Dr. Gil Fried

• Position: Associate Dean, Professor
• Department: Commerce
• Office Location: Building 53, Room 120B
• gfried@uwf.edu
• Campus: 850.474.3426
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Biography

Gil Fried is a tenured Full Professor at the University of West Florida and serves as associate dean of the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business. He started at UWF in 2021. Prior to his appointment at UWF, Dr. Fried was a Professor in the Pompea College of Business at the University of New Haven for 21 years and retired with the designation of Professor Emeritus in 2021.

Dr. Fried is a specialist in sport law, finance, and facility management. He received his masters in sport management and his law degree from The Ohio State University. He has written over 13 books on sport risk management, sport facility management, sport analytics, esports, and sport finance. One of the books he wrote is the Academy for Venue Safety and Security (AVSS) textbook used by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). His other textbooks are used in over 140 universities in the United States and have been translated into Chinese, Russian, and Korean. He lectures nationally on financial risk management, facility risk management, crowd management/venue safety, and sport safety. His books and lecturing are supplemented with writing numerous industry articles. He has published over 400 articles focused on facility and law related concerns. Besides writing for others, he is also the Editor of Sports Facilities & the Law newsletter. He is regularly quoted in industry publications and periodicals. In 2011 he was awarded the prestigious Betty van der Smissen Leadership Award from the Sport Recreation and Law Association (SRLA) for outstanding contributions to the field of sport law education. In 2012 he was awarded the Sport Management Outstanding Achievement Award by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE). This award recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions and provided leadership in the field of sport management.

Dr. Fried coordinates the Patron Management Institute and developed their Certificate in Patron Management Program (CPM). The CPM program is the only multi-disciplinary training program developed through and with industry leaders and designed to ensure participants learn and internalize risk management best practices. He has handled a large number of sport/music industry liability cases and has worked as an expert witness in various cases from stadium stampedes to foul ball cases. Some of his cases have involved significant national attention such as the Camp Randall stampede (University of Wisconsin), the Aramark Meadowland drunk driving case, the Wal-Mart Black Friday crowd case, Stow assault case, and the basketball crowd rush case (Kaye) in Phoenix. He also serves on several board of directors of sport-related businesses and organizations. He has an active consulting practice called Gil Fried & Associates, LLC and has several major clients from corporations to insurance companies.

Degrees & Institutions

Fried earned a Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts, both from the Ohio State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the California State University Sacramento.

Publications

Books

Fried, G., Deshriver, T., Mondelo, M. (2024) Sport Finance, 5th edition and ancillaries. Human Kinetics.

Harris, B., Holden, J., and Fried, G. (2024). The Business of Sports Betting.  Human Kinetics.

Hedlund, D., Fried, G., and Smith, R. (2020).  Esports business management. Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. Also developed instructor’s guide, ancillaries, test bank, and PowerPoint presentation.

Fried, G. and Matt Kastel (2019). Managing sport facilities, 4th edition.  Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics.  Also developed instructor’s guide and PowerPoint presentation.

Fried, G., DeSchriver, T., and Mondello, M. (2019). Sport finance, 4th edition.  Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. Also developed instructor’s guide and PowerPoint presentation.

Fried, G. and Mumcu, C (senior editor and editor respectively) (2016).  Sport analytics: A data-driven approach to sport business and management.  London, England, Routledge Books.

Fried, G. (2015). Managing sport facilities, 3rd edition.  Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics.  Also developed instructor’s guide and PowerPoint presentation.

Fried, G., DeSchriver, T., and Mondello, M. (2013). Sport finance, 3rd edition.  Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics.

Fried, G. (2011) Certificate in Patron Management (CPM). Designed and developed an entire eight hour training program for training those in crowd management.  Developed 300 page instructor’s guide, 54 page student handbook, and all the ancillary materials.  CPM has been approved by an international advisory board.

Fried, G (2009). Managing sport facilities, 2nd edition. Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. Also developed instructor’s guide and PowerPoint presentation.

