Frank Stephenson

Prof. Stephenson is the Henry Gund Professor of Economics and chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance. His research and teaching interests lie in sports economics and public policy, and he has published in journals including Economic Inquiry, Public Choice, Journal of Sports Economics, and Journal of Monetary Economics. He is currently the editor of the Journal of Economics and Finance Education.

Education

• Ph.D. Economics, North Carolina State University
• B.A. Economics, Washington and Lee University

Teaching Interests

• Economic Analysis of Law
• Sports Economics

Research Interests

• Public Policy
• Sports Economics

Selected Publications

• "How Does the Super Bowl Affect Host City Tourism?" Journal of Sports Economics, forthcoming (with L.R. Heller).
• “(Pot)Heads in Beds: The Effect of Marijuana Legalization on Hotel Occupancy in Colorado and Washington,” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 50 (2020), 46-53 (with B. Meehan and C. Rusko).
• “When Teammates are a Drag: The Effect of ‘Spingate’ on the Benefit of NASCAR Drivers Having Teammates” in Outcome Uncertainty in Sporting Events: Winning, Losing, and Competitive Balance (P. Rodríguez, S. Kesenne, and B. Humphreys, eds), 2020, 44-50 (with S. Jenkins).
• “Unconventional Wisdom: Estimating the Economic Impact of the Democratic and Republican National Political Conventions,” Papers in Regional Science, 97 (November 2018), 1267-1278 (with L.R. Heller and V.A. Matheson).
• “Hotel Demand Before, During, and After Sports Events: Evidence from Charlotte, North Carolina” Economic Inquiry, 56 (July 2018), 1764-1776 (with C.A. Depken, II).
• "Same-Sex Marriage Legalization and Wedding Tourism: Evidence from Charleston and Savannah," Journal of Economics and Finance, 42 (July 2018), 566-574 (with M. Earhart).
• “Taxing the Travelers: A Note on Hotel Tax Incidence,” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 48 (2018), 7-11 (with C.G. Collins).
• “Persecuting Plastic Bags,” in For Your Own Good: Paternalism, Taxes, and Fiscal Discrimination in the Twenty-First Century (A. Hoffer and T. Nesbit, eds.), 2018, 351-360.
• “Superstars, Uncertainty of Outcome, and PGA Tour Television Ratings,” Journal of Sports Economics, 18 (December 2017), 867-875 (with C. Gooding).
• “Fracking and Labor Market Conditions: A Comparison of Pennsylvania and New York Border Counties," Eastern Economic Journal, 43 (September 2017), 649-659 (with K.M. Hastings and L.R Heller).
• "Beer Availability and College Football Attendance: Evidence from Mid-Major Conferences," Journal of Sports Economics, 18 (August 2017), 592-600 (with A. Chastain and S. Gohmann). [Cited in New York Times, October 9, 2015.]
• “Parents, Homevoters, and Public School Employees: An Analysis of Voting Patterns in the 2012 Georgia Charter Schools Amendment Referendum” Journal of School Choice, 10 (Issue 2, 2016), 249-269 (with B. Conaway and B. Scafidi).
• 
  “A Classroom Property Title Experiment,” Journal of Economics and Finance Education, 15 (Winter 2016), 23-29 (with L.R. Heller).
• “Using Film Clips to Teach Public Choice Economics: Take Two,” Journal of Economics and Finance Education, 14 (Fall 2015), 76-85 (with G.D. Mateer).
• “Does Stableford Scoring Incentivize More Aggressive Golf?” Journal of Sports Economics, 16 (August 2015), 647-663 (with J.M. Garcia).
• “Economic Freedom and Labor Market Conditions: Evidence from the States,” Contemporary Economic Policy, 32 (January 2014), 56-66 (with L.R. Heller).
• “Football Frenzy: The Effect of the 2011 World Cup on Women’s Professional Soccer League Attendance,” Journal of Sports Economics, 14 (August 2013), 440-448 (with A.D. LeFeuvre and S.M. Walcott).
• “Strategic Voting in Open Primaries: Evidence from Rush Limbaugh’s ‘Operation Chaos’,” Public Choice, 148 (September 2011), 445-457.
• “The Incidence of Hybrid Automobile Tax Preferences,” Public Finance Review, 38 (January 2010), 120-133 (with A. Chupp and K. Myles).
• “Occupational Licensing: Scant Treatment in Labor Texts,” Econ Journal Watch, 6 (May 2009), 181-194 (with E. Wendt).
• “Vend It Like Beckham: David Beckham’s Effect on MLS Ticket Sales,” International Journal of Sport Finance, 3 (November 2008), 189-195 (with R. Lawson and K. Sheehan).
• “Stadium Alcohol Availability and Baseball Attendance: Evidence from a Natural Experiment,” International Journal of Sport Finance, 2 (February 2007), 36-44 (with A. Chupp and R. Taylor).
• "The 150-Hour Rule as a Barrier to Entering Public Accountancy," Journal of Labor Research, 27 (Winter 2006), 115-126 (with C.G. Carpenter).