Course Syllabus

ECO3006.0001: Economics of Sports

Department of Economics, College of Business Administration

3 Credit Hours

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ever-changing conditions under which we operate,

it may be necessary to modify this syllabus during the semester.

If that occurs, you will be notified via the course Announcements and Knights Email

Table of Contents

General Course Information
Course Description
Course Materials and Resources
Student Learning Outcomes
Grading Information
Course Schedule
Policy Statements

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. John Solow
Office Location: BA2 302J
Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00 - 12:30 or by appointment. Office hours will be held remotely.
Phone: 407-823-3833
Digital Contact: john.solow@ucf.edu

Course Information

Term: Spring, 2021
Course Number & Section: ECO3006:0001
Course Name: Economics of Sports
Credit Hours: 3
Course Modality: V

Enrollment Requirements

Course Prerequisites: ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics and ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics

Course Description

This course will be a survey of the theory and literature of the economic issues relevant to sports (primarily professional, but also collegiate). We will address such questions as “Do large market teams have an advantage over small market teams? Should cities subsidize stadiums for professional sports teams? What is J. D. Martinez’s true value to the Boston Red Sox?” To answer these questions, we will use ideas from introductory economics (such as demand and cost curves) combined with additional economic theory, statistical evidence, and information about particular sports.

Course Materials and Resources

Required Materials/Resources

READING MATERIALS:

There is a required textbook for this course. It is:

The Economics of Sports, 6th edition, by Michael Leeds, Peter von Allmen, and Victor Matheson (Routledge Publishing)

Research papers from academic journals that we will discuss during the class are available in this course website.

You should have received an invitation to join a Packback community for this class. Joining that community is necessary in order to complete the course requirements, and is therefore mandatory. Information about Packback can be found here. Read this - it is important.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

To use the tools of microeconomic theory to examine current issues and debates in sports economics.
To discuss the intuition behind the most common statistical methods used in applied economics and their application to sports economics.
To be able to critically read and understand peer-reviewed economics research papers.

Course Activities

Participation and Packback:

Participation is a requirement for this course. Participation will include contributing questions and responses about research papers and taking part in weekly discussions of those papers. How this will work is described below.

A central part of the course will be reading and discussing research papers on various topics involving the economics of sports. Research papers published in academic journals are the way that scholars present the results of their studies, so that other interested people can incorporate that knowledge into their own thinking and decision-making.

Here's how participation in the course will work:

1. At 1:30 PM (most) every Monday (this is our regular class time - there will be a few exceptions early in the semester as we get started, and around exams), we will have a Zoom meeting to discuss the findings of a research paper that you have been reviewing the week before. I will provide some videotaped lectures for you to watch during that week to help you with the economic tools that the authors of that week's paper are using. Participation in the Monday Zoom meetings is an integral part of the course; they are not optional.

2. During the week leading up to the Monday discussion, it is your job to read the paper, watch the videos, read in the textbook and communicate with your classmates about the paper using Packback Questions. Packback provides an online class community where you can make sure you understand that week's research paper and ask and answer each other's questions about the material. Contributing (asking one question and offering two responses to other students' questions) on the Packback platform is its own form of participation, with its own separate grade. It is not optional either. Contributions to the Packback discussion of a research paper are due at 11:59 PM on the Friday before the Monday Zoom discussion of that paper. You cannot leave your Packback contributions to the last minute.

Assignments (3):

There will be 3 graded homework assignments. Homework assignments will take the form of a “problem set” where you are asked to solve and analyze several economic models of sports. I encourage group work on problem sets, but each individual must turn in their own problem set.

Exams (2):

There will be a single midterm exam and a final exam. The final exam is weighted as a slightly higher proportion of your grade, but both are extremely important components of the final grade. Exams are closed book, closed note and must be done exclusively by yourself.

The dates and times of the exams are:

Midterm: Monday, March 8th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm

Final: TBA

Extra Credit

Sorry, but I do not give extra credit. It has been my experience that everyone who didn't receive an "A" will wish to improve their grade, and will be willing to do something extra if it guarantees that improvement. As a result, extra credit assignments mean extra work for both students and their instructor after the course is over and end up inflating grades. The time to work on the class is during the semester!