Fried, G., Shapiro, S,. and DeSchriver, T. (2007). Sport finance, 2nd edition.  Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics.

Fried, G (2005). Managing sport facilities. Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. Adopted by over 140 universities to date and translated into Chinese, Korean, Farsi, and Russian.

Fried, G. (2004, August). Academy for venue safety and security. Dallas, TX, International Association of Assembly Managers.

Fried, G., Shapiro, S,. and DeSchriver, T. (2002). Sport finance.  Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. Adopted by over 100 universities to date.

Fried, G. (1999). Safe at first: A guide to help sport administrators reduce their liability.  Durham, NC. Carolina Academic Press.  Edited by Herb Appenzeller for inclusion in Carolina Academic Press’ sports law series.

Fried, G., Miller, L. & Appenzeller, H. (1998).  Employment guide for the sport, recreation and fitness industries. Durham, NC. Carolina Academic Press.  This text book is the first text in Dr. Herb Appenzeller's sports law textbook series from Carolina Academic Press.  I wrote approximately 80% of the text and edited the book.

Book Chapters

Fried, G. (2014). Sport law and sudden death. Preventing sudden death in sport and physical activity, second edition. Editors Casa, D, and Stearns, R. Burlington, MA. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Fried, G. (2014). Sport Law. In Emergency Procedures in Sports Medicine. Editors Casa, D, and Stearns, R. Burlington, MA. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Fried, G. (2012) The Legal System, ADA and Sport Facilities, Dispute Resolution and Risk Management (three separate chapters). Risk Management in Sport: Issues and Strategies, 3rd edition.  Appenzeller, H and Lewis, F. Editors. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press.

Fried, G. (2011). A primer on facility financing.  SODA Sportsfields Planning Guide. Rochester, NY, Sportsplex Operators and Developers Association.

Fried, G. (2009). The legal system. Sports law for sports managers, 5th edition .  Cotton, D and Wolohan, J. and Wilde, T., Editors. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Fried, G. (2008) Economics of Sports: More than Medals. Economics of Sports. Hyderabad, India. ICFAI Books ,ICFAI University  (from article written in ICFAI’s September 2008 issue of Chartered Financial Analyst) In Press.

Fried, G. (2008). ADA compliance in sports facilities. Successful Sport Management, 2nd edition. Appenzeller, H and Lewis, F. Editors. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press. 

Fried, G. (2006). The legal system. Sports law for sports managers, 4th edition .  Cotton, D and Wolohan, J. and Wilde, T., Editors. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Fried, G. (2004). ADA compliance in sports facilities. The legal system. and Alternative dispute resolution. (three chapters) Successful Sport Management. Appenzeller, H and Lewis, F. Editors. Second Edition, Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press. 

Fried, G. (2003). The legal system. Sports law for sports managers, 3rd edition .  Cotton, D and Wolohan, J. and Wilde, T., Editors. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Publishing. 

Fried, G. (2000). The legal system. Sports law for sports managers, 2nd edition .  Cotton, D and Wolohan, J. and Wilde, T., Editors. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Publishing. 

Fried, G. (2000). ADA compliance in sports facilities. Successful Sport Management. Appenzeller, H and Lewis, F. Editors. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press. 

Fried, G. (1999). Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports. Youth Sports and the Law . Tom Appenzeller, Editor. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press.  

Fried, G. (1998). The legal system. Risk management in sport: Issues and strategies. Appenzeller, H. Editor. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press.

Fried, G. (1998). ADA compliance in sports facilities. Risk management in sport: Issues and strategies. Appenzeller, H. Editor. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press.

Fried, G. (1998). Innovative approaches to risk management. Risk management in sport: Issues and strategies.  Appenzeller, H. Editor. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press.

Fried, G. (1997). The legal system. Sports law for sports managers .  Cotton, D and Wilde, T. Editors. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Publishing. 

Peer Review Journals

Fried, Gil and Grant, Aneurin (2023) "Venue Safety Strategies: Guardrails and the Line-of-Sight Exemption," Journal of Applied Sport Management: Vol. 15 : Iss. 4.

https://doi.org/10.7290/jasm-2023-V15-I4-2BKh

Fried, G. Esports minus sports (2023). Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. 

