Recent Research

Here is a list of my recent accepted/published articles and working papers. I provide links to ungated versions where available. If you would like to read an article that you are unable to access, feel free to ask me for a copy via e-mail.

Working Papers

• The Public Cost of Minor League Baseball Stadium Subsidies

Journal Articles

• Yes, There is an Economic Consensus that Professional Sports Facilities are Inadvisable Public Investments: A Reply to Johnson, Fort, and Rosentraub, with Brad Humphreys, Economic Development Quarterly, 2026, In Press. 40(2)
  • Ungated
• The Impact of MLB Team Relocation on Hotel Demand, with Frank Stephenson, Tourism Economics, In Press.
  • Ungated

• Revisiting the Novelty Effect From New Stadiums: An Event Study Approach, Economic Inquiry, 2024, 62(4): 1722-1747.

  • Ungated | Replication package
• Public Policy Toward Professional Sports Stadiums: A Review, with Dennis Coates and Brad Humphreys, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2024, 43(3): 899–937.
  • Ungated | Appendix (pdf) | Historical stadium data (1909-2027) (csv, dta)
• Estimating the Fiscal Impact of Stadium Developments: Evaluating a Pro Forma Model, with Robert Baumann, Public Finance Review, 2024, 52(4): 399-438.
  • Ungated
• Sports Stadiums and Local Economic Activity: Evidence from Sales Tax Collections, Journal of Urban Affairs, 2024, 46(24): 139-159.
  • Ungated
• The Impact of Professional Sports Franchises and Venues on Local Economies: A Comprehensive Survey, with Dennis Coates and Brad Humphreys, Journal of Economic Surveys, 2023, 37(4): 1389-1431
  • Ungated | Appendix of studies | Historical stadium data (1970-2020)
• Does Hosting a Professional Sports Team Benefit the Local Community? Evidence from Property Assessments, Economics of Governance, 2022, 23 (3-4): 219-252.
  • Ungated
• The Impact of Sports Stadiums on Localized Commercial Activity: Evidence from a Business Improvement District, Journal of Regional Science, 2022, 62(1): 194-217.
  • Ungated
• Financial Returns in Major League Soccer, Journal of Sports Economics, 2021, 22(8): 921-945.
  • Ungated
• What Explains Labor’s Declining Share of Revenue in Major League Baseball? International Journal of Sport Finance, 2021, 16: 79-94.
  • Ungated
• Do Movie Production Incentives Generate Economic Development? Contemporary Economic Policy, 2020, 38: 327-342.
  • Ungated
• Do Film Incentive Programs Promote Economic Activity? A Comment on O’Brien and Lane, Econ Journal Watch, 2020, 17: 56-65.
  • PDF

• Determinants of Attendance in Major League Soccer, Journal of Sport Management, 2020, 34: 53-63.

• Monitoring and Employee Shirking: Evidence from MLB Umpires, Journal of Sports Economics, 2019, 20: 850-872.
  • Ungated
• Determinants of Revenue in Sports Leagues: An Empirical Assessment, Economic Inquiry, 2019, 57: 121-140.
  • Ungated
• Full Cost of Attendance Scholarships and College Choice: Evidence from NCAA Football, with Joshua Pitts, Journal of Sports Economics, 2018, 19: 977-989.
  • Ungated
• Hired To Be Fired: The Publicity Value of Managers, Managerial and Decision Economics, 2017, 38: 929-940.
  • Ungated
• Monopsony and Competition: The Impact of Rival Leagues on Player Salaries during the Early Days of Baseball, Explorations in Economic History, 2017, 65: 55-67.
  • Associated Data

Policy Papers

• So Your City Wants to Build a Stadium. Here’s What to Know, Global Sports Matters, 2022 (June).

• A Home Run for Cobb? A Comprehensive Report on the Economic Impact of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta on Cobb County, Bagwell Center Policy Report, 2022 (March).

  • Reply to Zimbalist: ‘Report on the Fiscal Impact of Truist Park and the Battery’.

• A Comment on Georgia Department of Economic Development Report: ‘The Economic Impact of the Film Industry in Georgia’, 2020.

• Film Tax Credits and the Economic Impact of the Film Industry on Georgia’s Economy, Bagwell Center Policy Brief. 2019 (July).

• What Do Film Incentives Mean for the North Carolina Economy? CSFE Issue Brief. 2019, 1(1).

Books

• This One Will Be Different: False Promises and Fiscal Realities of Publicly Funded Stadiums , Oxford University Press, In Press (July 2026).

• Hot Stove Economics: Understanding Baseball’s Second Season, Copernicus/Springer, 2010.

• The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposed, Dutton/Plume. 2007.