The Role of Sports Economics in the Sport Management Curriculum
The Role of Sports Economics in the Sport Management Curriculum
The Role of Sports Economics in the Sport Management Curriculum
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Introduction<br />
<strong><strong>Sport</strong>s</strong> economics is a new and rapidly develop<strong>in</strong>g field <strong>in</strong> economics. S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> found<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong><strong>Sport</strong>s</strong> <strong>Economics</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2000, sports economics has developed from an unconnected<br />
set <strong>of</strong> research questions pursued by economists work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> labor economics, urban economics,<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustrial organization, and o<strong>the</strong>r areas to a clearly identifiable field <strong>of</strong> study <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> discipl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>of</strong> economics. <strong>The</strong> next five years saw <strong>the</strong> publication <strong>of</strong> three sports economics textbooks<br />
and a correspond<strong>in</strong>g growth <strong>in</strong> sports economic courses <strong>of</strong>fered by economics departments and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r academic units. Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> early 2006 <strong>the</strong> International Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sport</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ance<br />
will beg<strong>in</strong> publication, represent<strong>in</strong>g a second field journal <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> area. <strong>The</strong> last two job<br />
markets have featured advertisements for sports economists <strong>in</strong> Job Open<strong>in</strong>gs for Economists<br />
and <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> such advertisements appear to be <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g. Some observers have noted<br />
a similarity between <strong>the</strong> current state <strong>of</strong> sports economics and <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> health economics<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1982, when <strong>the</strong> Journal <strong>of</strong> Health <strong>Economics</strong> began publication.<br />
Over <strong>the</strong> last five years, ano<strong>the</strong>r clear trend has emerged. <strong><strong>Sport</strong>s</strong> economists have begun<br />
to migrate from positions <strong>in</strong> economics departments to sport management programs <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>-<br />
creas<strong>in</strong>g numbers. <strong>Sport</strong> management programs appear to be a natural academic home for<br />
sports economists. Economists br<strong>in</strong>g a discipl<strong>in</strong>e based l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> research to sport management<br />
programs. Central issues <strong>in</strong> sports economics like <strong>the</strong> determ<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> wages <strong>in</strong> sports labor<br />
markets, <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> regulations like Title IX on <strong>in</strong>tercollegiate athletic departments, and<br />
labor relations issues <strong>in</strong> unionized <strong>in</strong>dustries, and o<strong>the</strong>rs, are important to sport manage-<br />
ment researchers and practitioners. Articles written by economists regularly appear <strong>in</strong> sport<br />
management journals like <strong>the</strong> Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sport</strong> <strong>Management</strong>, <strong>Sport</strong> Market<strong>in</strong>g Quarterly, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sport</strong> and Social Issues, among o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
In this paper, I <strong>in</strong>vestigate <strong>the</strong> implications <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g presence <strong>of</strong> sports economists<br />
<strong>in</strong> sport management programs, <strong>the</strong> extent to which sports economics has been <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
<strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> sport management curriculum, and what this might mean for <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> both<br />
fields. One important factor that I believe will play an important role <strong>in</strong> shap<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> future<br />
2
Change language