Case Assignment

Sports are big business and sports leaders at all levels experience financial challenges. Finances are an essential component of any business, and the sports industry is no exception. Sports finance analyzes where the money comes from, where it goes, and how it can be used to foster growth and success.

Using information from the assigned readings and your own research, write a paper analyzing financial trends and challenges in sports as they pertain to one of the following:

• Interscholastic sports
• Intercollegiate sports
• Professional sports

Address the following questions in your paper:

1. What are some of the financial challenges being faced by interscholastic, collegiate, or professional sports programs?
2. How are these challenges being addressed?
3. What revenue streams are associated with interscholastic, collegiate, or professional sports programs? What expenses?
4. Define public and private funding and discuss how these resources being utilized within interscholastic, intercollegiate, or professional sports (2–3 examples will suffice).
5. What are some advantages and disadvantages associated with public and private funding sources for interscholastic, collegiate, or professional sports programs?

Assignment Expectations

Choose one of the sports levels listed above and write a 3 – 4 page paper that addresses the three questions above.

To receive maximum credit, you must demonstrate understanding of context and purpose of the assignment by bringing all required elements (described above) to the discussion, and meeting additional expectations (described below).

Use at least three in-text references, preferably including one that is not provided in the assigned readings.

As master's-level students, you are expected to develop strong skills for reviewing literature. (Students must conduct additional review of the literature as necessary.)

Your Bibliography and overall paper must be formatted properly in APA format and style.

HINT: To ensure a well-organized paper, begin your discussion with an introduction (including purpose statement), and then list the three or four main ideas that you will address. Be sure to include a section for each main idea, and use appropriate headings for each section. Also, provide a conclusion.

Please be sure to include ALL assignment tasks.

NOTE: If any Web link is not working, please report it to the professor immediately.

Required Reading

Journals

Collins, R. (2011). Pay-to-Play Programs: Are they an acceptable solution to our budget woes? District Administration. 47(7). 78–78.

Rascher, D. A., Nagel, M. S., Brown, M. T., & McEvoy, C. D. (2011). Free Ride, Take it Easy: An empirical analysis of adverse incentives caused by revenue sharing. Journal of Sport Management, 25 (5), 373–390.

Samson, A. (2013). Financial sustainability of today’s NCAA Division I athletics. Insights to a Changing World Journal. 2013 (3), 126–137.

DeMause, N. (2011). Why do mayors love sports stadiums? Nation, 293 (7/8), 14–17.

Ripley, A. (2013). The case against high school sports. Atlantic, 312 (3), 72–78.

Simplicio, J. (2011). New ideas that are academically sound are good, those that bring in money are even better. Education, 131 (3), 533–537.

Walsh, M. (1998). Public/Private partnership makes sports dome a reality. Parks & Recreation, 33 (1), 26.

Websites

National Journal. Fighting Against ‘Pay to Play’ Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/…

Plunkett Research, Ltd. Video: Sports-Recreation-Leisure-Market-Research. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from http://www.plunkettresearch.com/video/sports

Schooled in Sports (2012). Budget Cuts in Texas Put Crimp in School Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/…

Differences Between Public and Private Sources of Funding. Kent State University.
http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/grants/publicVSpriv…

UCBerkeleyevents. (2011, September 19). Fundraising Fundamentals [Video File].