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Sports Management Topics for Dissertation

Published by Owen Ingram at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On October 9, 2023

There is a wide range of dissertation topics in sports management that can be researched at the college and university levels. International sports are extremely popular worldwide, making sports management research issues very prominent.

The importance of finding solid sports management research topics cannot be overstated because if your chosen topic lacks focus and clarity, you will not be able to achieve the highest possible academic grade.

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Below you will find a comprehensive list of sports management dissertation ideas we have compiled for the benefit of our clients and students.

Sports Management Dissertation Ideas

• An investigation of cases of corruption in the field of international sports management.
• The part that a nation’s reputation plays in sports management.
• Why do most sports focus on a younger audience, and how does it help them make money? A case study of Southern Asian cricket management.
• A correlational analysis is being done to investigate the connection between event management and sports management.
• Sports management in X countries and key sustainable practices.
• Focus on the difficulties and methods when determining the moral foundation of sports management.
• Comparison research to determine the benefits and drawbacks of well-known football players switching teams on sports business management tactics.
• The impact of international laws on how international athletic events are run.
• A qualitative investigation of the correlations between sports management, seating capacity, and ticket prices.
• A correlational investigation of international sports management and athletes’ reputations abroad.
• A quantitative investigation of elite sports management and performance.
• Investigating how sports management and sports administration interact.
• Concentrating on the moral guidelines for experts in sports management: a qualitative approach.
• Investigating the connection between the fields of intellectual property and sports management.
• Effects of the theories of human and social capital in sports management.
• Sports organizations in industrialized versus poor nations have different management techniques.
• A descriptive approach to the association of marketing and management domains in international sporting events.
• A correlational examination of human resource management and sports management.
• Review of empirical data on the impacts of management, optimization, and economics on international sports.
• An in-depth examination of elite achievement in sports in the United Kingdom
• Examining the Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Fan Loyalty in Collegiate Sports Innovative research avenues in sport management
• The part that decision-making plays in managing the global sports industry.
• Concentrate on identifying, assessing, and managing concussions in sports-related injuries.
• An international viewpoint on the connection between sports management and sports finance.
• Understanding Consumer Motivations and Engagement with Professional Sports Teams
• Exploratory research of sporting events looks into how the physical environment affects the consumption of hedonic services.
• Measures of professional sports fan happiness and the quality of the services provided
• International sports management historical analysis: tying the past, present, and future together.
• Investigating the possibilities for career advancement in the field of sports management.
• The contribution of business administration to sports management.

You can choose from any of these sports management dissertation ideas . Feel free to contact us if you experience any trouble choosing a topic for your dissertation.

Sports management is a field that has attracted a lot of academic attention in recent times thanks to the growing popularity of sporting events worldwide. If you need help with topic selection or writing your research proposal or the full dissertation paper, ResearchProspect provides all the necessary thesis writing solutions. Read about our research proposal writing service and thesis writing service to see how we can help you manage your workload.

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Home » 500+ Sports Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

Sports research topics cover a vast array of areas in the world of athletics, from the physical and psychological impacts of sport on athletes to the social and cultural implications of sports on society. Sports research can include studies on training techniques, nutrition, injury prevention, performance enhancement, and much more. It can also explore the societal impact of sports, such as the role of sports in shaping national identities, gender roles, and cultural values. As a result, the field of sports research provides a unique lens through which to understand the complex relationship between sports and society, and offers insights that can benefit athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts alike. In this post, we will explore some of the most fascinating and important sports research topics that are currently being investigated.

Sports Research Topics

Sports Research Topics are as follows:

• The psychological benefits of participating in team sports
• The impact of sports on academic achievement
• The role of sports in promoting physical health and fitness
• The impact of sports on mental health and well-being
• The benefits and drawbacks of early specialization in youth sports
• The relationship between sports and character development
• The role of sports in building social capital and community cohesion
• The impact of technology on sports training and performance
• The influence of gender on sports participation and achievement
• The impact of culture on sports participation and achievement
• The economics of professional sports: salaries, revenue, and team valuations
• The role of sports in promoting diversity and inclusion
• The impact of sports on political and social change
• The impact of sports sponsorship on consumer behavior
• The impact of doping in sports on athlete health and performance
• The role of nutrition in sports performance
• The impact of weather conditions on sports performance
• The influence of crowd behavior on sports performance and player behavior
• The impact of sports injuries on athlete health and career longevity
• The impact of sports on tourism and local economies
• The role of sports in promoting peace and conflict resolution
• The impact of globalization on sports and their respective cultures
• The impact of sports on national identity and patriotism
• The impact of sports media on fan behavior and athlete performance
• The impact of sports on the environment
• The influence of sports fans on team strategy and decision-making
• The impact of sports gambling on sports integrity and athlete health
• The impact of sports specialization on long-term athlete development
• The influence of sports referees and officials on game outcomes
• The role of technology in sports officiating and decision-making
• The impact of sports on youth development and socialization
• The role of sports in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment
• The impact of sports on personal identity and self-esteem
• The role of sports in promoting physical literacy and lifelong physical activity
• The impact of fan behavior on athlete mental health and well-being
• The influence of sports broadcasters on fan behavior and attitudes
• The role of sports in promoting healthy competition and fair play
• The impact of sports participation on academic performance in children
• The influence of social media on athlete behavior and fan engagement
• The impact of sports on international diplomacy and political relations
• The influence of coach behavior on athlete mental health and performance
• The role of sports in promoting cultural understanding and awareness
• The impact of sports science on athlete training and performance
• The impact of youth sports on parent-child relationships
• The influence of sports team culture on athlete behavior and performance
• The role of sports in promoting environmental sustainability
• The impact of sports on social mobility and economic inequality
• The influence of sports on global health issues
• The impact of sports on regional and national identity
• The role of sports in promoting positive youth development and resilience.
• The impact of technology on sports performance
• The effects of altitude on ball flight in sports like golf and tennis
• The effects of sports on stress management
• The impact of COVID-19 on the sports industry
• The impact of technology on sports officiating and rule enforcement
• The role of sports in promoting cultural heritage and preservation
• The impact of sports on mental toughness and resilience among athletes
• The effects of different types of recovery interventions on sports injury rehabilitation
• The role of sports in promoting intergenerational connections and social capital
• The effects of different types of sports psychology interventions on team dynamics and performance in professional sports
• The role of sports in promoting peacebuilding and conflict resolution in divided societies
• The impact of sports on career development and job satisfaction among sports journalists
• The effects of different types of recovery interventions on injury prevention and performance in powerlifting
• The role of sports in promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship among youth
• The impact of sports on social identity and community building among refugees and immigrants
• The effects of different types of sports nutrition interventions on brain health and cognitive function in older adults
• The role of sports in promoting sustainable urban development and active transportation
• The impact of sports on social capital and political engagement among LGBTQ+ athletes
• The effects of different types of training interventions on injury prevention and recovery in equestrian sports.
• The impact of sports on body image and self-esteem among female athletes
• The effects of different types of sports equipment on performance and injury risk in extreme sports
• The role of sports in promoting cultural diplomacy and international relations
• The impact of sports on emotional regulation and mental health among adolescent athletes
• The effects of different types of nutrition interventions on injury prevention and recovery in team sports
• The role of sports in promoting civic engagement and political participation among athletes
• The impact of sports on cognitive development and academic achievement in early childhood
• The effects of different types of sports psychology interventions on sports performance and mental health
• The role of sports in promoting environmental education and sustainability in schools
• The impact of sports on career development and employability among retired athletes
• The effects of different types of mindfulness interventions on sports performance and well-being
• The role of sports in promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding
• The impact of sports on emotional intelligence and leadership development among coaches
• The effects of different types of sports supplements on performance and health outcomes
• The role of sports in promoting disaster risk reduction and resilience in coastal communities
• The impact of sports on social identity and group dynamics in fan communities
• The effects of different types of sports training on injury prevention and recovery in power sports
• The role of sports in promoting digital literacy and technological innovation in youth
• The impact of sports on social-emotional learning and character development in schools
• The effects of different types of nutrition interventions on sports performance and cognitive function in older adults
• The role of sports in promoting gender equity and empowerment in sports organizations
• The impact of sports on cultural identity and community building among Indigenous peoples
• The effects of different types of training interventions on injury prevention and recovery in para-athletes
• The role of sports in promoting global health and disease prevention
• The impact of sports on social support and mental health among parents of youth athletes
• The effects of different types of recovery interventions on sports performance and injury prevention in master athletes
• The role of sports in promoting community-based health education and behavior change
• The impact of sports on identity development and socialization among adolescent girls
• The effects of different types of sports nutrition interventions on gut microbiota and health outcomes
• The role of sports in promoting intercultural communication and language learning
• The impact of sports on psychological well-being and job satisfaction among sports officials
• The effects of different types of mindfulness interventions on injury prevention and recovery in endurance sports
• The role of sports in promoting sustainable tourism and economic development in rural areas
• The impact of sports on social integration and inclusion among individuals with disabilities
• The effects of different types of sports equipment on biomechanics and performance in precision sports
• The role of sports in promoting community resilience and disaster risk reduction in urban areas
• The impact of sports on social-emotional development and academic achievement among at-risk youth
• The effects of different types of sports nutrition interventions on immune function and health outcomes
• The role of sports in promoting social justice and human rights in sport governance
• The impact of sports on community development and social capital in post-conflict areas
• The effects of different types of resistance training on injury prevention and recovery in endurance athletes
• The role of sports in promoting intergenerational relationships and aging well-being
• The impact of sports on social support and mental health among retired athletes
• The role of sports in promoting civic activism and social change
• The impact of sports on sleep quality and quantity in professional athletes
• The effects of different types of stretching on recovery and injury prevention
• The role of sports in promoting environmental justice and sustainability
• The impact of sports on emotional intelligence and social skills among youth athletes
• The effects of different types of resistance training on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting peace and conflict resolution in divided societies
• The impact of sports on academic achievement and career success among athletes
• The effects of different types of endurance training on injury prevention and recovery
• The role of sports in promoting cultural diversity and inclusion
• The impact of sports on team cohesion and communication
• The effects of different types of dietary interventions on sports performance and recovery
• The role of sports in promoting mental health and well-being in marginalized communities
• The impact of sports on cognitive function and academic achievement in children
• The effects of different types of cooling interventions on sports performance and recovery
• The role of sports in promoting community resilience and disaster preparedness
• The impact of sports on social capital and social mobility in low-income communities
• The effects of different types of sports nutrition interventions on bone health and injury prevention
• The role of sports in promoting global citizenship and intercultural competence
• The impact of sports on personal and professional development among athletes
• The effects of different types of training programs on sports performance and injury prevention in older adults
• The role of sports in promoting human rights and social justice
• The impact of sports on decision-making and risk-taking behavior in adolescents
• The effects of different types of aerobic exercise on cognitive function and brain health
• The role of sports in promoting sustainable development and social innovation
• The impact of sports on social integration and belonging among refugees and immigrants
• The effects of different types of sports equipment on injury risk and performance
• The role of sports in promoting gender equality and empowerment in developing countries
• The impact of sports on academic engagement and achievement among middle school students
• The effects of different types of hydration interventions on sports performance and recovery
• The role of sports in promoting community-based tourism and economic development
• The impact of sports on identity formation and self-concept among athletes
• The effects of different types of sports training on bone health and injury prevention in female athletes
• The role of sports in promoting environmental conservation and climate action
• The impact of sports on personal values and character development among athletes
• The effects of different types of sports nutrition interventions on cardiovascular health and performance
• The role of sports in promoting community-based disaster response and recovery
• The impact of sports on social support and well-being among LGBTQ+ athletes
• The effects of different types of recovery interventions on injury rehabilitation and return to play in professional athletes
• The role of sports in promoting social entrepreneurship and innovation
• The impact of sports on moral reasoning and ethical decision-making among athletes
• The effects of different types of training programs on cognitive function and academic achievement in children
• The role of sports in promoting social inclusion and equality in urban settings
• The impact of sports on social identity and collective action among fans
• The effects of different types of recovery interventions on sports performance and injury prevention in adolescent athletes
• The effects of different types of recovery modalities on injury prevention in sports
• The role of sports in promoting cultural diplomacy
• The impact of sports participation on academic achievement among college students
• The effects of different types of hydration strategies on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting social cohesion and community building
• The impact of sports on physical and cognitive aging
• The effects of different types of warm-down on sports performance and injury prevention
• The role of sports in promoting positive youth development
• The impact of sports on crime and delinquency among youth
• The effects of different types of endurance training on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting gender equity and empowerment
• The impact of sports on mental health among athletes
• The effects of different types of carbohydrate intake on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting international relations and diplomacy
• The impact of sports on body image and self-esteem among adolescents
• The effects of different types of sports drinks on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting environmental sustainability and conservation
• The impact of sports on cognitive function and brain health
• The effects of different types of sports psychology interventions on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting social justice and human rights
• The impact of sports on physical activity levels and sedentary behavior
• The effects of different types of pre-game nutrition on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting economic development and tourism
• The impact of sports on cultural and national identity
• The effects of different types of footwear on injury risk in sports
• The role of sports in promoting civic engagement and democracy
• The impact of sports on sleep quality and quantity
• The effects of different types of anaerobic training on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting intergenerational relationships and socialization
• The impact of sports on body composition and weight management
• The effects of different types of sports psychology interventions on injury prevention and recovery
• The role of sports in promoting peacebuilding and conflict resolution
• The impact of sports on self-efficacy and self-esteem among athletes
• The effects of different types of protein intake on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting health equity and reducing health disparities
• The impact of sports on social capital and community resilience
• The effects of different types of high-intensity interval training on sports performance
• The impact of sports on stress and stress-related disorders
• The effects of different types of dietary supplements on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting human development and well-being
• The impact of sports on emotional regulation and mental health
• The effects of different types of strength training on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship
• The impact of sports on social identity and belonging
• The effects of different types of cognitive training on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting disaster resilience and preparedness
• The impact of sports on academic engagement and achievement among high school students
• The effects of different types of stretching on injury prevention and sports performance.
• The effects of different types of training on athletic performance
• The effectiveness of different coaching styles in sports
• The role of nutrition in athletic performance
• The psychology of injury rehabilitation in sports
• The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports
• The role of sports in promoting physical and mental health
• The impact of social media on sports marketing
• The effectiveness of sports marketing campaigns
• The effects of gender and ethnicity on sports participation and performance
• The impact of sports sponsorship on athlete performance
• The role of sports in promoting teamwork and leadership
• The effects of environmental conditions on sports performance
• The impact of sports on community development
• The psychology of winning and losing in sports
• The effects of sleep on sports performance
• The use of virtual reality in sports training
• The impact of sports injuries on athletes’ careers
• The effects of altitude on athletic performance
• The use of data analysis in sports performance assessment
• The role of sports in reducing stress and anxiety
• The impact of sports on academic performance
• The effects of different sports on cardiovascular health
• The use of cryotherapy in sports recovery
• The impact of social media on sports fans and fandom
• The effects of different types of footwear on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting physical activity among children and adolescents
• The effects of different types of stretching on sports performance
• The impact of sports on social and cultural values
• The effects of hydration on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting global understanding and diplomacy
• The effects of different types of surfaces on sports performance
• The impact of sports on economic development
• The impact of sports on mental toughness and resilience
• The effects of different types of recovery methods on sports performance
• The use of mindfulness in sports performance and injury recovery
• The impact of sports on environmental sustainability
• The effects of different types of warm-up on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting tourism and travel
• The impact of sports on crime reduction and community safety
• The effects of different types of sports equipment on performance
• The impact of sports on job creation and employment opportunities
• The effects of different types of physical activity on mental health
• The role of sports in promoting social mobility and equality
• The impact of sports on identity formation and socialization
• The effects of different types of pre-game rituals on sports performance.
• The role of sports in promoting healthy aging
• The impact of sports on conflict resolution among youth
• The effects of sports on job satisfaction and productivity
• The role of sports in promoting environmental conservation
• The impact of sports on language proficiency and communication skills
• The effects of sports on the development of social skills
• The role of sports in promoting peaceful coexistence and tolerance
• The impact of sports on community building and cohesion
• The effects of different types of sports on hand-eye coordination
• The impact of sports on personal growth and self-discovery
• The effects of sports on cultural competency
• The role of sports in promoting social and emotional learning
• The impact of sports on community health
• The effects of different types of sports on reaction time
• The role of sports in promoting social justice and equity
• The impact of sports on academic motivation and achievement
• The effects of sports on the development of grit and resilience
• The role of sports in promoting civic engagement and social responsibility.
• The impact of sports on tourism
• The role of sports in promoting physical activity
• The effects of playing sports on cognitive development
• The impact of sports on political identity
• The effects of sports on self-esteem and body image
• The role of sports in promoting teamwork and collaboration
• The effects of different coaching styles on athlete performance
• The impact of sports on national security
• The role of sports in promoting cultural exchange and diplomacy
• The effects of sports on language acquisition
• The impact of sports on family dynamics
• The role of sports in promoting conflict resolution
• The impact of sports on social mobility
• The effects of different types of training on injury prevention
• The role of sports in promoting global health
• The effects of sports on decision-making and risk-taking behavior
• The role of sports in promoting physical and mental well-being
• The impact of sports on social justice
• The effects of sports on academic achievement among at-risk youth
• The role of sports in promoting cultural heritage
• The impact of sports on personal identity
• The effects of sports on emotional intelligence and empathy
• The role of sports in promoting gender equality
• The impact of sports on identity formation
• The effects of different types of sports on balance and coordination
• The role of sports in promoting social capital
• The impact of sports on social integration and inclusion
• The effects of training at high altitudes on athletic performance
• The psychological factors that contribute to athlete burnout
• The relationship between sleep and athletic performance
• The effects of music on sports performance
• The effects of caffeine on sports performance
• The impact of climate on sports performance
• The use of supplements in sports performance
• The role of genetics in sports performance
• The effects of aging on sports performance
• The impact of sports injuries on athlete’s careers
• The relationship between sports and mental health
• The effects of gender on sports performance
• The impact of social media on sports
• The effects of sports fandom on mental health
• The use of technology in sports coaching
• The impact of team culture on sports performance
• The effects of sports specialization on athlete development
• The role of sports psychology in athlete performance
• The effects of plyometric training on athletic performance
• The impact of climate change on outdoor sports
• The effects of team dynamics on sports performance
• The impact of sports participation on academic achievement
• The effects of sports sponsorship on athlete performance
• The role of biomechanics in sports performance
• The effects of stretching on sports performance
• The impact of sports equipment on performance
• The effects of altitude training on endurance sports performance
• The effects of different types of training on sports performance
• The role of nutrition in injury prevention
• The effects of mental preparation on sports performance
• The effects of climate on indoor sports performance
• The role of sports in cultural identity
• The impact of sports participation on youth development
• The effects of strength training on sports performance
• The role of coaches in athlete development
• The impact of sports on national identity
• The effects of different playing surfaces on sports performance
• The role of recovery in sports performance
• The impact of sports on local economies
• The impact of sports on gender and racial equality
• The effects of team size on sports performance
• The role of sports in promoting social inclusion
• The effects of sports on personal development
• The impact of sports on conflict resolution
• The effects of sports on leadership development

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Sport Management

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• Human Kinetics Library Books and videos for both practitioners and scholarly study in dance, exercise, fitness, health, motor behavior, nutrition, physical activity, and sport management. Includes Human Kinetics Dance Technique module.
• PsycArticles Articles from journals published by APA, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association and Hogrefe and Huber covering basic, applied, and clinical psychology, animal behavior, cognition, memory, neuroscience, perception, physiological psychology, psycholinguistics, psychometrics, social and personality psychology.
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Tracing the state of sport management research: a bibliometric analysis

• Open access
• Published: 24 February 2023

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• Jonas Hammerschmidt 1 ,
• Ferran Calabuig 2 ,
• Sascha Kraus   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4886-7482 3 , 4 &
• Sebastian Uhrich 5  

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6 Citations

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This article presents a state-of-the-art overview of the sport management research discipline through a bibliometric analysis of publication data from the top five sport management journals in the decade 2011–2020. The analysis includes citation and productivity analysis of journals, institutions, countries, and articles, author citation and output analysis, and title and abstract (co-)word analysis. The data identifies the Sport Management Review as the most prolific journal of the last decade. Institutions and authors from the US are dominating the sport management research, which has increased its attractiveness in other disciplines. Co-word analysis shows recent and frequently discussed topics related to management of sport organizations and events, team and game, sport marketing and sponsorship, and behaviour and identification of the spectator. The article serves the ongoing debate on sport management as an academic field with deep insights into the publication structure and thematic dynamics of the last decade.

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

Sport has become a weighty player embedded in the context of economic development (Ratten 2010 ). The growing economic relevance of sport created an organizational need for operational and managerial structure. Research at the intersection of sport and management has established a discipline that tackles the complexity of managerial activity in the sport environment. In the slipstream of the increasing influence of sport, sport management research has developed into an attractive and exponentially growing discipline (Funk 2019 ). However, the rapid and proliferating growth of sport management research, especially in the last decade (Pellegrini et al. 2020 ), has led to seemingly uncoordinated progress. As a result, it is difficult to assess the current status quo of the research discipline, as well as uncertainty about the prevailing dynamics that have influenced the development of the field in recent years.

In the period from 1990 to 2000, sport management was dominated by topics related to athletic training and athlete programs with less focus on the commercial potential of sport (Ciomaga 2013 ). In the penultimate decade, from 2000 to 2010, the thematic landscape of sport management has evolved in the opposite direction, with the focus of the field on commercial issues and becoming more oriented towards management disciplines (Ciomaga 2013 ). Ciomaga ( 2013 ) and Shilbury ( 2011a , b ) noted that marketing had the greatest impact on sport management research during these years, and that influence appeared to increase over time. This development was viewed with suspicion because the extensive commercial view of the multifaceted world of sport could lead to a neglect of its special qualities (Ciomaga 2013 ; Zeigler 2007 ). Almost as a logical consequence, Gammelsæter ( 2021 ) criticizes the prevailing conceptualization of sport as an industry or a business, which ignores natural features of sport such as its sociality. In the current conceptualization of sport entrepreneurship, a sub-area of sport management, Hammerschmidt et al. ( 2022 ) has recognized that ‘sport is social by nature and thus is sport entrepreneurship’ (p. 9), which apparently is the case for sport management. However, the discussion about the lack of conceptual clarity in sport management research was initiated early on, accompanied by recommendations that subsequent research addresses this deficit of clarity through systematic analyses (Chalip 2006 ).

