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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Sports Economics

Course Title: Department: Instructor:

BU365 - Sports Economics Business George E. Thibodeaux, MBA, ARM E-Mail - Vita

I. Course Description: Sports Economics

What an evolution! In 1967 the average salary of a professional baseball player was $19,000. In 2002, the baseball season opened with an average player's salary topping $2 million. The total 2002 baseball player's salary of $1.9 billion is larger than the GDP of many countries. How did this come about? How does the basketball Mecca of the Carolinas lose a playoff contending team to New Orleans? Why can't professional soccer truly make it in the U.S. (or is that coming)? How can it possibly cost $300 to take your family to a ball game?

These are the types of issues we will explore from three main functional areas: 1. The structure of sports as an industry, 2. Finance, in particular, public finance, 3. And, of course, labor. We will also look at other factors that influence sports business decisions; predominantly, the news media. Why do newspapers take stories off the sports page and make them political headlines?

This will not be a course in sports history, nor will it be conducted as a "fantasy football" game. This is a 3-semester hour economics course and will be treated as such. However, the whole concept of sports is so ingrained in the American psyche (and the world for that matter), and the application of economic theory to professional and college sports is so unusual, I certainly plan for us to have some fun along the way.

II. Course Objective

At the conclusion of this course the student should be comfortable with the following concepts:

1. Review of Micro and Macro Economics as they relate to Professional and Amateur Sports
2. Sports Franchises as Profit-Maximizing Firms
3. Monopoly and Antitrust
4. Public Finance of Sports: The Market for Sports Franchises
5. Cost and Benefit of a Franchise to a City
6. Labor Economics of Sports
7. Labor Markets and Competitive Balance in Professional Sports
8. Labor Unions and Labor Relations
9. Discrimination
10. Economics of Amateurism and College Sports

III. Textbook: Online Bookstore

The Economics of Sports; Leeds, Michael and von Allmen, Peter ISBN #: 0201700972

IV. Prerequisites

Principles of Micro Economics or Principles of Macro Economics

V. Grading and Course Logistics

Weekly assignments Mid Term Exam (Chapters 1-4) Final Exam - Non cumulative (Chapters 5-10)

= = =

20% 35% 45%

A B C D F

= = = = =

100 - 90% 90 - 80% 80 - 70% 70 - 60% 60% - below

Assignments must be completed on a weekly basis. Please submit weekly assignments via e-mail by Sunday evening of each week. Late assignments will affect your grade.

The course study should take 8 weeks to complete, but must be completed within 11 weeks of an agreed starting date.

The instructor may be contacted by e-mail with any questions or concerns. If person-to-person conversation is necessary, the student should e-mail the instructor with a time and phone number where the student can be reached.

Academic honestly is highly valued at Canyon College. A student must present the product of his or her own original work.

VI. Weekly Course Outline

(This is the optimal course time frame which works well to keep the student motivated toward completion.) However, I do realize that you have chosen Canyon College because you have active professional and social lives outside of college. Exception to the optimal time frame must be discussed with the instructor and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Note: Discussion question should be approximately one page in length and should show some original thoughts or opinions about the topic.

Week 1
Chapters 1 and 2: Introduction, Review of the Economist’s Arsenal

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 2, page 48, Problems 1-6.

Week 2
Chapters 3 and 4: Sports Franchises as Profit-Maximizing Firms, Monopoly and Antitrust

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 3, page 108, One discussion question of your choice. page 109 Problems 1-5.
2. Chapter 4, page 144, One discussion question of your choice. page 144-45 Problems 2-5.

Week 3
Review and MID TERM EXAM

Week 4
Chapters 5 and 6: The Public Finance of Sports: The Market for Sports Franchises, The Cost and Benefit of a Franchise for a City

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 5, page 185, One discussion question of your choice. page 185-86 Problems 1-5.
2. Chapter 6, page 221, One discussion question of your choice. page 221-22 Problems 1-5.

Week 5
Chapter 7: An Introduction to Labor Markets and Competition Balance in Professional Sports

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 7, page 274, One discussion question of your choice. page 275 Problems 1-7.

Week 6
Chapters 8 and 9: Labor Unions and Labor Relations, Discrimination

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 8, page 320, One discussion question of your choice. page 320 Problems 1-5.
2. Chapter 9, page 353, One discussion question of your choice. page 354 Problems 2-5.

Week 7
Chapter 10: The Economics of Amateurism and College Sports

Weekly Assignment:

1. Chapter 10, page 400, One discussion question of your choice. page 400-01 Problems 1-6.

Week 8
Review and FINAL EXAM (non cumulative)