Fried, G. (2023). Sport Fundraising Through Stamps: Finding Unlikely Revenue Streams. Accepted International Journal of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports. 

Keiper, P., Fried, G., Lupink, J., and Nordstrum, H. (2023). Artificial Intelligence in Sport Management Education: Playing the AI Game With ChatGPT submitted in 2023 to the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education.

Mumcu, C, Fried, G., and Liu, D. (2019). Buffer Zone: Policies, Procedures, and Reality. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport, 2019, 29, 86 – 101.

Keiper, M., Williams, D., and Fried, G. (2018). Who’s stealing cookies from the cookie jar?: A case study in sport financial fraud.  Case Studies in Sport Management, Vol. 6, Case Number 5.

Mumcu, C., & Fried, G. B. (2017). Analytics in Sport Marketing. Sport Management Education Journal, 11(2), 102-105.

Finn, D., Ammon, R., Mahoney, K., Fried, G & Al Arkoubi, K. (2015, May/June). Killer Jobs: The dark side of being a physical education instructor. Strategies 28 (3).

Ammon, R., Mahoney, K., Finn, D., Al Arkoubi, K., & Fried, G. (2015, February). Roar of the crowd. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 25 (1)

McNiff, J., Fried, G. and Mahoney, K. (2014). Case study- Learning sport management.  Case Studies in Sport Management. 3 (5).

Keiper, M.C., Young, S., Fried, G., & Seidler, T. (2014). The legal implications of obstacle racing and suggested risk management strategies. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sports. 24 (2) 78-95.

Seidler, T., Fried, G., Young, S,J., Keiper, M.C., & Eickhoff-Shemek, J.M. (2014). A muddied industry: Essential risk management strategies for mud run participants, race organizers, and sponsors- Part II. American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) Journal. 18 (5) 42-45.

Young, S,J., Keiper, M.C., Fried, G., Seidler, T., & Eickhoff-Shemek, J.M. (2014). A muddied industry: Growth, injuries, & legal issues associated with mud runs- Part I. American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) Journal. 18 (3) 31-34.

Fried, G. (2012, Fall Edition). Fan safety index. Global Sport Management News. 4, 7-11. (Editor and peer reviewed news publication).

Fried, G. (2012). Gil’s Sportsplex. Case Studies in Sport Management.  1 (1).

Fried, G., Pittman, A., Milsten, A. Abell, T., and  Mills, J.  (2012, October). Don’t sit there…or there..or there: An analysis of ball park protection and foul ball injury risks. International Journal of Sport Management 13 (4) 423-443.

Fried, G. and Milsten, A. (2012). Concert patron safety. Journal of Crowd Safety and Security Management (JCSSM) 2 (2). http://www.iccmss.co.uk/2012/11/journal-volume-2-issue-2-october-2012/. 

Fried, G. and Ammon, Jr. R. (2010). Alcohol management: Boon or boondoggle? Journal of Crowd Safety and Security Management (JCSSM) 1 (2).

Fried, G. (2009). Fitness facility safety: How safe are fitness facilities for workers?. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sports. 19 (1) 35-66.

Fried, G. and Metchek, R.(2005). Case Study: Camp Randall Memorial Stadium tragedy. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sports. 15 (1) 139-177.

Fried, G. and Ammon, Jr. R. (2001). What is appropriate signage for the sport industry Journal of Legal Aspects of Sports. 11 (2) 181-208.

Sack, A. and Fried, G. (2001, June). Pitching women’s tennis to corporate sponsors: A case study of Pilot Pen Tennis. The Sports Marketing Quarterly. 10 (2) 68-76.

Fried, G.  (1999). Age analysis in sports litigation: how much is Johnny’s broken arm worth? International Sports Journal 3 (1) 101-122. 

Fried, G.  (1998). Gender analysis in sports litigation: give her what she is worth. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sports 8 (3) 141-155.  