To take a first step towards a better understanding of the status quo of a scientific discipline, a bibliometric analysis is a well-established method (Deyanova et al. 2022 ; Kraus et al. 2022 ; Martínez-López et al. 2018 ; Tiberius et al. 2020 , 2021 ). In recent years, few reviews have been conducted in the sport management discipline. Ciomaga ( 2013 ) combined a content-related review with a quantitative analysis of three leading sport management journals for the period 1987–2010. The study examines how sport management research strives for legitimacy and asserts that sport management research is still strongly influenced by its reference disciplines (e.g., marketing and organizational studies). To assess the state of development of the research field and its influence on generic disciplines, Shilbury ( 2011a ) examined citations of sport management and marketing journals in management and marketing journals. Results show that sport management and especially sport marketing literature has gained traction in top tier generic journals. In addition, Shilbury ( 2011a ) observed that it takes just over six years after a sport management journal’s creation until it’s expected to generate citations in journals outside the field. However, six of the seven analyzed journals were then not yet listed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), which makes it difficult to draw a real picture of journal usage and consequently impact. Moreover, Shilbury ( 2011b ) analyzed citations of reference lists of manuscripts published in the Journal of Sport Management (JSM), Sport Marketing Quarterly (SMQ), European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ) and Sport Management Review (SMR). JSM is the journal with the longest history and was the most frequently cited journal, highlighting its role as the leading journal in the discipline. It is followed by SMQ with the second most citations, which is correspondingly the journal with the second-longest history. Apparently, the time factor played an important role because influence, citations, number of citable items, and reputation have developed over time (Budler et al. 2021 ).

Previous studies were important for a better understanding of the publishing behavior of sport management journals and provided a comprehensive overview of the fields’ development. However, the discipline has had the greatest growth in the last decade (Pellegrini et al. 2020 ) and the diffusion of new theories can take several years (Funk 2019 ). For example, when the analysis of Shilbury ( 2011a ) was conducted, only one sport management journal was listed in the SSCI, indicating that it may have been too early to obtain conclusive results from bibliometric analysis. Since then, many sport management and marketing journals have been listed in the SSCI for numerous years. It is particularly interesting to see how the sport management journals have performed in comparison since the analyses of Ciomaga ( 2013 ) and Shilbury ( 2011a , b ).

The aim of this bibliometric analysis is therefore to quantitatively structure the field using bibliometric indicators, and to assess the thematic dynamics of the last ten years with bibliometric coupling to contribute to the debate on the path that sport management is taking. To achieve this, a holistic bibliometric analysis is required due to the high demands on an integrated view of the complex scientific field (Gammelsæter 2021 ). This is mainly due to the multi-faceted nature of sport management, which can be easily illustrated by the role of a sport manager who takes care of issues in the organizational environment such as the desire to win, business, sport for development, professional marketing or social welfare (Hammerschmidt et al. 2021 ). Consequently, the methodological approach to achieve the research aim goes beyond related previous work.

A bibliometric analysis is a capable tool to identify the most influential journals based on publication and citation trends (Baumgartner and Pieters 2003 ; Martínez-López et al. 2018 ). In doing so, the study identifies important aspects in terms of citations, authors, articles, institutions, and countries. Ciomaga ( 2013 ) calls for studies to be conducted with more and particularly specialized journals. In response to this call, we conduct a bibliometric analysis that goes further than what has been done so far and analyses five of the leading sport management and marketing journals: Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, European Sport Management Quarterly, International Journal of Sport Marketing & Sponsorship, and Sport Marketing Quarterly. The rationale for our selection of these five journals is their appearance in the SSCI. Whatever delimitations are set, bibliometric analyses can never provide a complete picture of the field, as recent work may not have reached its full bibliometric impact (Budler et al. 2021 ), but boundaries need to be set to manage the data, and given the work that has pre-dated this study, delimiting the scope of this work to a ten-year period since 2011 is logical.

The study is structured as follows. The next section explains in detail the methodology used for bibliometric analysis and data collection. The results of the bibliometric analysis are then presented, including basic bibliometric indicators, as well as leading institutions, countries, authors, and articles of the five journals. The bibliometric coupling and the analysis of the themes is then presented. Subsequently, the main findings are discussed, followed by the limitations and the conclusion in the last section.

2.1 Procedure

The method of bibliometric analysis aims to statistically and objectively map the current state of a scientific field and to quantitatively structure its publications (Merigó et al. 2018 ; Mukherjee et al. 2022 ). To obtain a holistic picture of the sport management scholarship, we performed several bibliometric procedures. Specifically, basic bibliometric indicators were calculated to analyze the top five sport management journals: publication behavior of specific institutions, citation measures of different countries, scientific productivity of authors within the field, and most cited articles in the field.

Quantitative numbers of publications indicate the scientific productivity and citation frequency reveals the influence of research (Luther et al. 2020 ; Shilbury 2011b ). In this context, the quantitative analysis offers a high level of objectivity (Zupic and Čater 2015 ). To measure the influence of journals in this study, the Impact Factor is used because compared to other metrics, such as CiteScore, the Impact Factor is still the more widely used and recognized metric and is more likely to reflect current developments because it is based on a smaller time frame (Kurmis 2003 ). Institutional and country data is collected to provide a potential basis for alternative explanations of thematic dynamics and trends (Ciomaga 2013 ). The results on authorship provide a useful basis for the interpretation of possible social influences within the scientific community (Small 2011 ). The analysis of the most cited articles offers information about what type of research can generate the most interest in the discipline (Ciomaga 2013 ).

The quantitative analysis includes additional metrics to evaluate the authors' research output: the h-index and the g-index. The h-index metric presents a balance between individual articles that achieve high citations, older articles, and articles with average citation counts (Alonso et al. 2009 ; Hirsch 2005 ). “A researcher has index h if h of his/her N p papers have at least h citations each, and the other ( N p  −  h ) papers have no more than h citations each” (Alonso et al. 2010 , p. 3). Thus, a h-index of 10 means that at least 10 articles have achieved 10 citations each. In addition, we present the g-index, which is intended to extend the h-index. Here, the threshold of achieved citations are exponentiated and aggregated (Egghe 2006 ). “A set of papers has a g -index g if g is the highest rank such that the top g papers have, together, at least g 2 citations. This also means that the top + 1 papers have less than ( g  + 1) 2 cites” (Alonso et al. 2010 , p. 4). Hence, a g-index of 10 means that the top 10 articles of an author have collected at least 100 citations. Taken together, these two metrics give a sharper picture of the correlations between productivity figures and the influence of authors. Since the data base for these metrics is limited to sport management publications, the h- and g-indexes correspond to their sport management publications.

The data retrieved from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) is decisive to build networks of co-occurrences. Although there is no standard approach of a bibliometric analysis, the most common methodologies include the investigation of citations, co-citations and co-occurrences (Ferreira et al. 2015 ). In this study, the VOSviewer software is used to perform bibliometric coupling by means of a co-word analysis of titles and abstracts. This method processes the bibliometric data and then visualizes the relationships in a distance-based map. The representation simplifies the illustration of the bibliometric data and helps with the subsequent interpretation of the results (Luther et al. 2020 ). The aim of this work is not to synthesize the entire literature of the discipline, but rather the most mentioned themes. This inheres the danger of neglecting current trends and topics with little influence. Considering the research question, however, this is by no means a disadvantage, but provides clarity on the themes that were frequently discussed in the period under study.

To increase the depth of the results, this study performs a co-word density map. The density of a term depends on the number of nearby items and the number of citations they have. The density map shows how dense the research on a topic is. The denser the color, the more research is being done on that topic (van Eck and Waltman 2010 ). By combining a co-word map and a co-word density map, we get a more complete picture, because this shows which terms are mentioned the most and which ones gather the most science around them. The unified approach sheds more light on the underlying structure of bibliometric networks and therefore adds value compared to the isolated use of either approach (Waltman et al. 2010 ).

2.2 Data collection

The data were collected from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) using the Web of Science Core Collection™ (WoS). To be included, journals need to be directly related to either sport management or sport marketing, or both. Second, the journals need to be assigned with an Impact Factor in the journal citation report (JCR) at the time of the search. Table 1 provides an overview of the selected journals. The study is limited to published research between 2011 and 2020 that is labelled as either original or review articles, and excludes other types of articles. The search string was carried out on February 15, 2021.

This research contributes to the sport management discipline by providing a systematization of literature from the last decade. From 2011 to 2020, a total of 1516 articles (1417 articles and 79 reviews) were published in these five sport management journals by 1951 authors, belonging to 845 institutions from 49 countries.

3.1 Basic bibliometric indicators of the journals

The discipline of sport management and marketing is still a young area, as can be seen in Table 1 . The first sport management journal to be indexed in the WoS was the Journal of Sport Management, which first appeared in 1993. In 2007, a second journal was added, the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship. The European Sport Management Quarterly was introduced one year later. There is an important quantitative leap until 2011 when the Sport Management Review was included in the index. Finally, the Sport Marketing Quarterly was indexed in 2014 and received the first Impact Factor in 2017.

The journal that contributes the most articles to the analysis is the Sport Management Review with 462 original articles or reviews, followed by the Journal of Sport Management with 410 articles or reviews.

The local citation score (LCS) indicates the number of citations the journal has received in the analyzed database of 1516 articles. The global citation score (GCS) indicates the number of citations that the journals’ articles have received throughout the WoS database. The LCS and GCS are aggregate data on the amount of citations and therefore, whether the variables are calculated for articles or journals, can be an indicator of influence (Mehri et al. 2014 ). On a general level, SMR is the most influential journal outside the discipline during the last decade, receiving 7557 citations (Table 1 ). It is followed at a large distance by JSM with 5985 citations and the European Sport Management Quarterly, which has 3719 citations in the general database of the WoS. The great influence of SMR is particularly notable considering that it is a very young journal in the WoS since it entered this index not until 2011. In addition, SMR received the highest Impact Factor (i.e., 6.577) in the field in 2020.

Figure  1 shows the development of published articles over the years. As more journals have been introduced into the WoS, the number of published articles has increased. However, the journals’ strategy of increasing the frequency of issues published per year to improve visibility and citation opportunities influenced the results. Growth has been steady, reaching the highest level in the historical series in 2020.

Total number of publications of the top five sport management journals

As far as the development of the number of published articles and reviews per journal is concerned, there is an upward trend for all of them (Fig.  2 ). In general, these journals have increased the number of their publications over the past decade. The journal that published the most articles in 2020 is SMR (72), followed by JSM (45) and IJSMS (38). In contrast, the journals that published the smallest number of articles in 2020 are ESMQ (28) and SMQ (17).

Number of publications of the top five sport management journals

As can be observed, there is a general increase in the IF, especially in the last year (Fig.  3 ). The IF of JSM shows an upward trend (IF 2011–IF 2019 = 1.55) and presented the highest improvement in 2017. Regarding SMR, the IF also showed a positive trend from 2014 (first year with IF) to 2019 (IF 2011–IF 2019 = 2.13), reaching the highest value of the top five journals in 2019 (IF = 3.34). ESMQ has also shown a positive trend in IF in recent years (IF 2011–IF 2019 = 1.01). The highest growth of its IF was between 2015 and 2016 and the highest value was reached in 2018 with 2.27. However, in 2019, its Impact Factor decreased to 1.89.

