Governance in Sport

At its core, sport governance encompasses two key elements: power and decision making. To truly grasp a sport organization’s purpose and structure, it’s essential to understand who wields power and which decisions are made by those who possess it.

Regrettably, the abuse of power, coupled with ineffective governance and lackluster leadership, has fostered widespread corruption within sport organizations, a situation that calls for a renewed commitment to practicing principles of good governance and restoring integrity and ethical conduct.

In response, the updated and enhanced Governance in Sport: Analysis and Application, Second Edition, aims to equip students with the skills to navigate both ordinary and extraordinary situations encountered in the oversight and authority of sport organizations at all levels of sport.

Governance in Sport examines sport governance from three broad analytical and applied perspectives:

• A legal and managerial overview of practices, processes, and policies in sport organizations, encompassing ethical behavior, effective leadership, decision making, and policy development
• A framework of the structures and functions of regulatory agencies that govern state, national, regional, and international sports
• An applied overview of governance and authority in selected sectors of the industry, including professional sports, amateur sports, sports media, sports betting, esports, and more

Through examinations of contemporary hot-button issues and compelling new case studies—covering the Ukraine invasion; Brittney Griner; transgender athletes in sports; LIV Golf versus the PGA; conference realignment; name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues; the Kanjuruhan Stadium catastrophe; and the workplace misconduct in the Washington Commanders organization—students will see how governance differs in sport organizations at various levels in the United States and around the world.

Additional new features include the following:

• Headlines begin each chapter, calling out incidents of corruption within the sport industry.
• Rules and Regulations Corners provide quick overviews of policies and laws affecting weighty issues.
• Combating Corruption sections offer best practices for preventing and minimizing behavior deemed illegal, unethical, or counterintuitive.
• Governance in Action case sidebars explore real-world examples of conflicts and conundrums related to the chapter topic and include discussion questions; suggested responses to the questions can be found in the instructor guide.
• Recorded lectures by author Bonnie Tiell are available for each chapter of the book. Instructors can use these videos to enhance their lectures.

With Governance in Sport, students will develop an understanding of where power resides, how decisions are made, and the impact of those factors on the goals and structures of sport organizations.

Bonnie Tiell, EdD, is a professor of sport management at Tiffin University and the United States Sports Academy (USSA). Since 2004, she has organized a study-abroad program in conjunction with the Summer Olympics, which has included a humanitarian program for underprivileged youths in host cities and volunteer service at the OLY House and USA Welcome Center. She has authored over 60 publications, including two sport management textbooks and four book chapters. She serves on the editorial board for The Sport Journal and as the education correspondent for Sports Destination Management magazine, published by Due North Media.

Tiell has been recognized as the Woman of the Year in Sports for Cleveland, Ohio, and Educator of the Year for Seneca County, Ohio. She was named Alumnus of the Year by the U.S. Sports Academy and was a recipient of the Donahue Service Award from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She is a two-time recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and has received multiple awards for teaching, scholarship, and service at Tiffin University.

Tiell has worked with the Sports Authority of Thailand to deliver annual training workshops to directors, military personnel, and administrators representing almost every Thai national sports federation. In addition to being a featured speaker at various conferences around the world, she has taught classes and delivered workshops on strategic management, international marketing, sport governance, and sport psychology in the Kingdom of Bahrain; Shanghai, China; and Bucharest, Romania. She twice lectured for the Futbol Business Academy, headquartered in Europe, and continues collaborating on educational projects with international organizations such as the American Institute of Applied Science and Ball Academy in Switzerland.

In the United States, Tiell has led efforts to organize multiday education programs featuring dozens of Olympians, Olympic coaches, and professional athletes engaging with youths, college students, and community members. In 2000 she cofounded the Women’s Leadership Symposium, a program currently funded and administered by the NCAA and Women Leaders in Sports. She is also the lead developer of Life After the Games, a self-paced online professional development course for athletes and coaches.

Tiell holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Troy University, a master’s degree in sport administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate of education in sport management from the USSA. She is a featured sport columnist for the Advertiser-Tribune and is also the author of the textbook Human Resources in Sports: A Managerial Approach.

She and her husband, Greg, reside in Tiffin, Ohio, where she serves on the Frost-Kalnow Stadium Endowment Committee and the Calvert Catholic Schools Curriculum Committee. The Tiells have two daughters (Kim and Katie), a son-in-law (Jack), and a grandson expected in 2025.