Kirk L. Wakefield

Baylor Marketing Department

Personal Information

Professional Sports Class

Sports Marketing Class

Journal Rankings

Good To Great Slides

Why is evolution funny?

How to get a job in sports

The way it could have been

Great Christian Music

How to promote something

r

Kirk_Wakefield@Baylor.edu; 254-710-4267, Hankamer School of Business, Department of Marketing, PO Box 98007, Waco, TX 76798

Business of Professional Sports (BUS 3337)

Kirk L. Wakefield (Kirk_Wakefield@baylor.edu)

HSB 218

254-710-4267 (office)

254-366-3323 (cell)

254-848-2782 (home)

Office hours: Most of the day except 11:30-1:30. Official office hours: 3:30-5pm MW

Emails during working hours will receive prompt response!

Learning Objectives

1. To understand the role of sports sponsorship and promotion in the business of professional and collegiate sports.

2. To be able to develop an effective sport promotion program for a professional or collegiate sports team.

3. To integrate and apply research skills into effective decision making.

4. To learn by (a) thinking deeply about complex issues, (b) discussing viewpoints to discover new thoughts and (c) actually doing sport promotion planning.

5. To challenge you to commit yourself to excellence in your work and attitude in a way that demonstrates how your faith informs your everyday living.

Teaching philosophy

My goal is to help you succeed in this class, but more importantly, in life. If the students do not learn, then the teacher did not teach.

Things you get points for learning in this class

1. Shadowing (50 points): You will volunteer to follow an employee of one of the professional teams (Spurs, Mavericks, Rangers, Rockets, Stars) during one game to learn what s/he does. You will write a report (minimum 1 page) that includes what you learned and how it applies to the text and what we've discussed in class. This report will be graded on the basis of its comprehensiveness, quality of insights, and demonstration of understanding applicable text material. You are responsible for your travel. This report is due within two school days following your shadowing. Late papers may receive less credit than those turned in on time.

2. Spurs game operations (50 points): All students will visit the SBC Center on October 17 at 3:30pm to meet with the marketing and promotion executives of the Spurs, followed by attending the game against the Knicks (7:30pm). You will each turn in a report on what you learned (outline forthcoming) from management and from observing the game operations script and its execution. This report will be graded on the basis of its comprehensiveness, quality of insights, and demonstration of understanding applicable text material applicable. You are responsible for your travel and the price of the ticket ($19.50 discounted). The report is due October 22 (2pm). Late papers may receive less credit than those turned in on time. If you cannot make this trip, please register for an alternative course.

3. Research paper & analysis (100 points): You will form teams (3-5) to conduct research and analysis on the promotion and sponsorship program of the BU Intramural program. Teams will be assigned to work with one of three components (participation, sponsorships, media) of the intramural program. With the professor's assistance, you will:

a. conduct research regarding how participants or target audiences perceive the program or sponsors,

b. present your analyses to individuals in the intramural department (viz., powerpoint, hand-outs, etc.).

Your grade will be based primarily upon the quality of the content (40%) and its presentation (40%), but also the professor's assessment of the team's effort and cooperation in completing their assignments (20%). Teams will also assess its members to assist in this evaluation. Due dates will be dependent upon the project and will be determined by client and team. We will try to get these done by mid-term, if at all possible.

4. Exams (200 points): See schedule. Exams will be primarily short answer (knowledge-based) and some essay (comprehension-integration-application). Study sheets & an extra credit quiz of key concepts will be made available via Blackboard (http://my.baylor.edu) for each chapter prior to class coverage. You are expected to know these terms by the time of the class it is assigned. Extra credit of one point per chapter may be earned by taking the online quiz the night prior to the chapter assignment and getting at least 80% correct. Chapter 1 will be a trial quiz. The remaining 13 chapters will count, for a total possible of 13 points extra credit. This means that you could raise your grade by a total of 3.25%.

Attendance: Your presence is required and appreciated. Absences must be explained (see below). This is a course in which an important part of the learning takes place in class where we spend time doing learning activities. Further, each class builds upon previously discussed materials. Because of this, attendance in class is very important. Please schedule other activities (for example, job interviews) at times other than this class time.

Important note: The cost of missing a class is that you must make an office appointment with the professor within 24 hours of the absence to explain the situation surrounding your absence. Alternately, the cost is 10 points from your grade.

Academic honesty: You are expected to uphold the University's Honor System.

Things You Need to Know:

1. I will be prepared for each class and expect you to do the same.  Since I will call on individuals whose hands are not raised, you should let me know before the start of class if some emergency has made it impossible for you to be adequately prepared for that class.

2. Given the importance of class participation, I will learn your names as quickly as possible. In order to do that, I ask that you use a name card for the first several weeks; I will pass around a seating chart during the second class session and ask you to use the same seat from then on.

3. I will be happy to discuss the course, your progress, your contributions in the class, or any other matters of interest to you, on an individual basis. Please come by during office hours or email me to make an appointment.

4. Remember, your schedule is here.