Ammon, Jr. R. and Fried, G. (1998) Crowd management practices.  Journal of Convention and Exhibition Management, 1 (2 and 3) 119-150.

Abbott, J. and Fried, G. (1998). Asphalt jungle. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 40 (2) 46-60

Fried, G. (1996). Unsportsmanlike contact: strategies for reducing sexual assaults in youth sports. Journal of the Legal Aspects of Sports 6 (3) 155-168.

Fried, G. (1996, Spring). Unsportsmanlike contact: preventing sexual abuse in youth sports.  Humanics. 3-6

Law Review Journals

Fried, G. (2007) Attacking sport industry standards. Georgia Defense Lawyer.

Fried, G. and Ammon, Jr. R. (2003).  Baseball spectators assumption of risk: Is it ‘fair’ or  ‘foul’? Marquette Sports Law Journal. 13 (2).

Fried, G. (Spring/Summer 2002). Plaintiffs in the stands. Entertainment and Sports Lawyer (American Bar Association). 20 (1-2) 8-13, 18.

Fried, G. (1998).  Punitive damages and corporate liability analysis in sports litigation. Marquette Sports Law Journal. 9 (1) 45-84.

Fried, G. & Hiller, M. (1997). ADR in youth and intercollegiate athletics. Brigham Young University Law Review 1997 (3), 631-652.

Fried, G. (1997). Illegal moves off-the-field, university liability for illegal acts of student athletes," Seton Hall University, Journal of Sports Law 7 (1) 69-101.

Fried, G. & Bradley, L. (1994). applying the first amendment to prayer in a public university locker room.   Marquette Sports Law Journal 4 (2) 301-321.

Editor Review Journals

Editor in Chief (2017-present). Sports Facilities and the Law newsletter. Hackney Publication. Edit and write newsletter focused on sport facilities and the law.  Published six times a year with a subscription base of around 1,000 industry professionals.  I write some articles myself while others are produced by attorneys in the industry or content advisory board members.

Facility Doctors (2017-present). Help write/edit a regular column in the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM’s) Facility Manager magazine and the magazine was later renamed Venue Professionals Magazine.  Write or edit one article every issue. 

Pittman, A. and Fried, G. (2017, May 12) Concealed and open carry laws on college and university campuses. Sport Litigation Alert. Vol. 14, Issue 9.

Fried, G. (2016). How safe are parking facilities near sporting facilities. From the Gym to the Jury. 26 (4), 6-7.

Fried, G. and Ohashi, T. (2016, June 24). The baseball rule redux. Sport Litigation Alert. Vol. 13, Issue 12.

Fried, G. (2015). Something foul going on. Sport Litigation Alert. Vol. 12, Issue 24.

Fried, G. (2015). Lessons from Stow. Connecticut Lawyer. 26 (3) 18-20.

Fried, G. (2013). Does everyone have the right to play?  From the Gym to the Jury. 24 (3), 4

Fried, G. (2010). Can sports kill you?  From the Gym to the Jury. 21 (5), 6-7.  Also published on the Athletic Business Blog, the Sports Litigation Alert, Ethical Behavior in Sports (Herb Appenzeller, 2011, Carolina Academic Press), and Occupational Health & Safety.

Fried, G. and Pfhal, M. (2010, October 8). Professors Examine Green Initiatives at Professional Sports Teams. Sport Litigation Alert, Vol. 7, Issue 18.

Foster, S. and Fried, G. (2010). Internships and the law. Published in various forms/lengths in SportsBusiness Journal (10/8/10) and Recreation Management (10/10).

Fried, G. (2010, January).  Questions to ask during a crowd management case.  Research Notes. Journal of Crowd Safety and Security Management (JCSSM) 1 (2).

Fried, G. (2009, August). Arbitration clauses to the rescue? ActiveCareer Digets. IHRSA. http://activecareers.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=20445&nodeID=14. 

Fried, G. (2009, August). Stand at attention, you traitor. From the Gym to the Jury. Vol. 20, No. 3, P. 10-11.

