Baylor Professor's Paper is a Finalist for MIT's Sports Analytics Conference, Open for Voting on ESPN.com

February 20, 2012

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A paper authored by Dr. Kirk Wakefield, Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, and Anne Rivers, senior vice president at Brand Assets Consulting, is one of 10 finalists for best paper at the upcoming MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

Selected from among more than 100 submissions, the paper, "The Effect of Fan Passion and Official League Sponsorship on Brand Metrics," reports on the value of official sponsorships in the NFL, based on a longitudinal study of sponsors and competitors from 2008 to 2010.

The Sloan conference attracts speakers such as Mark Cuban (owner, Dallas Mavericks), Daryl Morey (GM, Houston Rockets), Bob Bowman (president/CEO, MLBAM), Brian Burke (president/GM, Toronto Maple Leafs), Drew Carey (owner, Seattle Sounders), Gary Bettman (NHL commissioner), George Postolos (president/CEO, Houston Astros) and many more.

Wakefield will present the paper at the conference in Boston on March 2-3.

Wakefield, who also is executive director of sports and entertainment marketing at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, researches sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing, and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools. He has conducted fan research in almost every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and NASCAR. He is the author of the textbook Team Sports Marketing.
Wakefield also serves as editor of The Migala Report, the industry-leading publication featuring best practices in sports sales and marketing.

About Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, classified as such with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.

About Hankamer School of Business
Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business provides a rigorous academic experience, consisting of classroom and hands-on learning, guided by Christian commitment and a global perspective. Recognized nationally for several programs, including Entrepreneurship and Accounting, the school offers 24 undergraduate and 13 graduate areas of study. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.
Contact: Frank Raczkiewicz, (254) 710-1964