After eight years on staff, Katie Harris was recently promoted from director of ticket operations to a new position as associate athletic director at Montgomery University (MU). Several months into her new position, Katie is faced with a difficult challenge. Several thousand fans from conference rival Bucks State College (BSC) attended a men’s basketball game at the 15,000-seat MU Convocation Center. The large presence of BSC fans did nothing worthy of ejection, but was able to negatively impact the experience for many MU fans. MU’s high profile men’s basketball coach contacted the director of athletics requesting if something could be done to reduce the impact of visiting fans. Though the coach understands that dealing with opposing fans is part of sport, even on a team’s home court, the environment has become a distraction for coaches, players, and many significant athletic department donors who pay premium prices for season tickets. The coach received complaints from numerous supporters indicating that unless something is done they are considering cancelling their season tickets. Though complicated by logistics, financial, and legal consequences, Katie has been asked to research the issue and share recommendations for policy development.
Search Results
Selling to Visiting Fans at the Expense of Home Field Advantage
James T. Reese Jr., Mark A. Dodds, Brett Burchette, and J.P. Lutz
Snakes in Sneakers: A Case Study of Organizational Politics in a NCAA Division I Athletics Program
Marshall Magnusen, Andrew Gallucci, Stephen Kelly, and Josh Brown
This case is a creative illustration of organizational politics in a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) sports setting. It includes the exploration of several key concepts: political will, political skill, political perceptions, political behavior, and political influence theory. Upon arriving to his new job at the Division I level, an assistant men’s basketball coach finds himself to be a key piece in a political chess match between the highly successful Head Coach of the men’s basketball team and the Athletic Director (AD). The issue at hand is the hiring of the new assistant coach by the AD without the support of the head coach. The hire is an attempt by the AD to subvert and eventually replace the legendary head coach who, in the eyes of the AD, is long past his prime. Accordingly, the new hire encounters a variety of political scenarios, including strong resistance from the players and coaching staff of the men’s basketball team. This case, with the addition of detailed teaching notes, is designed to highlight salient elements of organizational politics to undergraduate and graduate sport management students, and explain how they can successfully apply this information and more effectively operate in the political sports arena.
Point Two USA: Marketing an Innovation in Equestrian Safety
Robert F. Dyer and Rolando P. Irizarry
Safety is a growing concern in all sports, with the equestrian sector statistically more dangerous than most. Point Two USA hopes to make horse riding and competition a safer sport for all ages, riding levels, and disciplines with its innovative air vests, which use an inflatable air bag similar to those required in modern automobiles. Air vests are used to reduce the severity and frequency of injuries; however, no technology or equipment can eliminate all injuries associated with horse riding. After a strong entry in the United Kingdom in 2009, Point Two needs to formulate a comprehensive marketing plan for the larger U.S. market to expand its customer base to anyone getting on a horse who desires a safer ride. Its U.S. subsidiary has been primarily marketing with the same approaches used in the United Kingdom, heavily targeting English saddle riders in specific riding disciplines, such as eventing and dressage, both amateur and professional. The challenge for Point Two is how it can make headway in more mainstream riding markets, including recreation or pleasure riders, novice riders, and those who ride using Western saddles, which is very popular in the United States.
Volume 13 (2024): Issue 1 (Jan 2024)
CSSM Case Studies in Sport Management 2372-5540 2167-2458 01 01 2024 13 1 10.1123/cssm.2024.13.issue-1 CASE STUDY 1 10.1123/cssm.2023-0026 CASE STUDY 2 10.1123/cssm.2023-0029 CASE STUDY 3 10.1123/cssm.2023-0021 CASE STUDY 4 10.1123/cssm.2023-0030 CASE STUDY 5 10.1123/cssm.2023-0031 CASE STUDY 6 10
Marketing a Junior B Hockey Team After the Major-Junior Ontario Hockey League Relocates a Team to Your City: The Case of the Valley Brook Barons
Craig Hyatt, Chris Chard, and Nicholas Burton
be seen on national television through the broadcast partnership with Canadian all-sport cable television network TSN/RDS (“ About the CHL,” n.d. ), develop players until their eligibility expires in the year they turn 21 ( Hockey Canada, n.d. ), have their best players drafted by teams in the
Leadership Theory and Ownership Succession in the National Football League: The Case of the Cincinnati Bengals
Daryl R. Smith and Kimberly A. Hasselfeld
also in the broader context of the sport itself. His contributions as a leader and innovator significantly shaped the landscape of American football. Cantor ( 2008 ) provided a summary of Paul Brown’s career. Brown was raised in Ohio and became the football coach of the Massillon Washington High School
Barefoot Ski Ranch: Navigating Crisis Waters—A Case Study in Brand Management Amidst Tragedy
Robert McDermand and Jason Reese
media platforms. Professional surfers have journeyed to the park to undergo training during periods when natural ocean surfing is challenging, while residents of Texas who are inexperienced in the sport have had the opportunity to learn at the conveniently located Waco venue. Texas House Bill 1468 “The
Girls With Game: Sport and Community Development Strategies
Andrea L. Buenaño and Stacy Warner
a native of Greenville, which has always been considered a “baseball town,” Natasha felt this was wonderful opportunity to share her love for softball with her hometown community. A new mom, and working for a local marketing agency, Natasha wanted to give back to the sport and her hometown. Natasha
Employee Relations in Times of Uncertainty
Emily Dane-Staples and Stephen Gonzalez
owned by the city of Harrison. Like many minor league sport teams, players come and go, money is tight, and many organizational decisions are fraught with politics. Success requires fans in the stands, sponsorship sales, and a steady flow of seasonal staff into the organization. Most of the team
Sport4Change: Adapting to COVID-19 Through Innovation
Mitchell McSweeney, Per G. Svensson, and Michael L. Naraine
As Executive Director of Sport4Change (S4C), David Lewis was quite pleased with the growth and trajectory of his sport-for-development (SFD) organization. Like other SFD organizations, S4C intentionally utilized sport and physical activity for the purposes of responding to specific social issues in