Meet Norm O’Reilly, MA, MBA, PhD, CPA
Professor of Sport Management
Director, UF Sponsorship Lab
Education
- PhD, Management, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University (2007)
- MA, Global Affairs and Management, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University (2025)
- MBA, Marketing, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa (2000)
- MA, Sports Administration, University of Ottawa (1998)
- BSc, Kinesiology, University of Waterloo (1997)
- CPA designation, Chartered Professional Accountant (2009)
Biography
Norm O’Reilly is a professor of sport management and director of the UF Sponsorship Lab. His work connects academic research with industry practice across sponsorship, sport business, marketing and sport finance.
O’Reilly has authored or co-authored more than 20 books and 170 peer-reviewed journal publications. He is a regular media contributor, a partner in the Toronto-based agency T1, and an expert witness in legal cases.
He is the lead researcher on the Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study and writes a regular column with Rick Burton for Sport Business Journal. His research has received numerous best paper awards, and he has delivered more than 300 conference presentations.
O’Reilly is a lifetime Research Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management and treasurer of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada. He served as assistant chef de mission for the Canadian Paralympic Team at the 2016 Games in Rio and on the Canadian Olympic Team’s mission staff in 2004, 2008 and 2010.
Academic and professional background
Before joining the University of Florida, O’Reilly held academic leadership roles at the University of New England, the University of Maine, the University of Guelph, Ohio University and Laurentian University. His experience includes serving as a business school dean, assistant dean, department chair and school director.
His industry work spans sponsorship evaluation and valuation, business planning, revenue generation and impact studies. He has also worked in administration, government, event management and biotechnology.
Research interests
O’Reilly’s research spans sport business, sponsorship, marketing, social marketing, sport participation and physical activity, technology and sport, sport finance, and accounting.
Teaching
Sport Sponsorship
University of Florida
Sport Finance
University of Florida
Previous teaching areas
O’Reilly has taught sport marketing, sport management, sport finance, research methods, strategy, business foundations, organizational theory and design, and event marketing at undergraduate, graduate and executive levels.
His teaching experience includes the University of New England, University of Maine, University of Guelph, Ohio University, University of Ottawa, Syracuse University, Laurentian University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
See teaching history in the CV (PDF) ↗Publications
Explore journal articles and books listed in the September 2026 CV, including forthcoming books and separate editions. For further work, visit Google Scholar.
Awards and honors
- Dean’s Circle Award, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University (2025)
- Outstanding Reviewer, International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship (2025)
- Outstanding Scholar Award, Ohio University College of Business (2018)
- Research Impact Award, Ohio University (2017)
- Distinguished Career Contributions to the Scientific Understanding of Sport Business Award, American Marketing Association, Sport Marketing Special Interest Group (2015)
- Five to Watch in Canadian Sport Business, Globe and Mail (2013)
- Media Excellence Award, University of Ottawa (2011)
Professional organizations
- North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM)
- Sport Marketing Association (SMA)
- Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC)
- Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC)