Bob Heere

Bob Heere is the Executive Director of the Sports Innovation Space @ UNT and the G. Brint Ryan Professor of Sport Entertainment Management in the Department of Management in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, and the founder of the BBA and MBA Sport Entertainment Management Programs at the University of North Texas. Prior to joining UNT, he held academic appointments at the University of Texas, the University of South Carolina, Florida State University, Auckland University of Technology, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and served as a knowledge manager at the Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies, where he got to work directly for his childhood idol, Johan Cruijff. In 2026, he was awarded the Earle F. Zeigler Award, the most prestigious distinction in the field of sport management.

The Sports Innovation Space @ UNT opened its doors in June 2025 and is providing international sport technology companies with a soft landing in the US market through professional development, networking, staffing, and a shared workspace at the Star, the entertainment district operated by the Dallas Cowboys. SIS@UNT currently serves members from various European nations and has developed strategic partnerships with Plug and Play Sports Tech, Frisco EDC, and the UPSL, a semi-pro soccer league with over 700 member teams.

During his tenure as the founding program director (2018-2026), the BBA and MBA Sport Entertainment Management programs grew to serve over 200 students and formed formal educational partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys and the PGA of America. The online MBA program was ranked the highest in the world for online graduate sport management programs in 2024 (Sport Business International Ranking). Currently, he is among the most cited authors in the field of sport management and the parent discipline of management and was recognized in 2022 as one of the Top 2% most cited management scholars in the world by Stanford University. His main focus is on fan engagement and brand identity, and he has conducted research in more than 20 countries across six continents. He has served as the president of the North American Society of Sport Management and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Sport Management. He has consulted for a wide range of sport organizations around the world, including the Dutch Soccer Federation, the Shanghai Sports Federation, Fulham FC, the World Golf Foundation, AFC Ajax Amsterdam, and served on the Board of Directors of MVV Maastricht, where he was also part of the minority ownership group World Soccer Holdings. He is an Advisory Board Member of the Plug and Play Sports Tech Accelerator in Frisco, Texas, and of various sport technology start-ups.

Academic Interests

Social Identity Theory, Brand Communities, Brand Development, Social impact of Sport