Resources and Time Commitment

Since this is an online course, you will obviously need access to a working computer and the internet. You will need to purchase the textbook and access to Packback, and set up a Packback account.

Ordinarily, a three credit course like this requires 2.5 hours per week of classroom time and a minimum of 5 hours of study time outside the classroom. Since there is only one virtual class meeting each week, you should plan on at least an hour and a half each day, four days a week, outside of class on this course. Outside of our weekly discussions, this time should be spent reading that week's research paper, watching the class videos, reading the selected pages from the textbook, and reading and discussing the research paper through Packback.

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me at least one week ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs. Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Assessment and Grading Procedures

The table shows the weight distribution for each assignment.
Assignment	Percentage of Grade
Packback participation	15%
Weekly discussions	15%
Assignments	15%
Midterm Exam	20%
Final Exam	35%
Total	100%

Grades will be assigned according to the following point scheme.
Letter Grade	Points
A	93 – 100 percent
A-	90 – 92 percent
B+	87 – 89 percent
B	83 – 86 percent
B-	80 – 82 percent
C+	77 – 79 percent
C	73 – 76 percent
C-	70 – 72 percent
D+	67 – 69 percent
D	63 – 66 percent
D-	60 – 62 percent
F	59 and below

where 100 percent is the average score of the five highest scores received by students in the class. That is, to get an A grade, you don't need to get 93-100 percent of the total points available, but you need to get 93-100 percent of the average score of the top five students in the class.

Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.

Course Schedule

The course schedule can be found here, or by looking at Module 1: Getting Started.

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Statement Regarding COVID-19

University-Wide Face Covering Policy for Common Spaces and Face-to-Face Classes

To protect members of our community, everyone is required to wear a facial covering inside all common spaces including classrooms (https://policies.ucf.edu/documents/PolicyEmergencyCOVIDReturnPolicy.pdf. Students who choose not to wear facial coverings will be asked to leave the classroom by the instructor. If they refuse to leave the classroom or put on a facial covering, they may be considered disruptive (please see the Golden Rule for student behavior expectations). Faculty have the right to cancel class if the safety and well-being of class members are in jeopardy. Students will be responsible for the material that would have been covered in class as provided by the instructor.

COVID-19 and Illness Notification

Students who believe they may have a COVID-19 diagnosis should contact UCF Student Health Services (407-823-2509) so proper contact tracing procedures can take place.

Students should not come to campus if they are ill, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID, or if anyone living in their residence has tested positive or is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. CDC guidance for COVID-19 symptoms is located here: (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html)

Students should contact their instructor(s) as soon as possible if they miss class for any illness reason to discuss reasonable adjustments that might need to be made. When possible, students should contact their instructor(s) before missing class.

In Case of Faculty Illness

If the instructor falls ill during the semester, there may be changes to this course, including having a backup instructor take over the course. Please look for announcements or mail in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email for any alterations to this course.

Course Accessibility and Disability COVID-19 Supplemental Statement

Accommodations may need to be added or adjusted as this course shift is in a remote format. Students with disabilities should speak with their instructor and should contact sas@ucf.edu to discuss specific accommodations for this or other courses.

Policy Statements

Academic Integrity

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. According to Section 1, "Academic Misconduct," students are prohibited from engaging in:

Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices”.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating

Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a "Z Designation" on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade.

Course Accessibility Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need specific access in this course, such as accommodations, should contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss various access options. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (Ferrell Commons, 7F, Room 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone (407) 823-2371). Through Student Accessibility Services, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential access and accommodations that might be reasonable.

Campus Safety Statement

Fully online course sections (W, V)

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.

To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.eduLinks to an external site.> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Sections with face-to-face components (M, RA, RV)

Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.

In case of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.
Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. Students should make a note of the guide’s physical location and review the online version at <http://emergency.ucf.edu/emergency_guide.htmlLinks to an external site.>.
Students should know the evacuation routes from each of their classrooms and have a plan for finding safety in case of an emergency.
If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To learn where those are located, see <http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/AEDlocations-UCFLinks to an external site.> (click on link from menu on left).
To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.eduLinks to an external site.> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
To learn about how to manage an active-shooter situation on campus or elsewhere, consider viewing this video You CAN Survive an Active Shooter

Deployed Active Duty Military Students

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.