Offering a broad “laboratory” for studying microeconomics through the lens of sports, ECO 316 draws on the field’s rich data on decisions, performance, and compensation.
An elective course within the Economics major and Minor in Finance, ECO 316 uses theoretical and empirical tools to study behavioral biases in decision making, strategic behavior in games and tournaments, operation and efficiency of betting markets, salary determination, evidence and implications of discrimination, the industrial organization of professional and collegiate leagues, public policy issues concerning public infrastructure and exemptions from antitrust laws, and pay-for-play in the NCAA, among others.
The course was developed by Professor Gene Grossman, the Jacob Viner Professor of International Economics, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, and former Director of Princeton’s International Economics Section. Professor Grossman’s research focuses on international trade and the political forces that shape modern trade policy. After teaching about trade for more than four decades, Professor Grossman determined that a course focusing on sports would engage many students while opening a window into many important economic concepts.
Throughout the fall semester of 2025, Professor Grossman sought to enrich his lectures by hosting four former Princeton students, now luminaries in the sports world. His invitations to Dale Neuburger, Steve Mills, Mark Shapiro, and Mark Wilf were graciously accepted, and all came to share their stories, advice, and insights with the class. Each guest was interviewed by Professor Grossman using questions submitted mostly by students in the class on themes relating to the course lectures.
Dale Neuburger is the former president of USA Swimming and US Aquatic Sports. A varsity swimmer, he graduated from Princeton in 1971 with a B.A. in politics. Neuburger is currently theTreasurer of World Aquatics (formerly FINA) after serving five terms as Executive Vice President, beginning his tenure on the FINA Bureau at the Sydney
Olympic Games in 2000.
His leadership in aquatic sports has spanned numerous organizations and positions, both domestic and international. In 2024, Neuburger was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame for his lifelong contributions.
During his September 25 conversation with Professor Grossman, Neuburger spoke about the serendipitous nature of his career’s evolution, the ‘secret’ to successful sports-event strategy, the impact of technology on refereeing/judging, drug use in sports, gender dynamics, and more. Watch his interview below.
Steve Mills is a sports executive who last served as president of the New York Knicks. Playing basketball as a Princeton Tiger on the same team as NBA coach David Blatt and under the tutelage of coach Pete Carril, Mills graduated in 1981 with a degree in sociology. He played professional basketball in Ecuador for a year following graduation.
In 1984, Mills joined the NBA as an account executive for corporate sponsorship. His notable rise in the NBA preceded roles including Chief Operating Officer and Sports Business President of Madison Square Garden and Partner at Athletes & Entertainers Wealth Management Group within Magic Johnson Enterprises. Mills became the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the New York Knicks in 2013 and the President in 2017.
Mills joined Professor Grossman as a class visitor on October 30. Mills began by sharing his experience as a basketball player at Princeton and the nature of sports for black athletes during the late 70s. He then discussed his career and how he approached learning and growing as a professional, rather than competing with others. Other topics Mills and Grossman spoke on included the impact of individual players on their teammates’ performance, the NBA draft, the WNBA, team dynamics and culture, and more. Watch his interview below.
Co-owner of the Minnesota Vikings, the Orlando City Soccer Club, and the Orlando Pride in the NWSL, Mark Wilf graduated from Princeton in 1984 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. During his time at Princeton, Wilf served as the radio voice for Tigers football and basketball.
Entering his 21st season of ownership of the Vikings in 2025, Wilf has led a transformation of the entire organization and has dedicated his focus to four primary areas: building a team that consistently competes for championships, providing the best in class fan experience, positively impacting the Minneapolis-St. Paul community and growing the game of football. He led two of the most significant initiatives in the team’s history with the completion of U.S. Bank Stadium and the successful bid to bring Super Bowl LII to Minnesota, creating a lasting impact on the community and the state. Wilf and his family became majority owners of the Orlando City Soccer Club in 2021.
Wilf joined Professor Grossman for a guest lecture on November 11.
After playing four years of football at Princeton, Mark Shapiro graduated in 1989 with a degree in history. His 30-plus-year career in baseball began in 1992 when he joined the Cleveland Indians as an assistant in baseball operations. Working his way up to General Manager and then President of the Indians before becoming the President & CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, Shapiro is widely considered one of MLB’s top executives.
On December 2, Shapiro sat down with Professor Grossman to discuss his extensive career in the industry. From his start in baseball to leadership and culture, Shapiro discussed the winning strategy for building a team that outperforms expectations.
Speaking specifically to the number of losses even the highest-ranked baseball teams experience during the season, Shapiro points to the emotional strength and mental toughness required to stay the course and how that sets the best managers apart. Watch his interview below.