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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Faculty and Staff

William A. Sutton, Ed.D.

Title: Executive in Residence
Department: Sport and Entertainment Management
College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
Email: ws24@mailbox.sc.edu
Phone: 321-246-8452
Bill Sutton headshot

Education

Ed.D., Sport Studies and Higher Education, Oklahoma State University
M.S., Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Oklahoma State University
B.A., Political Science, Oklahoma State University

Background

William A. Sutton is an executive in residence in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Sutton is a former NBA executive, a distinguished academician and a proven sports marketing practitioner who brings a half-century of experience in the sport industry. Sutton is the founder and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing, revenue enhancement and organizational chemistry. He has held previous academic appointments at Robert Morris University, the Ohio State University, the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, the University of Central Florida and most recently the University of South Florida, where he served as director and professor emeritus at the Vinik Sport and Entertainment Graduate program. 

His consulting clients include the NBA, NFL, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia 76ers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Mets.

He served for six years as NBA vice president, team marketing and business operations, assisting teams with teams with marketing related functions such as sales, promotional activities, market research, advertising, customer service, strategic planning and staffing. 

Sutton has authored more than 200 articles (refereed and non-refereed) and has made more than 300 national and international presentations. He is a past president of North American Society for Sport Management and a founding member and past president of the Sport Marketing Association and the Sport Marketing Quarterly — a publication where he has also served as co-editor. He is also a featured author for Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal, where his Sutton Impact column is a monthly feature.

Sutton’s career also includes service as a special events coordinator for the city of Pittsburgh and commissioner of the Mid-Ohio Conference. A native of Pittsburgh, Sutton holds three degrees (B.A. 1972, M.S. 1980, Ed.D. 1983) from Oklahoma State University, where he was inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame in 2003. Sutton is also an inaugural member of the Robert Morris University Sport Management Hall of Fame and recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Southern Sport Management Association. The Sport Marketing Association created the Sutton Award to honor his accomplishments linking academia to the sport industry.

In the Media

Teaching and Administrative Positions

  • Current director and professor emeritus, sport management, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 2020
  • Professor and director, Vinik Sport and Entertainment Graduate Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 2012-20 
  • Professor and associate department head, DeVos Sport Management Graduate Program, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida,  2003-12 
  • Associate professor, Sport Managment, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Massachusetts, 1993-2001 
  • Assistant professor and program director, Sport Management, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 1986-90
  • Assistant professor, Sport Management, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1982-86

Professional Experience

  • Sports Business Journal columnist, 2003-present
  • Bill Sutton & Associates, Tampa, Fla., 2006-present
  • Vice president, team management and business operations, National Basketball Association, New York, New York, 1999-2006 
  • Vice president, information services, Del Wilber + Associates, St. Louis, Missouri, 1990-93 

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, Sport Marketing Association
  • Founding member and past president, SMA
  • Past president, NASSM
  • Founding member and co-editor, Sport Marketing Quarterly

Honors / Awards

  • Robert Morris University Sport Management Hall of Fame
  • Centenary Sport Management Hall of Fame
  • Oklahoma State University College of Education Hall of Fame
  • Oklahoma State University Distinguished Alumni Award
  • University of South Carolina SEVT Lifetime Achievement Award

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