Impact Factor of the top five sport management journals

For the IJSMS, there was a positive trend in IF from 2011 to 2020. Though, it had no IF in 2012 and 2013. Since then, its highest IF was reached in 2020 with 2.93. Finally, SMQ received its IF recently, in 2017, and it increased sharply in 2018 (IF = 1.14), but decreased in 2019 (IF = 0.74), showing similar values to 2017 (IF = 0.69).

3.2 Institutions and countries

Slightly more than half of the contributing authors (814) come from the US, followed by Australia (252) and the UK (173). The European country with the highest number of contributing authors is Germany (105).

Figure  4 provides an overview of the most cited countries in the last decade. Darker colors indicate a higher number of citations. The US and Australia are the countries that have received the largest number of citations (> 2000 citations). However, it is important to highlight that the US is by far the country that has received the most citations (9834). The European country with the most citations is Germany (1589).

Number of articles published per country

Regarding the institutions, Griffith University ranks first by citation count in the WoS (1717), followed by Temple University, which is the second most cited university (1432). The University of Florida ranks third (1270). In addition, these three universities are also the most cited in searches within these five journals (LCS). The most productive institutions are Temple University with 96 articles, followed by Griffith University with 81, and the University of Florida with 79 published articles.

In terms of number of citations per article published in the WoS (GCS/Nb. Articles), the University of Technology Sydney ranks first (25.47), followed by Griffith University (21.20) in second, and Deakin University in third (20.72). University of Technology Sydney also ranked first in the number of citations per document published in these five journals (7.17) (see Table 2 ).

3.3 Authorship of published articles

We ranked the number of citations by author based on the date of data collection (February 15, 2021). The most outstanding authors are Funk with 850, Wicker with 618 and Breuer with a total of 581 citations in the WoS. Highly cited researchers are also highly productive. There is evidence that the number of publications is highly correlated with the number of citations (Parker et al. 2013 ). Looking at the number of publications of these authors, Funk stands out as the author of the field with the highest number of publications (39) in the mentioned sport management journals during the last ten years. In addition, Funk has the highest h-index with 19 and the highest g-index with 29. Both metrics indicate that his high number of publications is matched by a high number of citations. Therefore, he can be considered the most influential author in the discipline in absolute terms. Table 3 shows the most productive authors in sport management and marketing research. An additional way to determine the influence of authors is the number of citations received based on the number of articles published (Kostoff 2007 ). The GCS/Nb. index shows that Kaplanidou has the most global citations per published article with 35.55. The scholar is followed by Schulenkorf (31.20) and in third position is Lock with 30.35 citations per article.

Considering only the citations received in these five journals over the past ten years, the LCS/Nb. index shows that Lock has the most citations per article with 11.94. He is followed by Doherty with 10.57 and Yoshida with 10 citations per article.

The ten most cited articles in the WoS are displayed in Table 4 . It is noteworthy that the three most frequently cited articles are relatively recent literature reviews. SMR contributes seven articles and JSM contributes two articles, one is from ESMQ.

3.4 Co-word analysis

Figure  5 clusters the co-occurrence of words within titles and abstracts. The generated terms reflect frequently discussed topics in the literature. The relationships of the topics show four recurring thematic groups of the five sport management journals. Each color (blue, red, yellow, and green) corresponds to a theme and signals its group membership.

Co-word analysis of terms gathered in clusters

Figure  6 is a density map. A topic is denser if it has more terms nearby. Thus, the figure shows the interconnections and proximity of the themes to each other (van Eck and Waltman 2010 ). The range is displayed from yellow (most intense) to green, and blue (least intense).

Density map of co-word analysis

The co-word analysis revealed four thematic clusters. The red cluster (1) belongs to the management of sport organizations and events, the blue cluster (2) is about the team, fan and the game, the green cluster (3) is the sport marketing and sponsorship cluster, and the yellow cluster (4) is about the behavior and identification of the sport spectators.

3.4.1 Red: Examining the management of sport organizations

The red cluster is relatively diverse and appears to contain another subgroup. In principle, this thematic field is about the management of sport organizations, which are the origin of sport participation (Misener and Doherty 2009 ). This field is predestined to benefit from the knowledge of other disciplines. Thus, the principle of organizational capacity, a concept from the management discipline, can be a key determinant for the success of sport organizations (Hoeber and Hoeber 2012 ; Misener and Doherty 2009 ). However, sport organizations are exposed to unique circumstances and, therefore, a potential subject for research emanating from inside the field. An example of this is the research of volunteerism, which is currently in the conceptualization phase (Wicker 2017 ), but can be one of the most pressing issues of sport organizations in the future (Wicker et al. 2014 ).

3.4.2 Blue: the sport cluster about the team, the fan and the game

The blue cluster is much clearer and is dominated by only a few terms. It is somewhat surprising that team and identification appear in separate clusters, since team identification is one of the most developed concepts of sport management, especially within the last decade (Katz and Heere 2016 ; Lock and Heere 2017 ). This is probably due to the fact that the terms fan, team, game, and league create a kind of cluster of their own since they are typically mentioned together. They have apparently also connections to other topics (which can be observed at their central position) but should be seen more as a platform for gaining knowledge, rather than as a separate thematic field. The connection of the word pairs is also interesting because in the blue cluster, the fan, and fan attendance are connected, whereas the terms customer, spectator, and behavior appear in the yellow cluster. The blue cluster seems to have evolved out of sport because of the terminology, whereas the yellow cluster is obviously characterized by commercial concepts (consumer, spectator, behavior, identification). The blue cluster is also the only cluster that includes a specific sport, namely major league baseball and especially football (soccer).

3.4.3 Green: developing marketing and sponsorship in sports

Marketing is part of the green cluster, however, neither the co-word analysis nor the density map reveals an increased appearance or influence of the term marketing. However, this refers only to the term in the analysis, not to the influence of the marketing topic in general. The way in which sport is consumed is of great value for practitioners. They try to provide pleasurable sport experiences by focusing on service quality and customer satisfaction, which is based on knowledge about how sport is consumed (Funk et al. 2016 ). Sport consumer research is a popular and growing sub-discipline of sport marketing research (Funk 2017 ; Yoshida 2017 ). Sponsorships most prominent context is sport, and generated insights have the potential to impact generic disciplines. For example, sport management research is discussing whether a consumer can identify non-congruent messages in sport marketing more easily than congruent, consistent information (Alonso Dos Santos and Calabuig 2018 ).

3.4.4 Yellow: investigating the commercial aspect of the spectator

Research within the yellow cluster focuses on diverse aspects related to spectator identification, loyalty, and behavior with sport (Lock et al. 2012 ). The terms of the yellow cluster are strongly linked to the concept of team identification, which in turn is strongly linked to marketing research (Heere et al. 2011 ; Katz et al. 2018 ). Psychology also has a great influence on the yellow cluster. Chang et al. ( 2018 ) used the approach of cognitive psychology to create the concept of implicit team identification (iTeam ID). By integrating the unconscious nature of consumption, iTeam ID may provide sport marketers with new insights for understanding fans’ identification with teams.

The density map (Fig.  6 ) shows that the term ‘team’ has the highest density in the field, indicating that more researchers are conducting research related to topics that mention the term team. The terms sport club, sport management, and sport organization are also presented with a high degree of density and would likely overtake the term ‘team’ if more consistent terminology were used. Terms such as league, game, fan, behavior, consumer, identification, participation, sponsorship, and sponsor also have a high density and are all presented in a more concentrated color than the term marketing.

4 Discussion

4.1 productivity and citations.

Despite its relative newness to the WoS, SMR is the most influential journal in the sport management discipline in our analysis of the last decade. During this period, it published the most articles, collected the most local and global citations, and had the highest Impact Factor among the top 5 journals in sport management. In addition, 7 of the 10 most cited articles, including the one with the most citations, were published in SMR. Hence, our study reveals a potential shift from the Journal of Sport Management as the most influential journal in sport management to SMR.

Productivity in the analyzed journals has been dominated by the US. The majority of authors come from the US, indeed the number is eight times higher compared to the European country with the most contributing authors: Germany. However, among the 3 most cited authors in the field are two Germans (Wicker and Breuer), which, by the way, count for 76% of all German citations with 1199 out of 1589 citations. The most cited article comes from an Australian university. The dominance of the US therefore seems to be less due to the quality (what can be derived from the values of LCS and GCS per article), but much more due to the quantity of researchers from the US contributing to sport management. The high number of researchers from the US seems to have an influence on the topics discussed. Sport in the US is more commercial in its basic concept, and community-sport organizations have less influence than is the case in Canada or Europe (Misener and Doherty 2009 ), which in turn may be part of the explanation why commercial logic has taken over in the sport management literature. It is further surprising that the term football is so prominently represented, even though football is called soccer in the US and plays a minor role. Conversely, this indicates that the scholarship of other nations focuses all the more on football.

In terms of authorship, a two-sided picture emerges. On the one hand, there are authors like Kaplanidou and Schulenkorf who have achieved high GCS scores and thus many citations outside the sport management journals. The articles by Kaplanidou were focused on the field of sport events and sport tourism. The most influential articles by Schulenkorf belong to sport for development literature and the most influential article is a review on sport for development, which accounts for a good quarter of the total global citations. Without this article, the value would fall back to the midfield. Research in these areas thus seems well suited to be cited by disciplines outside the field, but less suited to generate traction within the field. In terms of local citations, however, research on consumer satisfaction/behavior and sport organizations, respectively done by Yoshida and Doherty, are leading the scoring board. Lock is the only one whose research on team identification is frequently cited, both within and outside the sport management discipline. This possibly stems from the fact that Lock is also a co-author in other areas, such as sport and social media, eSports or sport consumption, and therefore has a very diverse research portfolio. Whether these findings about the choice of a topic and its influence on citation generation can be systematically replicated remains unclear. It can, however, support academics in choosing future projects and contributes to Funk's ( 2019 ) findings that on the one hand the ‘How?’ influences the diffusion of knowledge and on the other hand the ‘What?’ influences where knowledge can generate impact.

In Ciomaga's ( 2013 ) analysis, the papers with the most citations were reviews. Likewise, the three most cited articles in this analysis are reviews, a phenomenon that can also be observed in other disciplines (Vallaster et al. 2019 ). Surprisingly, the three authors with the most citations do not have an article in the top cited article list. However, the authors also have high scores in the h- and g-indexes, which means that they are highly productive, but also able to gain traction in terms of citations.

4.2 Exploring the thematic complexity of sport management research

In the results section, the thematic clusters were presented and their content discussed. In this section, we link our results to the ongoing debate in some substantive areas within sport management research.

