Smith, Nicholas

Positions

Associate Teaching Professor, Counseling, Recreation and School Psychology , College of Arts, Sciences & Education

nismith@fiu.edu

biography

Education
- Ph.D., Troy University
- M.A., Southeastern Louisiana University
- B.A., Louisiana State University

Background
Dr. Nicholas P. Smith
Associate Teaching Professor, Sport Management – Florida International University
Dr. Nicholas P. Smith is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Counseling, Recreation, and School Psychology at Florida International University (FIU), where he has been a full-time faculty member since 2018. He brings a unique blend of academic excellence, industry experience, and a passion for student development to the classroom.
Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. in Sport Management from Troy University in 2024, a Master of Arts in Kinesiology (Sport Management concentration) from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2016, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Louisiana State University in 2009.
His teaching and research focus on sport law, risk management, event operations, and volunteerism in sport. He has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has presented nationally at conferences including the Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA), the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), and the Sport Marketing Association (SMA).
Prior to entering academia, Dr. Smith worked for over a decade at Caesar’s Superdome/ASM Global, serving as an Event Services Manager Assistant. This practical experience continues to inform his teaching and helps prepare students for careers in the sport industry.
Dr. Smith has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 SRLA President’s Award, 2022 SRLA Mary Myers Student Travel Award, and the 2019 FIU College of Arts, Sciences, and Education Award for Teaching. He is also a recipient of the FIU Provost Program for Terminal Degree Tuition Reimbursement (2020–2024).
In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Smith is an active guest lecturer, having spoken at more than a dozen universities across the U.S. on topics ranging from sport governance to marketing and law.
With a student-first mindset and a career rooted in both practice and scholarship, Dr. Smith is dedicated to shaping the next generation of sport industry professionals.
During the Spring of 2020, Smith collected research on site at the 2020 Miami Super Bowl. During the Spring of 2022, Smith conducted research on site at the 2022 New Orleans Final Four. In 2023, Smith then conducted research at the 2023 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. His current research focuses on sport volunteers, their collective risk perceptions, alongside the context of motivations for volunteers.
Smith is a marathoner who has competed in the 2016 New York City Marathon and 2015 Louisiana Marathon.
Research
- Sport Terrorism
- Sport Security
- Sport Volunteerism in Mega Events
- Marketing and Endorsements
- Ethical Considerations

Honors / Awards
o 2023 Sport and Recreation Law Association Presidents Award
o 2019 Florida International University Award for Teaching
Teaching
LEI 3800: Liability in Law in Leisure, Recreation and Sports
LEI 3402 : Program Development in Recreation and Sports
LEI 3524: Human Resource Management in Parks and Management
LEI 4940: Internship I
LEI 4941: Internship II
LEI 4438: Recreational Sports
LEI 3001: Introduction to Recreation and Sport Management
SPM 3001: Introduction to Sport Management
SPM 4940: Internships
LEI 4590: Senior Seminar
LEI 4438: Recreational Sports
Research Publications
Smith, N. P., & Garza, T. (2025). Views from the cheap seats: Understanding the key motivators behind sport volunteering. The COSMA Journal (in press).

Smith, N. P., & Carroll, M. S. (2023, June) Reciprocity of good will: Deontological and Existential Tenets in Sport Management History. International Journal of Sport Management, 24(2), 141-150.
Bang, H., Smith, N., Park. S. E., & Lee, C. (2022). Perceived quality and organizational support
for enhancing volunteers’ leisure satisfaction and civic engagement: A case of the 2020 Super
Bowl. Leisure Sciences, DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2022.2060883
Smith, N., Bowers, A., Naquin, M., Gillian, W. (2017). An analysis of the influence of the
Boston Marathon bombing on sport venue management in the Gulf Coast states. Journal of
Sport Safety and Security: 2 (1), 1-13. (online).
Book Chapter:
Smith, N. (2020) “Persistency Pays Off”- In G. Fried & M. Kastel (Eds.), Managing Sport Facilities, 4th edition, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Book Review:
Smith, N. P. (2023). [Review of the book Same Players, Different Game: An Examination of the Commercial
College Athletics Industry by John Barnes]. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics (in Press).
Conference Presentations
Smith, N.P., & Carroll, M. S. “Motivations and Risk Perceptions of Sport Volunteers at 2023 NCAA College World Series: Implications for Practitioners”. Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA) Conference, Baltimore, MD, February 21, 2024.

Smith, N.P., & Carroll, M. S. “Self-Perceived Risk Perceptions of Sport Volunteers at 2022 New Orleans Final Four : Implications for Event Managers”. Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA) Conference, Las Vegas, NV, February 26, 2023.
Smith, N., Greer, J., & Bang, H. “Best practices in experiential learning for sport management students: A Super Bowl approach to learning through hands-on experience”. North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Conference, Atlanta GA, June 1-5, 2022
Bowers, A., Sharp, J., Smith, N. “Self-Efficacy Among Sport Management Faculty: A Mixed-Design Study”. Commission on Sport Management Accreditation Conference, Atlanta, GA, February 8, 2019.

Professional Associations
- Sport and Recreation Law Association
- North American Society for Sport Management
- Commission on Sport Management Accreditation
- Sport Marketing Association

Follow on X @nicksmithMA