A framework of sport managers’ ethical decision making

Professional sports teams often experience significant public visibility through the media and general fan interest. This unique characteristic increases the perceived accountability of sport managers, whose decisions are subject to scrutiny both within and outside the organization. In this article, a multistage framework of the highly visible sport manager’s ethical decision-making process (EDMP) is proposed based on the internal, external, and personal influences experienced by sport managers. Following a literature review and a summary of the EDMP framework and its research propositions, the practical implications of this framework are discussed

Building sport’s green houses: Issues in sustainable facility management

This chapter discusses the current trends in sustainable sport facility design, with a focus on sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design and operations. The chapter explores the integration of pro-environmental design in the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of sport facilities. The environmental, economic, and social benefits of sustainable design represent compelling reasons to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Owners of green sport facilities may realize positive publicity, new sponsorship opportunities, tax credits, reduced utility costs, longer facility lifecycles, and long-term savings They often draw tens of thousands of people to a single site, thereby increasing traffic that contributes significantly to air pollution. Facilities like football stadiums are used infrequently, while others constructed for international mega events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games may be abandoned altogether. In many ways, large sport facilities are antithetical to green building. On game days, they create huge strains on local resources

No-vote stadium subsidies and the democratic response

Scholarship on sports stadium subsidies has covered myriad topics, including economic impact, finance, political strategy, and voter behavior. One area receiving much less attention from researchers is the emergence of the no-vote subsidy—where stadium-finance decisions are decided without a public vote—as a frequent alternative to direct democracy (i.e., referendums or initiatives). In this article, it is contended that an unfavorable no-vote subsidy can have damaging effects on a team’s financial performance, the reputation of elected officials, and citizen confidence in the democratic process. Whereas previous analyses of stadium-subsidy debates often end with a voting outcome (i.e., the issue is passed or rejected), the conceptual model presented in this article explores how attitudes toward a no-vote stadium subsidy are formed, and how these attitudes can have widespread effects on a number of individuals, groups, and institutions

In the Continued Pursuit of Stadium Initiatives Following Past Failures: An Analysis of the Los Angeles Farmers Field Proposal

Superficially, it appears paradoxical that the city of Los Angeles does not have a National Football League (NFL) franchise, especially considering the city’s status as the second-largest media market in the United States. Currently, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is leading a proposal for a new, state-of-the-art, 68,000-seat outdoor football stadium in downtown Los Angeles, along with a significant renovation of the neighboring convention center, in order to return the NFL to the city. According to official documents, the $1.2-billion project would be financed completely through private investment (Pamer & Healy, 2012). In addition to the familiar criticisms aimed at nearly every major sports facility proposal, pro-stadium officials must disassociate the present plan from past Los Angeles football endeavors. In this study, we analyzed AEG’s organizational perception management strategies through a content analysis of the proposed stadium’s official website and authorized social media outlets. Four primary themes emerged from an analysis of website social media communications. These themes represent AEG’s primary communicative objectives and include: legitimating the project; educating citizens about the project; connecting to Angelenos; and calling potential advocates of the plan into action. Implications of this study and directions for future research are provided

Climate Vulnerability as a Catalyst for Early Stadium Replacement

Purpose: Severe hazards associated with climate change are threatening human settlements, thereby requiring global cities to implement comprehensive climate adaptation strategies. For sports organizations, adaptive measures may include designing and constructing new stadiums. In this study, we explore climate change as a vehicle for urban transformation, particularly as it relates to the replacement of existing stadiums with new, more sustainable and resilient venues. Design/methodology/approach: We employed a collective case study approach focusing on three recent cases of stadium replacement: Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas; Oakland Ballpark in Oakland, California; and Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. These cases were selected because an official representative of each team made explicit references to some form of climate adaptation, though each ballpark faces a distinctive climate-related threat. Findings: Each of the cases illustrates the various ways in which climate vulnerability may be deployed by teams and policymakers to replace professional sports stadiums. Although all three examples involved the replacement of an existing ballpark, only in the Texas case was climate adaptation cited explicitly as the primary reason for stadium replacement. Still, ballpark-replacement plans in Oakland and Miami included significant and costly design features to protect the stadiums from extreme weather events. Originality: This study applies the concept of climate vulnerability to illustrate a potential strategy to justify stadium replacement. As cities and metropolitan regions continue to grapple with the grand 3 challenge of climate change, the associated vulnerability of large public assembly facilities like major sports stadiums—particularly those prominently situated in urban centers—can no longer be ignored

