Date of Award
12-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Legacy Department
Economics
Committee Chair/Advisor
Sauer, Raymond
Committee Member
Makowsky, Mike
Committee Member
Baier, Scott
Abstract
Major League Soccer is in a transitional state which may see it projected into the realm of international relevancy, competing with European soccer. This transition is fueled by contracting renowned superstars from Europe via the designated player (DP) rule. This study examines implications of the DP rule on competitive balance (CB) of the league and wage dispersion among teams. The effect of the rule on CB is inconclusive in the model constructed, but propositions of a more appropriate CB measure are presented for future research. The DP rule has caused higher levels of salary dispersion within the league and this dispersion is found to be negatively related to team performance which is supportive of the wage compression hypothesis.
Recommended Citation
Hobbs, William III, "An Analysis of Major League Soccer: Competitive Balance and Wage Dispersion" (2015). All Theses. 2267.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2267