Gabelli Sports Business Initiative

The Gabelli Sports Business Initiative examines and analyzes current issues involving sports business. Founded and directed by Professor Mark Conrad, JD, this Initiative brings together stakeholders in the professional, collegiate, amateur, and international sports arenas for discussions on salient issues involving the sports industry via a series of symposia, podcasts, and lectures. Interested students may help in the planning and production of these events.

Professor Conrad, who teaches in the Gabelli School’s Law and Ethics Area, also directs the sports business concentration for Gabelli undergraduates. He has taught sports law and business classes at Fordham for over 25 years. He has also served as a panelist discussing sports law and business topics at other institutions, including Harvard, Duke, The University of Pennsylvania, and Fordham Law schools, and is frequently quoted in various major media outlets. He has lectured at Columbia University and Northwestern University in Doha, Qatar.

Events

DEI and Sports - Challenging the Misogyny and Coaching Abuse in the Elite Running Industry
Monday, November 14, 2022 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Kara Goucher was one of this country’s elite track stars. While a part of a running team sponsored by Nike, she saw the dark side of the sport. Coaches pushed the limits of anti-doping rules, creating a culture of abuse and a level of misogyny that was unreported unless she and other female athletes went public.

Guest Lectures

The Gabelli School presently offers courses in various sports topics – sports law, sports marketing, sports media, sports analytics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in sports. A series of lectures by present and former athletes, league executives, marketing professionals, and academic writers will be a critical part of the sports business initiative’s activity. Such lectures will be open to all in the Fordham community via remote access.

Podcasts

A series of podcasts will be launched in late 2022.

Podcast subjects will include:

Authors of new books on the sports industries.
Experts on different ways to monetize sports.
Critics of the professional and amateur sports systems.

The Initiative will rely on students with expertise in production and editing to assist in this work. Please reach out to Professor Mark Conrad via email at conrad@fordham.edu if interested.

Symposia

The Initiative will launch up to two major symposia in the given academic year.

Topics may include:

Human rights issues in sports.
The professionalization of college athletics and diversity.
Equity and inclusion issues that affect the sports landscape.

Member Updates

The Initiative hopes to start a listing of updates and other news about the Initiative for those interested. Registration information will be announced soon.

For More Information

Please contact Professor Mark Conrad, Director, Sports Business Initiative: gsbsportsbusiness@fordham.edu or conrad@fordham.edu or 212-636-7975.