ILROB 6225

The Impact of Culture and Diversity in Professional Sports Organizations

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

This course focuses on making the business case, or not, for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), within the major professional sports organizations, (i.e., the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Soccer (MLS).Students will perform a comparative analysis of existing DEI initiatives within club business units. An Executive Guest Lecture Series (EGLS) will provide insight to students who interactively critique data learned through the executives. Students will then propose innovative initiatives that impact a club's outcomes regarding profitability, innovation, and the future of sports in an increasingly diverse consumer and media market. Students will incorporate a critical analysis of the role of race and gender in shaping these outcomes.Students will also examine the challenges and opportunities for increased diversity on a club's ownership groups and C-Suite executives, and the impact of those initiatives on corporate governance and the above-noted organizational outcomes.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025SP, 2024SP, 2023FA

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