The most obvious finding when looking at the visualization of co-occurrences is also the most influential: the thematic map of sport management research has become more diverse. The thematic complexity of the discipline that we present in our study contrasts significantly with the previous one-dimensionality of issues. Previous reflections mentioned that the focus of sport management research was characterized by a lack of systematic management strategies (Slack 1998 ) and then oscillated to an over-representation of commercial logic (Chalip 2006 ; Ciomaga 2013 ; Gammelsæter 2021 ). Our findings have carved out four thematic clusters and two of them, namely the green cluster on sport marketing and sponsorship and the red cluster on the management of sport organizations and events, are noticeably influenced by management disciplines and commercial thinking. However, both also show research streams that intend only to apply theories from other disciplines in the sport context, but to develop their own theories concerning, for example, the voluntary work of sport clubs, the management of community-sport-organizations or the peculiarities of sport sponsorship. The yellow cluster remains vague in this respect. On the one hand, this thematic group is also dominated by a commercial perspective and deals with the fundamental question of what motivates a spectator to consume sport. In this context, spectators are also referred to as customers, a term normally used in business. On the other hand, sport management scholars managed to establish a firm basis of evidence around the team identification topic. This thematic area, while based on identity theory and the social identity approach, has subsequently built up a sport-specific and data-based knowledge base step by step, rather than accumulating theories through the constant introduction of new general management theories.

The blue cluster in this analysis is a novelty and represents a dominant thematic field of sport management that deals with sport specific characteristics: the team, the fan, the league, and the game. This cluster represents a thematic development of the last decade in sport management research, which is in line with the demand to put sport back into the center of sport management (Gammelsæter 2021 ). It is also important to note that the term ‘team’ is the term on which most research has been conducted. However, this conclusion may also be deceptive, as other thematic fields have greater diversity in the use of terms and, cumulatively, would likely yield more influential scores.

In general, commercial research areas continue to dominate the field. A common characteristic of these topics is that they are related to important sources of income and, hence, the findings are relevant from the perspective of practitioners as well. Sport has its grassroots in voluntary, community-based sport clubs. Despite the ongoing professionalization of sport, most sport organizations have a social background and are non-profit (Misener and Doherty 2009 ). As Morrow ( 2013 ) notes, sport ‘has always been and continues to be […] economic in basis, but social in nature’ (p. 297). In contrast, the term ‘social’ was not represented in our analysis and therefore future research could take a more holistic approach and engage in distinct social aspects of managing sport.

Football (soccer) is the only sport besides major league baseball that appears in the co-word analysis. Moreover, both terms, i.e., soccer and football, are still represented and together their influence would be mapped even more strongly. Nevertheless, football is the most represented sport in the sport management journals in our analysis, thus underlining its significant and leading role in research.

Looking at the development of sport management topics in the past, it is interesting to note that these have grown mainly within sport management journals. Shilbury ( 2011a ) noted that only 25 sport management related papers were published in generic management journals. In contrast, sport entrepreneurship, a young and emerging sub stream of management research in sport, has originated from the field of entrepreneurship and mainly grown up outside the major sport management and marketing journals. Sport entrepreneurship attaches great importance to the specifics of sport (Hammerschmidt et al. 2020 , 2022 ) and can therefore help to support the missing distinctiveness of sport management (Shilbury 2011b ). It remains open whether it is a trend or an exception that new sub streams arise outside the discipline.

4.3 Bridging sport management facets: an integrative view

The integrated view of sport management is a holistic approach that considers the various aspects of sport managements research. This approach recognizes that, for example, the success of a sport organization is not solely dependent on one aspect, such as management or marketing, but rather on the interrelationship of all elements.

In our analysis, we were able to depict the multi-faceted landscape of topics in sport management over the past decade. As described above, the dominant themes and ultimately the concepts and theories that emerged from them can be traced back to a strong influence of commercially oriented generic management research. This commercial focus runs throughout the discipline of sport management. Interestingly, however, the inherent tasks of managing sport lead to a much more diverse landscape of topics. Therefore, the integrative view of sport management does not refer to focused topics, but attempts to point out the multi-faceted nature of sport management through a holistic approach.

An integrated view of sport management considers the management of sport organizations, including the development of unique and sport-specific theories that address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the sport industry. This approach also includes the marketing and sponsorship of sport events and the spectator sport experience. In addition, an integrated view of sport management considers the volunteerism and community engagement aspect of sport organizations, recognizing the important role that volunteers play in the sport management discipline. This approach also embraces the role of sport in promoting social development, for example, through the use of sport as a means of education and promoting healthy lifestyles. The integrated view of sport management thus allows for a better understanding of the sport industry as a whole and the interactions between the different elements of the industry. This can lead to better prediction of industry trends and a more accurate understanding of the competitive landscape. The integrated view of sport management is a holistic approach that considers all aspects of sport organizations and events. Therefore, the integrative view offers opportunities for unique and sport-specific theories, and allows for more effective strategies and decision-making by recognizing the interrelatedness of the sport management elements.

4.4 Sport management research on the rise: a sport-specific perspective

The results of the study underline that sport management research has been attractive outside the field over the last decade. Many of the papers published in sport management and marketing journals are cited in journals from other fields. The ten most cited articles presented in this study show high citation indicators in the general WoS database and are good proof that research in sport management attracts the interest of the larger scientific community. This underlines the findings of Ciomaga ( 2013 ) who analyzed sport management research following the direction of a reference discipline as a trend.

One possible explanation for the increased influence of sport management research is provided by the assumption of Ciomaga ( 2013 ) that sport management research has increasingly shown the ability to build unique theories and thus may become a reference discipline. In this study, we presented the main thematic clusters of sport management research and showed that there are research areas characterized by a gradual development of unique theories. One of these areas is volunteer management in sport, the theories of which are well-developed due to their great relevance for sport clubs and sport events and thus play a leading role in volunteerism research. Another topic is sport for development, of which two articles appear in the ten most cited articles. The term already indicates that these are developed findings from a sport management sub stream that focuses primarily on sport-specific contexts. In addition, the development within the topic area of team identification is noteworthy. The articles we analyzed showed a steady theoretical development because they built on each other stepwise with a high degree of consistency. Although the number of articles in the field of team identification is comparatively small, well-researched and advanced theories and concepts have been developed. Moreover, it has been shown that sport management research has grown and the topics of the discipline have become more diverse, which logically has increased the number and possibilities of theories to be used for other disciplines. In addition, the blue cluster presented in this study (terms: team, fan, league, game) shows a greater cohesion to sport-specific topics compared to the dominant topics presented so far, suggesting that more unique sport management theory is emerging. However, the methods presented in this study cannot answer the question of how sport management research has increased its attractiveness in other disciplines and whether this is related to the emergence of unique theories.

In essence, a reference discipline states its progress of knowledge by getting cited by other disciplines (Shilbury 2011b ). Being a reference discipline is strongly linked to the fundamental debate on conceptual clarity of sport management. The ability to create theories reinforces the view that sport has a special quality (Gammelsæter 2021 ), whereas the application of theory from broader disciplines to sport management suggests that it is rather a sub-discipline of management (Ciomaga 2013 ). Regardless of which way is chosen to generate knowledge in sport management, it should be considered that the diffusion of new theories in sport management proves to be a slow and uncomfortable process (Funk 2019 ). The ongoing debate shows that sport management is still in its discovery phase.

5 Conclusion

This study applied the bibliometric method to analyze the five leading journals in sport management and marketing literature (Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, European Sport Management Quarterly, International Journal of Sport Marketing & Sponsorship, and Sport Marketing Quarterly). The analysis covers data of 1516 articles in the period from 2011 to 2020 and leads to theoretical and practical contributions in several ways.

The bibliometric analysis allowed us to identify key authors, institutions and journals in the field, as well as the mapping of research trends and patterns over time. Our analysis shows that authors from the US dominate, not qualitatively but quantitatively, and suggests that their focus may be part of the explanation why the theoretical structure of the sport management field is highly commercialized. Despite the US dominance, the term football is prominently represented suggesting that football (soccer) is a popular empirical setting for sport management research. In terms of thematic development, commercial thinking in sport management has become firmly entrenched within the discipline and an abrupt change in the prevailing paradigms seems naïve, even if it neglects sport-specific idiosyncrasies as a result. One of these idiosyncrasies is the inherent social nature of sport (Morrow 2013 ), which receives hardly any attention in sport management. The result of our co-word analysis showed that there are four dominant thematic clusters in the field (management of sport organizations and events; team, fan and the game; marketing and sponsorship; behavior and identification of the spectator). Despite the dominance of commercial topics, the cluster around the team, fan and game seems to have evolved out of sport with a focus on the sporting aspect. Moreover, Ciomaga ( 2013 ) predicted that research within sport management will ‘follow lines of research on sport that have been legitimized by reference disciplines’ (p. 572). The analyses of this study indicate that the influence of sport management literature on other disciplines is growing. In addition, developments in substantive areas and the introduction of sport-specific theories in several contexts, including volunteerism, sport for development, or team identification are emerging within the discipline. This enriches the field in diversity and has the potential to (a) drive a paradigm shift to put sport back in the spotlight and (b) increase the legitimacy of the field through growing influence on other disciplines.

On the practical side, our analysis showed that SMR is, in the period under study, the leading journal in almost every productivity category which can be a useful information for authors looking to publish their work, or for organizations and institutions to identify potential partners or competitors. In addition, the analysis of citation data support authors in future articles by showing what research achieved high popularity. Within the study period, reviews in particular achieved high citation scores. Articles in the field of sport for developments, sport events and sport tourism were cited remarkably often outside the discipline. Within sport management, articles in the thematic area of consumer behavior and sport organization in particular achieved high citation values.

The presented findings in this study are constrained by various limitations. Quantitative data were collected from the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) of the Web of Science database. Hence, the limitations of the database also limit the results of this study. Therefore, future studies may select other sport management and marketing journals indexed in other databases (e.g. Scopus) and perform a bibliometric analysis to compare the themes and trends with the results obtained in this study. Further, recognizing scientific contributions and developing academic impact takes time (Xi et al. 2015 ). As a result, recently published articles were yet not able to unfold their full potential and have relatively lower impact than well-established papers in the field. In addition, the journals’ impact was measured based on their scientific productivity, which is influenced by the time period of being indexed in the WoS. As a consequence, we created indexes by putting absolute numbers in relation, like citations per article or global citation score per year. Further, our approach mainly rests on quantitative metrics and the results should therefore not be used to evaluate the research quality of countries, journals, or individual articles and authors. The results can contribute to making such assessments, but we suggest to refrain from using any of the rankings presented here as a direct measure of research quality.

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Hammerschmidt, J., Calabuig, F., Kraus, S. et al. Tracing the state of sport management research: a bibliometric analysis. Manag Rev Q (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00331-x

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To complete a Ph.D. in Sports Management, students have to fulfill the dissertation requirement that demands independent research, a lengthy write-up, and thesis defense. Sometimes, however, the beginning may seem like the most difficult part of the process as finding a good topic can be incredibly hard.

1. Gender in Sports

As one of the issues that have been in the spotlight recently, the role of gender in sports is certainly a great topic for any Ph.D. student. With the recent win of the United States female national team in soccer, which claimed the world title twice in a row, many have complained about equal pay issues. And rightly so. After all, women who participate in sports continue to only make a fraction of men’s salaries. This comes without any regard for efficiency and success as proven by the female soccer team that outranks their male counterparts in virtually every category. Thus, a topic in this area would be quite easy to research and even easier to write.

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3. Role of Politics in Sport

A few years ago, Colin Kaepernick engaged what seemed to be the entire United States in a fierce battle over the role of politics in sport. His silent protest ignited a passionate response from both sides. Even after those types of protests passed, politics have found a way to get involved in every sport. Whilst the two spheres had many touching points throughout history, the growing connections between them have certainly impacted sports in a variety of ways. Students who are interested in this topic could look into the most common benefits and downsides of athletes and politicians crossing over into each others’ domains.

