Economics of College Sports

Combining empirical and theoretical studies, the 14 contributions presented by Fizel (director of Penn State U.'s online MBA program) and Fort (economics, Washington State U.) explore issues of the economics of college sport organizations and operations. The first three chapters explore the historical development of college sport, especially focusing on the activities of the National College Athletics Association. Later chapters examine the financial returns to various actors in college sport, including the universities, cities hosting NCAA events, and the athletes themselves. The authors then turn to labor issues, discussing such topics as gender equity and Title IX compliance, athlete academic performance, and the impact of coaching turnover on college basketball performance. Final chapters explore issues of competitive balance in collegiate sports. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

JOHN FIZEL is Professor of Economics and Chair of the iMBA program at Penn State University. He conducts research in applied microeconomic topics that have included online auctions, nursing home efficiency, and the economics of sports. He is co-editor ofBaseball Economics (Praeger, 1996) and Sports Economics (Praeger, 1999).

RODNEY FORT is Professor of Economics at Washington State University. The author of dozens of articles and monographs on sports economics, he serves on the editorial board of theJournal of Sports Economics. He is a regular speaker and panel participant on sports issues in the United States and Europe, and he has testified before the U.S. Senate on competitive balance issues and often renders expert opinion in legal cases in the United States.