Jadrian Wooten joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the realities of economics and professional sports. Wooten shared his insights about the economic philosophies of many team owners, ticket prices, and new arenas, as well as the impact teams have on their communities.

0:00 — Professional Sports and Local Economies
1:14 — Why Sports Make Economic Sense
3:23 — Why Team Values Keep Rising
7:41 — The Economics of New Stadiums
13:41 — Do Sports Teams Help Local Communities?
18:00 — Why Ticket Prices Keep Climbing
21:18 — Economics Happy Hour and the Newsletter
23:43 — The Stadium Quest: Favorites and Traditions

Wooten is a collegiate associate professor with the Virginia Tech Department of Economics. His research focuses primarily on educational methodologies and the economics of sports and labor. Wooten’s weekly blog, Monday Morning Economist, tackles economic issues in pop culture and current events

Curious Conversations is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations, as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures.