Nancy Lough

Professor of Sport Management
Co-director, 51ԹϺ Sports Innovation
Director of Marketing, College of Education
President, Sport Marketing Association
Expertise: Sport Marketing and Sponsorship, Women and Leadership, Title IX & Gender Equity

Biography

Nancy Lough is a professor in 51ԹϺ’s College of Education, where she also coordinates the College Sport Leadership certificate program. Her areas of expertise include sport marketing and sponsorship, development of women leaders, gender equity, and in sport. She has served as a consultant for Title IX issues in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Recently, Lough served as editor of Sport Marketing Quarterly and the Journal of Contemporary Athletics, as well as the director of the Center for Sport Education Leadership at 51ԹϺ. She was the first female president of the Sport Marketing Association from 2013-15. As the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) representative for 51ԹϺ, Dr. Lough serves as a voice for NCAA Division I faculty senates on issues in college sport. Additionally, Lough is an executive board member of the 51ԹϺ Women of Excellence, which works to raise funds for women’s sport; member of the Women’s Council, Dean’s Advisory Council; an advisory board member for the Penn State Center for Sports Business & Research, and 51ԹϺ PGA Management program, and University of Colorado Business of Sport certificate program. In addition she has conducted leadership training for a variety of organizations. He scholarly work has earned distinction meriting selection as a Sport Marketing Association Research Fellow.

She has been quoted extensively in media via outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Canada’s Globe & Mail, and the Sports Business Journal.

Nancy Lough In The News

K.S.N.V. T.V. News 3
The Las Vegas Aces have traded fan favorite Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks as part of a three-team deal that also involves the Seattle Storm.
Wallet Hub
Americans spend a lot of money on sports every year. Sports franchises in the U.S. bring in nearly $40 billion in yearly revenue, with money coming from ticket and merchandise sales, media rights, and sponsorship fees. Even with technology making major televised games accessible from anywhere, many serious fans still prefer live action — and the best seats in the house.
Front Office Sports
There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.
SELF
As Serena Williams volleyed back and forth with Ajla Tomljanovic during her final tennis match in September 2022, 4.6 million viewers (an ESPN record for the sport) tuned in. And a bunch of them were watching from the Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, which grew so silent you could hear a potato chip drop to the floor—despite a crowd that spilled into the street, where fans cupped their hands over the glass windows to watch the action inside.

Articles Featuring Nancy Lough

students in spring
Campus News | May 1, 2024

News highlights starring 51ԹϺ students and faculty who made local and national headlines.

Spring Flowers (Becca Schwartz)
Campus News | April 1, 2024

A roundup of the top news stories featuring 51ԹϺ students and faculty.

The Las Vegas strip as seen on Super Bowl weekend (Josh Hawkins/51ԹϺ).
Campus News | March 1, 2024

A collection of news stories and highlights featuring 51ԹϺ students and faculty.

a 51ԹϺ football helmet placed on the turf with an Allegiant Stadium sign and empty bleachers visible in the background
Campus News | January 31, 2024

As the nation's most-watched sports entertainment event rolls into town, 51ԹϺ researchers are available to provide expertise.