Fried, G. (2009). Litigating Foul Ball Cases in 2009.  Written for Lawline.com and used in conjunction with a video presentation produced for attorneys throughout the United States pursuing continuing legal education credit.

Fried, G. (2009, January). Olympic Bound. From the Gym to the Jury, Vol. 19, No. 5, P. 5.

Varriale, C. and Fried, G. (2008, July 4). Is it fair or foul? Sports Litigation Alert, Vol. 5, No.12. P. 13-16.

Fried, G. (2008, May). MRSA around the facility and locker room. From the Gym to the Jury. Vol. 19, No. 2, P. 4.

Fried, G. (2008, April/May). Staph problems, MRSA around the facility and locker room. Facility Manager. P. 12-13.

Fried, G. (2007, Summer). Slipping standards. Venue Safety & Security,  Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 10.

Fried, G. (October, 2006). Are we an ethical profession. Facility Manager, 64.

Fried, G. (August  , 2006).  Ethical questions cloud sports world. Street and Smith SportsBusiness Journal, 38.

Murdy, J. and Fried, G. (2006, December/January). Getting wired. Facility Manager, 24-25.

Fried, G. (2005, April/May). An educated guess. Facility Manager, 26-28.

Fried, G. (2005, January). An essay exam for academicians. Street and Smith SportsBusiness Journal, 26.

Fried, G. (2003-2004). Ask the expert. Bi-monthly column in Public Venue Security.

Fried, G. (2003, August). Facing the crowd, SportsTravel, 14-15.

Fried, G. (2002, June). Beyond security. SportsTravel, 35.

Fried, G. (2002, April) Sitting ducks. Athletic Business, 18-22)

Fried, G. and Slack, D. (2001, September). The Aftermath. From the Gym to the Jury, 10.

Fried, G. (2001, March/April). What is “adequate” signage? Facility Manager, 33-35.

Fried, G. and Walker, A. (2000, December).  Fatal Vision. Athletic Business, 22-24.

Fried, G. (1999, Summer). State sports industry future bright-just look around. Hartford Business Journal,

Fried, G. (1998, March-April). Your facility can be a battle zone. Facility Manager 20-23.

Fried, G. (1997). Texas park and recreation program study reveals concerns. From the Gym to the Jury 8 (5) 7.

Fried, G. (1997). 12 legal perils and how to avoid them. Coaching Success Update, Naples, FL.

Fried, G. (1997, Spring). Risk management for recreation programs in the 90’s. Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Journal 6 (1) 6-12.

Fried, G. (1997, April). ADA questions and answers.  AAHPERD’s Strategies 23-25.

Fried, G. (1992, August) Intercollegiate athletics fumbling into the court room. Athletics Administration 18-20.

Fried, G. (1992, February). Pay-per-view's bumpy road to riches. Athletics Administration 12-14.

Fried, G. (1992, February). It's easy to compete with the big boys for air time. Athletics Administration 15-16.

Industry Publications

Fried, G. and Daly, S. (2019-present).  The Facility Doctors (editors of a regular column in IAVM’s Venue Manager magazine.

Fried, G. and Mahoney, K. (2017-19).  The Facility Doctors (editors of a regular column in IAVM’s Facility Manager magazine.

Fried, G. and Fried, S. (2001, March-April). Internal Problems. SodaSite, 10.

Fried, G. (2000, October-November).  Why proper signage is so important. SodaSite, 18.

Assisted in writing several storylines for the nationally syndicated daily cartoon “Gil Thorp” (1997-present).

Fried, G. & Souza, R. (1993, September/October). Legal corner. SODAsite 4.

Fried, G. (1993, July). California supreme court limits liability of event participants. SODAsite 8-9 .

Fried, G. (1993, February). Running the race...assuming the risk. The Schedule X (6) 24.

Fried, G. Sports attendance GNP 1991-92. study republished in numerous publications including: Athletic Business, Amusement Business, Sports Industry News, and Media Sports Business.

Fried, G. (1992). 1991 local NFL broadcasting figures. Sports Law Center, San Francisco, CA.