Sports in principles of economics textbooks

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to inform readers who are interested in textbooks, sports and sports economics, but especially professors who teach sports economics, about the coverage of sports in principles of economics textbooks. Design/methodology/approach The data in the paper consist of the 130 sections on sports from twenty-one principles of economics textbooks. The paper illuminates the sections using numerous quotations and in-text references. The paper details the number of sections devoted to each sport, economic concepts they illuminate and how the text covers topics such as league rules, broadcast revenues and women in sports. Findings The paper finds that the 21 textbook authors devote an average of 934 words in an average of 6.2 sections of text to 11 sports. Sections of text vary from one sentence to lengthy discussions of topics such as increased salaries due to technological advances in broadcasting, antitrust cases, the gender pay gap and bargaining between leagues and players' unions. The authors refer to five published research papers on sports economics, two quantitative books, two quantitative articles in the popular press and one nonquantitative nonfiction book. Research limitations/implications This paper provides data to researchers who study sports regarding topics that students are being taught in economics texts. It is a potential tool for connecting their areas of research to the university experience. Practical implications Sports economics professors, and other professors, may enhance student interest by a choice of text for their principles classes. Social implications Sports coverage in principles texts illuminates topics such as the effect of technology on income distribution, the morality of paying college athletes, the interaction of the legal system and markets and the gender gap. Originality/value No other publicly referenced paper details the use of sports in principles textbooks.