Sports Economics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

120 hours

ECON10004 Introductory Microeconomics

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject provides an economic perspective on professional sports in Australia and the rest of the world. It shows how economic concepts and theories can be used to understand the operation of professional sports, and can guide decision-making on sports by management and public policy makers. It also emphasises how studying sporting competitions can provide a laboratory for improving our knowledge of human behaviour and economic activity. Topics covered include: the demand for professional sports; the design of sporting competitions; measurement of player and team performance; strategy and decision-making in sports; sporting labour markets; managing and coaching sports teams; umpiring in sports; sports gambling markets; and national sporting performance. The subject will draw on examples from many major sports and sporting competitions – such as the Olympics, Australian Football League, cricket, soccer, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and National Football League (gridiron).

Completion of this subject should enable you to:

• Classify, and identify the main characteristics of, different types of professional sporting competitions;
• Identify and apply relevant economic concepts and theories to understand the operation of professional sports;
• Apply empirical methods and available data to analyse the operation of professional sporting competitions;
• Use your understanding of economic aspects of the operation of professional sports to guide decision-making by team and league managers in professional sporting competitions; and public policy decision-makers with responsibility for professional sports; and
• Understand how data on the operation of professional sporting competitions can be applied to test economic theories of decision-making and market outcomes.

• Case study reports (Individual, five written assessments each of 300 words), Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, (15% - each report accounts for 3%)
• Team project (Written assessment consisting of an outline and final report 2,500 words), Outline week 6; Final report week 10, (30% - outline 5% and final report 25%)
• Tutorial participation, throughout semester, (10%)
• Final exam (2 hours), end of semester, (45%)

No prescribed text.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

High activity level: Written communication; Application of theory to practice; Interpretation and analysis; Synthesis of data and other information; Evaluation of data and other information; Team work.

Moderate activity level: Oral communication; Collaborative learning; Problem solving; Critical thinking; Accessing data and other information from a range of sources.