Sport Industry Research Center

ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT INDUSTRY

Our Mission

To generate and translate evidence-based insight that enhances performance and impact across the sport industry.

Our Research

SIRC serves as a research hub connecting academia and industry through research, thought leadership, and knowledge translation that informs practice and drives innovation in sport.

Thilo Kunkel joins scientific council of Benfica Institute for Sport Excellence

SIRC in the Headlines

SIRC takes center stage at 2026 EASM Conference

Our Expertise

SIRC leverages the expertise of globally recognized faculty to provide data-driven insights that help organizations and individuals make strategic decisions and achieve their goals.

Economic Impact

SIRC analyzes the spending by the organizers of an event and its attendees, to reveal impact on the host city’s economy.

Media And Social Media

SIRC assesses clients’ publicity surrounding an event, to reflect the local and global reach of a brand—from broadcast publicity to social media on diverse platforms.

Social Impact

SIRC evaluates the social impact of sport programs, organizations, and initiatives, examining their contributions to individual well-being, community development, social inclusion, and equitable access to sport.

Brand Image

SIRC consults on strategies for positioning a brand at an event, using detailed findings on consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions.

Sport Governance

SIRC’s in-depth assessments for athletic departments, associations and corporate partners inform key decision-making and governance in intercollegiate athletics, from infractions and staff trainings to safety of student-athletes.

Event Experience

SIRC’s customized research provides recommendations based on attendees’ event satisfaction—and implications for their attendance at future events.

Sport Leadership

SIRC’s sport leadership programs, offered both in-person and online, improve the skills of coaches and other program staff seeking to impact the lives of young athletes.

Sponsorship

SIRC analyzes consumers’ changing perceptions of a sponsored brand—at an event as well as over time—and the impact of external factors, to provide clarity around the sponsor’s ROI.

Program Evaluation

SIRC assesses the implementation, effectiveness, and outcomes of sport programs and initiatives, providing evidence-based insights to improve performance, demonstrate value, and inform decision-making.

Our Clients

We partner with international businesses, sport and event organizations and the education sector to provide research as well as strategic marketing and management.

Our Team

Our distinguished faculty conducts and publishes on an array of cutting-edge research initiatives and actively disseminates these findings and managerial best practices throughout the field. Faculty play a hands-on role in training the center’s cadre of graduate students.

Faculty

Bradley Baker

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Associate Professor

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/bradley-j-baker/

Email

bradley.baker@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 307

Daniel Funk

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Professor

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/daniel-funk/

Email

dfunk@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 300

Direct

215-204-1972

Amy Giddings

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Associate Dean & Professor of Instruction

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/amy-giddings/

Email

giddings@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 106

Direct

215-204-3022

Jonathan Howe

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Assistant Professor

AIRE Lab Director

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/jonathan-howe/

Email

jhowe@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman 304

Direct

215-204-6153

Gareth Jones

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Associate Professor and Director of the Sport Industry Research Center (SIRC)

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/gareth-jones/

Email

gareth.jones@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 369

Direct

215-204-3554

R. Aubrey Kent

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Professor

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/r-aubrey-kent/

Email

aubkent@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 306

Direct

215-204-3810

Thilo Kunkel

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Professor

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/thilo-kunkel/

Email

thilo.kunkel@temple.edu

Office Location

Speakman Hall 305

Direct

215-204-0307

Graduate Students

Zoe Hill

Graduate Extern

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/zoe-hill/

Email

zoehill@temple.edu

Dillon Murphy

Graduate Extern

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/dillon-murphy/

Email

dillon.murphy0002@temple.edu

Shreyas Rao

PhD student

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/shreyas-rao/

Email

tut33614@temple.edu

Pratyush Yadav

PhD student

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/pratyush-yadav/

Email

pratyush.yadav@temple.edu

Xinyi Yang

PhD student

https://sthm.temple.edu/directory/xinyi-yang/

Email

xinyi.yang0002@temple.edu

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Thilo Kunkel joins scientific council of Benfica Institute for Sport Excellence

SIRC takes center stage at 2026 EASM Conference

SIRC takes center stage at 2026 EASM Conference

SIRC and Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia partner to examine the impact of youth cycling