History of the Sport Business

The course examines the growth of the sports business beginning with Albert Spalding’s first rights deal with the National League in 1876. We will examine the factors which led to the first professional athlete, team, and league while also looking at the growth in collegiate sport. Further, we will examine ancillary sport businesses as they emerged including trading cards, fantasy sport, and sports media. The emphasis will be on the industry’s growth over the last 40 years as today’s sport business structure began to form.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• • Comprehend how and why sport has intersected with many facets of business over time
  • Evaluate the impact of certain historical years and eras on the development of the sport business
  • Compare the historical eras of the growth of the sport business and interpret the similarities and differences between the eras
  • Identify the historical foundations of the modern sport business
  • Analyze historical information to produce a research report on the sports business and its history