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas with the problem orientation of regional differences in urban-rural relations, we hold the view that in the new thinking of the rural revitalization strategy, accurately understanding the shift in the development thought from village to countryside and precisely grasping the direction of the advancement of the rural sports industry are the logical starting point for researching rural sports industry issues and the key to seizing development opportunities. Moreover, achieving the differentiated and coordinated development of rural and urban sports industries in promoting the urban-rural integrated development is conducive to creating new channels for bidirectional interactions of urban and rural resources and manifesting the value of rural sports industry. Accordingly, the development pathways of rural sports industry in China are proposed: 1) Exploring effective differentiation approaches for developing rural sports industry in the typified urban-rural relations; 2) leveraging the comparative advantages of rural sports industry to facilitate smoother urban-rural economic circulation; 3) seizing the contemporary opportunities for rural sports industry development within the broader goals of achieving high-quality county-level economic growth.