According to the publisher, the goal of this four-volume reference work is to provide “a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the state of sports management and marketing today” (publisher's publicity flyer). The coeditors, both highly qualified academics with established credentials, also feel that this fairly new academic field needs a work that covers its very wide spectrum and helps legitimize this area as an academic discipline. The 328 authors of the entries are all from colleges and universities; they are listed with their affiliation in volume 1. Full color illustrations are scattered throughout the text.

The 825+ entries are arranged alphabetically and are the meat of the encyclopedia. They range from around one to eight pages. Each United States and Canadian professional team has an entry that goes beyond history and key figures to include brand management, marketing challenges, and ownership. One of the more interesting entries is “Integration of Sport, Globalization, and Commercialization.” The author begins with a general discussion of the terms and then narrows it down to sport. After that, sport, place, and commerce is discussed, then two case studies. One is about the branding of the New Zealand Blacks men's rugby team and the second about Michael Jordan as representative of the evolving nature of commercialization, globalization, and sport. A further case focuses on challenges facing female athletes. The author concludes the entry with his name and affiliation, five see also references, and seven further reading suggestions which include books, journal articles, and online references.

Sports marketing is addressed in two ways: marketing of sports and sport-related products and the marketing of non-sports products and brands through sports figures or events. The terms and examples in this encyclopedia range from the very broad (Benchmarking) to the less broad (Tort Issues in Sports), to the very specific (Pricing of Parking).

Front contents include a reader's guide, which groups the entries into 21 broad topics ranging from advertising (29 entries) to team management and marketing (138 entries). Other topics include sponsorship, social marketing, news media, legal, and financing of sports. A sixteen-page alphabetical list of entries appears at the front of each volume. Volume 1 also lists the contributors and their affiliations and a chronology beginning in 1403 when soccer was first played in England and ending on March 3, 2011, with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL owners and the NFL Players Association. Volume 4 includes an 8-page glossary, a resource guide containing two pages of books, 24 journal titles and 20 Internet listings. Six appendixes contain the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA); the Anabolic Steroid Abuse Act; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX, Education Amendment of 1976; the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UTAH); and the Madrid Protocol. A comprehensive 91-page index lists items from AAFC to Zvonareva, Vera. Entry titles are in bold type. Photo credits conclude the volumes. Photos are in full color and include such items as team logos, a photo of Pittsburgh Steelers fans and their “terrible towels” (Fan Avidity), and President Obama throwing out the traditional first pitch to the Washington Nationals (Major League Baseball).

The 2009 Outstanding Business Reference Title The Business of Sports (Praeger, 2008) and The Handbook on the Economics of Sport (Elgar, 2006) are this work's closest peers. Both assume some level of knowledge of business terms and sports industry concepts. The Encyclopedia of Sports Management and Marketing fills a sizeable gap in the discipline's reference literature by providing a comprehensive treatment of both general business management concepts as well as sports industry and sports business issues. Copious case studies illustrate the scholarly and fascinating text. The illustrations, while nice, are not really necessary, although they add a bit of color to the text. The work could have benefited from a bibliography compiling all the further readings, although there is a basic resource guide.

This work is highly recommended for academic libraries whose institutions have a sports management or kinesiology department or a large athletic program. It is also recommended for large public libraries. Although the price is high and even higher for the e-book version, it is unique and would be of interest to all students, sports practitioners, and other people interested in sports management and marketing.