4. Improving Random Drug Testing

One of the most prevalent complaints when it comes to random drug testing is the fact that it sometimes appears to be everything but random. In 2018, for instance, NFL player Eric Reid was selected for a total of seven tests within just 11 weeks. According to The Guardian , statistics showed that the odds of this happening were highly improbable. The scandal was so large that the NFL was forced to issue a public statement explaining how their algorithm works. Since these types of problems are present across the board, sports management students in Ph.D. programs can seek ways to help improve the testing procedures.

Related Resource: Top 10 Ph.D. Programs in Sports Management

5. Holding Athletes to Unrealistic Standards

Although incredibly high earnings and fame are very attractive benefits of being a successful athlete, there are quite a few downsides as well. The most dangerous one is the fact that people tend to hold these individuals to unrealistic standards. Since they are constantly under the spotlight, it is not uncommon to see them being criticized for pretty much anything that they do. Such unreasonable scrutiny can be very dangerous and push those individuals to a breaking point. Hence why a topic explaining why athletes should not be held above anyone else could be both insightful and helpful.

Students who may want to combine other topics in their dissertation can look into questions related to athletes’ pay, media’s role in sports, and so on. Those who may simply want to focus their Ph.D. in Sports Management on contemporary sports issues, however, should look into one of these five choices.

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Building bridges: Connecting sport marketing and critical social science research

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The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

Recently, sport management scholars have called for researchers to critically evaluate the ways in which research questions and resulting contributions truly disrupt what is known, how it is known, why it is important to know, and for whom. Historically, sport marketing research has adapted traditional research approaches from the parent marketing discipline to sport. Yet, sport is a constantly evolving social and cultural phenomenon and a reliance on conventional theories, concepts, and methods can serve to crystalize the discourse in sport marketing in ways that may limit knowledge production. Responding to this call, we believe that sport marketing research has much to gain from engaging with critical social science assumptions, worldviews, and perspectives to examine complex issues in sport. We position this paper as a starting point for advancing the field of sport marketing in meaningful and impactful ways by offering two research propositions, each accompanied by four actional recommendations. We employ a particular focus on the marketing campaigns that activate and promote corporate partnerships in sport to frame our two propositions, which discuss (1) consumer culture theory and (2) the circuit of culture as two important frameworks that begin to build bridges between sport marketing and critical social science.

Introduction

Researchers of sport and sport-related groups are being nudged by institutions, funding bodies, and publication “gatekeepers” (e.g., editors and reviewers) to justify the value of their work in ways that move beyond addressing a gap in the literature. While “gap-spotting” is a common way to formulate research questions from existing literature, Sandberg and Alvesson ( 1 ) claim that “it does not actively challenge the assumptions underlying existing theory” (p. 33). Alternatively, they suggest that problematization leads to more innovative and novel research questions that “disrupt the reproduction and continuation of an institutionalized line of reasoning” [( 1 ), p. 32]. Recently, Stenling and Fahlén ( 2 ) call for sport management researchers (broadly interpreted) to consider what is “worthwhile knowledge” and to “clarify on whose behalf a study is conducted and, thus, for whom, in what ways, and why its contribution is important” (p. 16). Further, their recommendations for sport management researchers align with Sandberg and Alvesson ( 1 ) in that research should disrupt prevailing assumptions to build “new, significant, and meaningful knowledge that alters the way we understand and explain sport management practice” [( 2 ), p. 16]. In the field of sport marketing specifically, Kim et al. [( 3 ), p. 59] argue that sport marketing research has historically “been more normal research practice focusing on post-positivistic [consumer] behavior-based studies,” with the notion of “normal research” stemming from Kuhn's [( 4 ), p. 163] reference to a “highly convergent activity based firmly upon a settled consensus acquired from scientific education and reinforced by subsequent life in the profession.” Kim et al. [( 3 ), p. 59] highlight the need for “optimal balance between normal research with convergent thinking and innovative practices with divergent ideas” for scientific progress.

The purpose of this commentary is to serve as a point of departure for discussions on progressing the field of sport marketing in meaningful and impactful ways. We echo Stenling and Fahlén's ( 2 ) “call to arms” with an explicit focus on bridging sport marketing and critical social science. We agree with others who advocate for collapsing disciplinary silos [e.g., ( 5 , 6 )], and assert that sport marketing research has much to gain from engaging with critical social science assumptions, worldviews, and perspectives to examine complex issues in sport. We outline how sport marketing researchers may challenge the pre-existing assumptions in the field by encouraging others to “read ‘horizontally' to gain a ‘multi-silo' perspective of the phenomenon of interest, thereby facilitating the creation of knowledge that makes us think of phenomena in new ways” [( 2 ), pp. 16–17]. In what follows, we discuss two research propositions, (1) consumer culture theory and (2) the circuit of culture, as two important frameworks that integrate sport marketing and critical social science. From the outset, we acknowledge that these are only two of many potential areas for synthesis, and even within these frameworks, there are numerous possibilities to explore. However, to help others envision our proposals, for each proposition we offer actionable recommendations as innovative research directions that promise new knowledge discovery.

Frisby [( 7 ), p. 2] describes critical social science as “a way of empowering individuals by confronting injustices in order to promote social change.” Research that adopts critical approaches features prominently in sport sociology, with scholars suggesting that incorporating these perspectives into sport management research can advance the field ( 8 ). Researchers that utilize a critical view “are concerned about goals other than profit and with representing the interests of those affected by managerial actions, such as workers, athletes, volunteers, customers, marginalized populations, and the public at large” [( 7 ), p. 6]. These approaches appear infrequently in journals within the domain of sport marketing, despite their importance in sport management research for “unpacking the less-desirable aspects of sport as a social system,” resulting in a stable foundation “upon which positive change in sport can be made” [( 9 ), p. 9]. According to Sayer [( 10 ), p. 768], the job of critical social science is “to ‘unsettle' existing academic ideas.” Therefore, incorporating critical social science approaches into sport marketing research may help to “expand our understanding of sport's role in society, how it may be an exclusionary space and to provide a strong theoretical basis for practical improvements by challenging power relations” [( 9 ), p. 2].

Sport is a commodity and practice, and is a globally popular, highly visible, and influential part of society. Corporate brands use the appeal and excitement of sport to communicate their messages to consumers ( 11 ) and accomplish their business objectives ( 12 ). Currently there is momentum—and arguably a strong need—for professional sport (and related corporate partnerships) to have positive social impact, to help achieve social justice, and to minimize (the effects of) inequality. Arguably, sport marketing plays an equally important role in attracting large audiences to sport and associating corporate brands with the social and cultural values of sport. In this sense, marketing campaigns that activate and promote corporate partnerships with sport are “privileged form[s] of social communication” that can be utilized by marketers to influence culture, social interactions, and identities [( 13 ), pp. 103–104]. Through marketing, brands create powerful stories and compelling narratives that consumers use to process their own tensions, desires, and anxieties that originate from broader societal problems ( 14 ). For example, Nike's “For Once Don't Do It” advertisement following the Black Lives Matter Movement, Amazon's Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, and Scotiabank's “Hockey for All” campaign, to name a few. Yet, the “corporatization, privatization, and branding” of social justice issues by commercial organizations has become “increasingly complex, messy, and blurred” [( 15 ), p. 523], with regards to corporate intentions and “rising consumer expectations of corporate social responsibility” [( 16 ), p. 132]. As consumers become more discerning of corporate partnerships with sport, brands may be perceived as exploitative, disingenuous, and superfluous ( 17 – 20 ). Additionally, athletes and coaches, given their celebrity status and large followings, can “shape fans' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors” [( 21 ), p. 36], which can influence how sport marketers communicate with consumers. Crucially, framing sport marketing and consumer research from a position that upholds sport as a distinct social and cultural practice and queries why and how definitions and meanings of sport serve some interests over others [e.g., professional athlete, sport organization, corporate entity, fan/consumer; ( 22 )], begins a long, convoluted journey to problematize and disrupt our assumptions about the association of corporate brands with sport.

Consumer culture theory

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) “refers to a family of theoretical perspectives that address the dynamic relationship between consumer actions, the culture marketplace, and cultural meanings” [( 23 ), p. 868]. It consists of four salient, interconnected theoretical dimensions consisting of: “(1) consumer identity projects, (2) marketplace cultures, (3) the sociohistoric patterning of consumption, and (4) mass-mediated marketplace ideologies and consumers' interpretive strategies” [( 23 ), p. 871]. According to CCT, supporters can create and attribute meaning to the images, texts, and objectives that are commercially produced and through which consumers make sense of their environment, which can lead to consumers redefining the meaning of a brand based on their collective interpretation thereof ( 14 , 24 ). Thus, supporter groups may dictate the symbolism of brands associated with sport, with positive values (e.g., distinctiveness) benefitting the brand ( 25 ), and resistance occurring if they do not perceive that the team derives value from the connection ( 18 ). Rokka [( 14 ), p. 114] recently commented that “CCT's future looks promising in its commitment and ability to foster critical, contextually sensitive, and reflexive cultural insights into marketing—an important foundation for marketing strategy and practices.” As such, CCT can play a role in exploring the contextual factors that influence how supporters and supporter groups interpret and attribute meaning to a brand.

At present, much sport marketing consumer research is largely informed by cognitive psychological (behavioral) or economic theories. While these studies are important for continued understanding of consumer attitudes toward products/services and purchasing behaviors, there is an opportunity to engage with CCT and social theories (e.g., social constructivism, feminism, critical race theory) to critique “the structural foundations and limitations of the consumers' experiential universe” [( 26 ), p. 386]. CCT is often set within the context of social historical production as well as the prevailing socio-economic conditions, which contextualizes consumer-based practices and perspectives within the structures and systems that transcend lived experience. This allows “CCT researchers [to look] toward understanding market systems and dynamics and [approach] consumer culture not just as a matter of what consumers do but also how the world in which they do it is constituted” [( 27 ), p. 135]. Ultimately, the goal is to give greater consideration to “the context of contexts” [( 26 ), p. 396]. That is, to “pay increased attention to the contexts that condition consumption” [( 26 ), p. 389]. Sport marketing research needs to, in the very least, consider how consumption experiences are embedded within broader social structures, cultural norms, and ideological injustices, including (among others): racism, gender relations, homophobia, and classism. These contexts cannot be ignored as consumers navigate, engage in, and challenge everyday consumer culture. “Looking at the ways that everyday consumption practices reproduce larger cultural and social frameworks is also a matter of asking not only how consumption is influenced by social forms and processes, but how it participates in the constitution of society” [( 26 ), p. 396]. Given this discussion, we offer our first research proposition and four corresponding actionable recommendations.

Proposition 1: Critical engagement with CCT can provide a lens to examine realities beyond the individual sport consumer/fan.

Actionable Recommendations:

• Develop a better understanding of the meanings and values linked with signs, symbols, rituals, and traditions that shape brand community identity creation and development in sport.
• Generate a better understanding of the micro- and macro-level contextual influences (systemic and structural) of market and social systems that guide sport consumption experiences, identities, and communities.
• Seek a better understanding of the important actors (e.g., marketers, sport organization executives, brand executives) that participate in the contexts of sport consumption—actors that have their own social and cultural values.
• Establish a better understanding of ‘sport consumer-brand consumption' relationships as functions of sport, wherein both sport and consumption are recognized as social and cultural practices that can confer identity, values, and beliefs.

