Sports economics is a discipline of economics focused on its relationship to sports. It covers both the ways in which economists can study the distinctive institutions of sports, and the ways in which sports can allow economists to research many topics, including discrimination and antitrust law.[1] The theoretical foundations of the discipline are heavily based on microeconomics.[2] As of 2006, about 100 to 120 college professors taught sports economics courses.[3] As of 2024 there are a number of important locations where sports economics is taught and researched by a group of faculty. This includes Bielefeld, Cork, Liverpool, Reading and Zurich in Europe, as well as Michigan and West Virginia in the United States. The community normally meets annually with prestigious events including the North American Association of Sports Economists (NAASE) Conference and the European Sport Economics Association (ESEA) Conference.