Budgeting for Success:Comparing Finances Between HistoricallyBlack Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions

There has been little research into the comparison of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in recent years. With growing athletic department budgets, it is important to understand how HBCUs financially compare to their PWI counterparts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how HBCU athletic departments compare to their peer PWIs in terms of athletic department spending and to conduct a budgetary analysis of HBCU athletic departments. To examine differences in athletics budgets, data were collected from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) Survey. NCAA member institution peer groups with HBCU members were selected for this study. Institutional data include salary, recruitment, operation, and scholarship expenses and revenue for peer groups. An ANOVA was conducted to compare peer institutions, institutions in the same region, by division, and overall. The results indicated HBCU peer groups are spending significantly less compared to their PWI counterparts. Additionally, among HBCU institutions, most athletic programs are spending the most on athletic aid expenses. Similarly, HBCUs are earning significantly less revenue compared to their peers. Athletic department administrators can use the results of this study to help create budgets comparable to peer institutions

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on a major event legacy: The 2020 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Final Four

During the 5-day window of April 3–7, 2020, thousands of basketball fans were set to descend upon Atlanta and be entertained by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball Final Four. In conjunction with the Final Four, the Division II and Division III Men’s Basketball Championships, as well as the National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention, were also to be held in Atlanta that weekend. The NCAA staff and the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee (ABHC) planned the large-scale events, as well as numerous smaller community-related events. They secured more than 2,000 volunteers to host the events in multiple private and public facilities, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, the Georgia World Congress Center, and Centennial Olympic Park. Due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), NCAA President Mark Emmert announced on March 11 that the Final Four events would be spectator free and then officially cancelled the events a day later, 3 weeks before they were to occur (Norlander, 2020). On March 24, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a stay-at-home order. Instead of being in the final weeks of preparation for hosting a major championship, the NCAA and ABHC quickly refocused their efforts to manage the logistics of a cancelled event. A major event, such as the NCAA Final Four, often provides a lasting legacy for the host community (e.g., Oja, Wear, & Clopton, 2018). For the ABHC specifically, the event’s impact and legacy for the community were now in question. Through this case study, we assessed the legacy-creation efforts of the NCAA and ABHC, despite the lack of an event, and investigated the impact the nonevent had on the host committee and community

The Modernization of Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium

The article discusses the improvement and modernization of the Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 2018. Topics covered include plans for improvement such as expansion of tailgating space, locker-room modernization, and addition of cellular and Internet service, its construction and renovation history, and the importance of football both inside and outside of the university

A pragmatic perspective on the future of sustainability in sport

This chapter discusses sport and the environment and looks to the significant challenges. To continue growth in the sustainability space, both academy and industry must endeavor to enhance the general proficiency, technical expertise, and communication skills of its students and practitioners. A few sport organizations have emerged as leaders in implementing pro-environmental strategies, including some who acted as innovators and early adopters long before sustainability had emerged as a pressing issue in sport. For the majority of organizations, however, who implemented eco-friendly initiatives much later, the motives for adopting a pro-environmental perspective may range from altruism to the desire for cost savings, positive public relations, or new sponsorship opportunities. Although it is true that the pioneers of sport sustainability–individuals like Allen Hershkowitz, organizations like the Seattle Mariners, mandates coming from a league office or international governing body would undoubtedly nudge the industry toward a widespread and comprehensive environmental transformation