The circuit of culture

Previous research on sport-related advertising and the communication of corporate brand partnerships in sport have adopted the circuit of culture as a framework to critically analyze sport-related promotion and advertising ( 28 , 29 ). Accordingly, the circuit of culture, which traces the “lifecycle” of a commodity in contemporary society ( 30 ), has become an important component of research related to the growth of advertising, consumption, and commercialization within society ( 31 ). It consists of five interrelated cultural processes: production, representation, consumption, and identity, the components necessary to adequately examine commodities ( 30 ). As a circuit, the starting point is irrelevant, since the journey of explaining the meaning of an artifact involves analysis at each moment; cognizant that the processes are not distinct, rather each element converses with and blends into the next ( 30 ), overlapping one another and, hence, mutually defining and jointly dependent ( 32 ). It is the combined articulation or linkages of these processes that begin to explain the meaning cultural artifacts possess and the identities that they construct and/or embody ( 30 ). According to du Gay et al. [( 30 ), p. 3], the five interlinked spheres facilitate the exploration of cultural artifacts in terms of “how it is represented, what social identities are associated with it, how it is produced and consumed, and what mechanisms regulate its distribution.”

In sport contexts, research often focuses more on the representation and identity components, and fails to examine consumption and regulation ( 31 ). Thus, this research captures more of the critical perspective that misappropriation and inaccurate representation can have on groups of people ( 28 ), while analyzing the individuals that are responsible for generating the advertisements ( 33 ). Conversely, sport marketing research often does not consider the content or sociocultural implications of advertisements (particularly on marginalized groups), nor that of the activations undertaken by brands involved with sport, instead focusing on the consumption of products (e.g., purchase intention), attitudinal outcomes (e.g., sponsor image), and other sponsorship constructs, including supporter identification, fit, and awareness ( 34 , 35 ).

In critical social science research, sport-related advertisements are critically analyzed using the circuit of culture framework to examine the content, how the advertisement was produced, how the cultural intermediaries responsible for creating the advertisement chose to represent the sexuality, gender, and race of the people that appeared in the advertisement, and how the advertisement was consumed and interpreted by viewers ( 28 ). However, the focus of this research adopts the critical perspective without considering the marketing-related outcomes for the advertised brand (e.g., awareness, attitudes) after the advertisement has been processed and interpreted. Therefore, marketing research evaluating corporate brand partnerships in sport should incorporate critical analysis of the production, identity, and consumption contained within the circuit of culture to move beyond the individual consumer into the broader societal and cultural context surrounding the positioning of the advertised brand. Given this discussion, we offer our second research proposition and four corresponding actionable recommendations.

Proposition 2: The circuit of culture offers a framework to explore how consumers react to and interpret the content of marketing campaigns that activate and promote corporate partnerships in sport.

• Examine how advertising content and messaging influences consumers' subsequent attitudinal and behavioral responses to the advertisements.
• Explore the power relations between cultural intermediaries and marginalized populations and any resulting social injustices.
• Investigate how marketers' idealized and/or stereotypical representations of particular groups (e.g., men/women, racial, Indigenous, LGBTIQ2S+, etc.) can impact a group's identity and consumption behaviors.
• Analyze the manner in which a product's intended meaning is altered through consumption experiences and identity regulation.

In this commentary, we propose two research propositions that connect sport marketing and critical social science research. These are unorthodox but imperative proposals that require radical reconsideration of two research fundamentals. First, these propositions challenge traditional ontological marketing worldviews that embrace a (post)positivist paradigm ( 3 ), and instead advocate for ontological claims that “reality is created through [macro and] microsocial interactions” (interpretivist paradigm) and/or “reality is rooted in the tensions surrounding historically entrenched power relations” (critical realist paradigm; [( 7 ), pp. 2–3]. Second, these propositions prompt the need for new research designs (e.g., ethnography) that necessitate the integration of qualitative or multi/mixed methods, which diverts from the “normal research” [( 4 ), p. 163] that is generally conducted in sport marketing. Taken together, we uphold that these propositions open up possibilities for sport marketing research to be innovative and impactful, to disrupt repeated and institutionalized lines of reasoning/inquiry, and to create new expectations for what is worthwhile knowledge in the field.

Data availability statement

Author contributions.

ZE was responsible for conceptualizing and writing the manuscript. SG and TE offered guidance on the conceptualization and writing of the manuscript, in addition to edits, revisions, and helping to re-write some parts of the final manuscript. All authors have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to this manuscript and approved the manuscript in the form in which it was submitted.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Specialty grand challenge article, dealing with great challenges via rigorous and relevant empirical sport management research.

• Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Introduction

What are the great challenges in empirical sport management research to come? Arguably, each sport management researcher (group) will face their own challenges when designing and executing studies and analyzing the data. Having said this, I do believe that there are common challenges that affect the whole field of sport management research. In this article, I want to summarize some of the key challenges as well as provide guidance and examples for how sport management researchers can cope with these challenges in empirical studies. This is important, because empirical studies are often the core of publications in scientific journal and the dissemination to the wider public.

Great challenges in sport management research

In empirical research, we aim for rigor , that is, high validity, and relevance , that is, high importance to decision-makers. In what follows, I focus on great challenges that I feel are relevant to secure both the rigor and the relevance of empirical studies. In what follows, I want to describe three challenges: Challenge I, focusing on theory; Challenge II, focusing on methodology; and Challenge III, focusing on substantive contributions of empirical studies.

Challenge I: The need for theoretical advancement

In sport management research today, the use of existing theories that were developed in allied disciplines seems to be predominant, most likely due to the perceived lack of need to make adaptions, extend the theory, or generate new theories, but also due to the relatively few theories that have their origins in sport management and that are indeed peculiar to the sport management discipline. But what are the limitations of the theories that have been developed in allied disciplines, such as social psychology, human resources, and organizational behavior? Sometimes, they do not provide sufficient answers to those who are closest to the problem (here: sport managers or athletes). If this was true, we should employ more deductive approaches (theoretical modeling) or inductive approaches [Grounded Theory, in particular ethnography, case study, and theory in use; see ( 1 ), for an example from marketing] to propose particular sport management theories, such as presented by Green ( 2 ) or Funk ( 3 ). Because of the applied nature of the field, sport management theories may reduce theory-practice gaps, particularly when the researchers who are engaged in the process of theory development consider theory and practice as inseparable ( 4 ). Sport management theories can be recommended to focus on the unique characteristics of sport ( 5 , 6 ) and solve any discontent with existing conceptualizations towards high consistency with managerial reality ( 7 ). Research- and practice-oriented theories also provide value to educate students ( 8 ).

In academia, the central contribution to theory is visible in empirical studies that question existing theories, particularly in regard to how variables are related to each other (with a focus on practices or mechanisms) and what the contingencies or boundary conditions are. While some researchers may prefer the rather eclectic use of theories, which has the advantage of being able to look at topics from different conceptual angles, the eclectic use of theories often reduces the likelihood that particular theories are developed further. Yet, the critical discourse of particular theories with enough food for discussion and focus on detail is needed to advance the field: “good theory is practical precisely because it advances knowledge in a scientific discipline, guides research toward crucial questions, and enlightens the profession of management” ( 9 ). Thus, there is a need to carefully work with, or develop, theories from inside or outside sport management.

Inside the field of sport management, the three leading journals, Journal of Sport Management , European Sport Management Quarterly , and Sport Management Review , as well as up-and-coming journals, such as the Journal of Global Sport Management and Frontiers in Sports and Active Living , provide researchers with platforms to publish theoretically relevant empirical studies. Yet, most publications in these journals do not get cited by authors who publish in leading journals of the basic-science fields, such as management and economics, sociology, and psychology (e.g., the Financial Times 50 management journals that are particularly relevant to business schools). Good examples for excellent use and extension of theory, and prominent placement of their work within the basic-science fields, are the publication by Cornwell et al. ( 10 ), who advance Memory Theory by considering the associative strength between sponsorship cues, depending on articulation and whether a competitor is salient or not, Constandt et al. ( 11 ), who advance the Theory of Moral Development by showing that the presence of ethical codes within soccer clubs per se does not explain the evolution of ethical climate within the clubs, but that professionalization, sponsor presence, the support of whistleblowers, and helpdesks have a positive influence, as well as Berendt et al. ( 12 ), who show that the potential demise of an outgroup can make ingroups want to preserve the outgroup, thereby providing new insights into Social Comparison. Such articles can be expected to have a strong impact in various fields.

Challenge II: The need for methodological rigor

Rarely, sport management research is cited for its methodological advancement, despite the potential of the field to provide worthwhile settings to innovate methodological procedures. Developing methodology further requires that we ask ourselves how we can get truly valid findings. One avenue is to move beyond simple correlational analyses, as indicated by Borsboom et al. ( 13 ): “correlations are epistemologically relevant because they are sometimes indicative of causality, but they are not, and cannot be, constitutive of validity”. Another avenue is the reliance on technological innovations from other fields to develop methodologies further, such as seen in positioning systems, face recognition, and consumer wearables that allow to track physiological parameters, and use extensions or combinations of these technologies to answer research questions. Field experiments, such as the one conducted by Mousa ( 14 ), are only one example of how to strengthen the level of evidence (particularly in regard to external validity). More good example for making a specific methodological contribution can be seen in DeSarbo et al.'s ( 15 ) work on parametric constrained segmentation of sport fans, or Stadler Blank et al.'s ( 16 ) work on the development of a team personality scale (i.e., a scale that performs better than previous scales and takes into account common method variance).

Methodological rigor is indicated by the correct use of state-of-the-art methodology. This is sometimes not the case, as argued by Cunningham and Ahn ( 17 ), who took a close look at the statistical procedures used in empirical sport management studies. They reveal that 16% of the moderation analyses in the top-three sport management journals are incorrect. Also, they state that “sport management researchers are relatively unlikely to specify moderators in their theoretical models or to test moderation in their analyses” and argue for more robust testing of moderation to inform theory. A good example of a rigorous testing of moderators can be seen in Berendt et al.'s ( 12 ) work. One commonality in this paper and in the papers cited above is that they present all the methods-related information that is needed to understand the findings. Such information is not only needed for replication analyses or studies, but also for meta-analyses, for example.

In empirical studies, researchers often wonder whether they should use one particular methodology (typically one that they are trained in and comfortable with) or a mix of methodologies. The mix of methodologies can be seen in the sampling strategy (e.g., recruiting members of online panels vs. athletes on-site), research design (e.g., conducting surveys vs. observations), and data analysis (e.g., running models with lower or higher flexibility), to name but some examples. To increase the rigor of the empirical work, a methodological mix (i.e., high pluralism) is desirable ( 18 ). For example, if researchers show that they get similar results in the laboratory and in the field, and for different samples, the validity of the results should increase. To do this, sport management researchers will be more and more challenged to conduct multiple studies (instead of one only), and be trained in multiple methodologies (or work in teams with different methodological expertise). Also, longitudinal studies may have particular value [as seen in ( 11 )], particularly in regard to studying true cause-and-effect relationships. When doing empirical studies, researchers may adhere to the FAIR principles—Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability ( 19 )—in order to promote the reuse of data. Also, researchers will be more and more asked to commit to open-science principles and practices, such as preregistering empirical studies, submitting data and codes as well as study materials along with manuscripts, and doing extensive robustness checks and ruling out alternative explanations in their analyses (e.g., via providing the relevant information in an Online Appendix). When following such an approach, not only training in state-of-the-art practices is needed, but also time (because more analyses are needed).

Challenge III: The need for substantive contributions towards mastering grand societal challenges

Ideally, real-world problems studied by sport management researchers can be categorized into a larger societal grand challenge, which can at least partly be addressed in the particular research study. Given the breadth of actors (and hence, problems) in the sport system, solutions to societal grand challenges have the following characteristics: they tackle an important problem; they help the society develop for the better; and they often have global impact. Thus, not only managers should be the main target group of the research studies and their implications, but also public policy makers, who partly speak for those that have no voice [as seen for flora and fauna—important parts of the environment that often have no advocate; see ( 20 ), for example]. Areas in sport management with great need for substantive advancement for the greater good are: anti-doping, anti-corruption, promotion of human rights, sustainable development, sport-for-all, and public health, to name but a few, yet important fields of research.

Publicly funded research grants will likely be given preferably to those that provide solutions to societal grand challenges as opposed to small-scale problems of selected individuals or institutions. This is because these research grants are indirectly financed by tax payers, who expect that the grant is used to improve the society at large, such as in relation to sustainable development and peace. Sport management researchers will be more and more asked what “they bring to the table” and what else they need to do to truly help master the societal grand challenges. While some might argue that physical activity and sport—and thus, managing sport—inherently contribute to Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal 3 ( 21 ), not all sport management-related practices help achieve SDG 3. Racial or sexual discrimination and corrupted events are only some examples of negative effects on health, sustainability, and important human rights [e.g. ( 22 ) who focus on corrupted events]. More research is needed on how to prevent and reduce harmful practices so that physical activity and sport truly increase SDG 3-related positive outcomes, and what the mechanisms and practices as well as boundary conditions and contingencies are.

By providing insights into what I perceive some of the great challenges and offering some solutions, I hope to inspire researchers to overcome these challenges in their future work and contribute to knowledge. While everyone naturally has different opinions of what research topics are interesting and what topics are not, there is agreement that the rigor and the relevance of the studies should increase the evidence level of our work and should make the sport management field more trustworthy towards researchers from other fields and decision-makers. The focus on these aspects should also make the work more enjoyable and increase the perception of a researcher's self-efficacy.

Author contributions

The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: validity, theory, methodology, grand societal challenges, sports management

Citation: Koenigstorfer J (2023) Dealing with great challenges via rigorous and relevant empirical sport management research. Front. Sports Act. Living 5:1180710. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1180710

Received: 6 March 2023; Accepted: 20 March 2023; Published: 3 April 2023.

Edited and Reviewed by: Richard Giulianotti , Loughborough University, United Kingdom

© 2023 Koenigstorfer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Joerg Koenigstorfer [email protected]

Specialty Section: This article was submitted to Sports Management, Marketing, and Economics, a section of the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

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Home Blog Exploring Career Paths with a Sport Management Degree

Exploring Career Paths with a Sport Management Degree

April 19, 2024

Contributing Author: Alley Bardon

8 mins read

Defined as the administration and handling of sports-related businesses and organizations, sports management is a dynamic field with plenty of opportunities. Individuals who pursue careers in sports management can combine their passion for athletics and sports with their finely tuned business skills. By understanding the various sports management career paths available, you can decide if this degree program is right for you. 

What Is Sports Management?

Described by  Coursera  as a broad career field, sports management refers to the oversight and organization of a wide range of sports organizations, including athletic departments, teams, sports-related businesses, and sports facilities. The goal of any sports management program is to not only raise brand awareness, but also to increase the team's overall success, boost revenue generated from ticket sales and promotional experiences, and provide a memorable game-day experience for any fans in attendance. 

Skills and Qualifications in Sport Management

If you are hoping to pursue one of the jobs in sports management, you will find that you need to acquire a well-rounded set of sports skills, business skills, and interpersonal skills. 

According to  LinkedIn , the most sought-after skills in sports management graduates include: 

• Business acumen, including an understanding of marketing and finance 
• Leadership and management skills 
• Understanding of and passion for a wide range of sports 
• Communication skills 

Career Opportunities in Sport Management

While most people think of college or professional sports when they consider the field of sports management, there are a wide range of careers in sports management. 

These are just a few of the possible careers with a sports management degree: 

Sports Tourism and Hospitality Management

The United Nations World Tourism Organization has sports tourism is defined as any type of travel in which the visitor is spectating or participating in a sporting event. For example, individuals who are traveling to Paris in the summer of 2024 for the Olympics are part of the sports tourism market. As one of the fastest-growing sectors of the tourism market, sports tourism is expected to play a more prominent role in the years to come, making this one of the most viable sports management career opportunities. 

Sports Media and Broadcasting

Those who pursue a sports management degree may be able to consider jobs in sports media and broadcasting. These communications positions require candidates to have a solid understanding of a wide range of sports, which they will develop as part of their degree program. Some of the top jobs in sports media and broadcasting include sports commentator, sports editor, sports content creator, sports TV reporter, sports data analyst, and sports talk radio host. 

Athlete Representation and Sports Agency

Sports agents are professionals who represent professional athletes in a wide range of affairs, including business, public relations, and legal matters. For many in the sports industry, working as an agent is a dream come true, because it allows you to become a driving force in this dynamic and growing industry. Some of the top responsibilities of sports agents include: 

• Representing their clients during contract negotiations, ensuring that their client receives a fair, competitive, and favorable deal. 
• Securing sponsorships and promotional opportunities for their clients. 
• Communicating with the public on behalf of their clients, often serving as a spokesperson or public relations representative.

Event Management and Facility Operations

Another niche area of sports management is event management and facilities operations. While these positions do not require sports management graduates to work directly with athletes or organize team activities, they do allow those interested in the industry to play a pivotal role in athletic experiences and events. Event management and facility operations specialists work to coordinate events at athletics facilities and ensure that all attendees and participants enjoy a safe and memorable experience. 

Sports Marketing and Promotion

Sports marketing is a specialized branch of marketing that involves promoting activities, events, or products within the sports industry. Sports marketing and promotion is an incredibly important part of managing a sports team, whether it's a semi-professional team, a youth organization, or a professional sports team. Sports marketers work to raise brand awareness in the community, drive ticket sales, and create promotional products and experiences targeted to a specific audience. 

Semi-Professional and Recreational Opportunities

Sports management graduates may find themselves more interested in semi-professional and recreational opportunities. For instance, an individual with a sports management degree may be able to oversee the operations of a community recreation department that organizes youth sports teams in the local area. 

Specialization Areas Within Sport Management

Within the sports management field, you will find that there are several specialization areas to choose from. By specializing in one of these niche areas, you will be able to personalize your career path and pursue opportunities only available to a select pool of candidates. Many professionals believe that specialization is the key to long-term success and salary growth over the course of any career, and that's particularly true in the sports management arena. 

Sports Analytics and Data Science

Data is playing an increasingly prevalent role in the world of sports, particularly in professional sports, in which athletes are valued based on the data generated from their overall performance. Those who specialize in sports analytics and data science will be in particularly high demand in the coming years, as data is expected to continue to drive the sports industry forward. 

Sports analytics and data science professionals may work to: 

• Rely on game theory to predict outcomes and develop game strategy. 
• Collect and analyze data related to the performance of an individual athlete or a team as a whole. 
• Develop predictive models that may be used to evaluate performance and make team selections. 

Sports Law, Regulation and Compliance

Sports law, regulation, and compliance refers to the legal issues related to the sports industry. An individual who specializes in sports law, regulation, and compliance may be well-suited to a career as a sports agent or a sports attorney. Some of the concepts that you will explore within this specialty include: 

• Contract Negotiations 
• Labor Relations 
• Financial Counseling 
• Intellectual Property Rights 
• Tax Law 

In an increasingly complex world, athletes and sports organizations require the assistance of legal experts who can help them navigate the nuances of the industry. There is expected to be heightened demand for sports law professionals in the months and years to come. 

Sports Psychology and Athlete Development

Sports psychology plays a pivotal role in overall athletic development. Sports management professionals who are interested in improving athletic performance and who want to work directly with teams or individual athletes may be interested in a specialization in this growing subset of the field of psychology. 

Sports psychology refers to the use of psychological understanding and techniques to improve an athlete's mindset and overall performance. The field of sports psychology explores: 

• Psychological assessments and techniques that can improve overall athletic performance. 
• Counseling techniques that can help athletes manage the mental and emotional toll of sports. 
• Social issues that may be related to sports participation. 
• Developmental issues that may be related to sports participation. 

International Sports Business and Management

For those who want to take their career to the global level, a specialization in international sports business and management is an option. Within this specialization, students will study the global considerations that must be considered when managing a large-scale team or sports-related business. Topics covered as part of this specialization include global sports marketing, sports consulting, event sponsorship, and more. 

Internship and Networking in Sport Management

While the field of sports management is growing, it is still an incredibly competitive job market, especially for recent graduates. Through internship and networking, you will be able to develop the professional skills and business acumen necessary to secure one of the entry-level jobs in sports management. 

Importance of Internships and Building Networks

Most college students find that they need to secure internships while they are working on completing their degree, as this allows them to gain professional experience while completing the educational requirements necessary for their career. Within the sports management field, internships and networking are incredibly important. 

Some of the top benefits of securing an internship include: 

• Gaining on-the-job experience. Internships in sports management are your first opportunity to experience what daily life is like as part of this field. First and foremost, it gives you an opportunity to hone the skills you will need for your career. Secondly, it can help you discover which specialty areas interest you the most. 
• Allowing you to develop a better understanding of the various positions within sports management. In addition to completing your daily tasks on your internship, you should also become an observer. Watch what other professionals in your organization are doing each day, and don't be afraid to ask questions about their job responsibilities. 
• Giving you the chance to secure a new mentor or career coach. Throughout your internship, you will have the opportunity to get to know other professionals in sports management, many of whom will have considerable experience in the industry. It's the ideal place to organically develop a lasting mentorship that can help you grow your career in the years ahead. 

Gaining Experience in Sport Management

Internships allow you to take a hands-on approach to career development, and they give you a chance to gain valuable experience that you can promote on your resume. These strategies can help you secure a sports management internship: 

• Attend sports management career fairs at your university or in the local area. These career fairs often bring together representatives from various teams and organizations looking for fresh, young talent. 
• Talk with your professors and advisors about any contacts that they may have in the industry and see if you can set up meetings with local professionals. Sometimes, the best way to get an internship is to simply ask if there are any opportunities available. 
• Begin building your brand on social media. Professional networking sites, like LinkedIn, are a great place to launch your career and search for internship opportunities. 

Prepare for a Sports Industry Career at Lindenwood University

When it comes to careers with a sports management degree, the opportunities are virtually endless. At Lindenwood University, we offer an  online Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management  that provides you with the skills and knowledge required to access the most coveted jobs in sports management. Not only does our curriculum cover the broad scope of the sports management field, but it also infuses the best business, marketing, finance, management, and sports law strategies into the coursework, providing you with a comprehensive education. 

Request more information  about our online degree programs today.  

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