Justin B. Kozubal

Education Credentials

• Ph.D., Sport Management (Sport Law), Sorrell College of Business, Troy University
• M.S., Sport Administration, Ohio University
• B.S., Speech Communication, Ball State University

Biography

Justin B. Kozubal, Ph.D., is a Visiting Assistant Professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sport leadership and sport management. He holds a Ph.D. in Sport Management from the Sorrell College of Business at Troy University, with a cognate in Sport Law and Governance, and a master’s degree in Sport Administration from Ohio University. His research examines legal and governance issues in sport, with particular emphasis on fan safety as a constraint to sport consumption.

Prior to joining Miami University, Kozubal spent nine years at Capital University, where he earned tenure and promotion within the School of Management and Leadership and developed, launched, and chaired the university’s sport business department.

Kozubal brings more than twenty-three years of practical industry leadership experience across professional sport organizations, leagues, and Fortune 500 companies. His professional background includes roles with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League, the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Bulls, and Minor League Baseball, as well as corporate leadership at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. In that capacity, he managed a national sport sponsorship portfolio encompassing partnerships with MLB, MLS, MiLB, the NCAA Final Four, the College Football Playoff, Roush Fenway Racing, and the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade.

Courses Taught

• SLM 472/572 Sport Administration
• SLM 636 Sport Communication and PR

Research Interests

• Fan Safety
• Risk Management
• Legal Issues in Professional and Intercollegiate Sport

Select Publications

Select Editor-Reviewed Sport Law and Governance Publications

• Kozubal, J. B., & Carroll, M. S. (2025). San Jose State University Volleyball Controversy: Legal Examination of Transgender Athlete Participation. Sport Litigation Alert. Hackney Publications, 24(4) 15-18.
• Kozubal, J.B., Walsh, D. W., & Odio, M. A. (2021). Sport Marketing. In Governance in Sports: Analysis and Application. Tiell, B. Human Kinetics Publishers.
• Kozubal, J.B., & Carroll, M. S. (2020). Former Penn State University director of athletic medicine files civil action lawsuit for retaliation in Dauphin County Court. Sport Litigation Alert,17(1), (online).
• Kozubal, J.B., & Carroll, M. S. (2019). Fan files defamation lawsuit against Cleveland Browns over alleged misidentification by team in beer throwing incident. Sport Litigation Alert, 16(24), (online).
• Kozubal, J.B., & Carroll, M. S. (2019). Eleven black football players file Fourteenth Amendment civil rights complaint against Maricopa County Community College District in federal court over its decision to end football program. Sport Litigation Alert, 16(4), (online).
• Kozubal, J.B., & Carroll, M. S. (2018). Judge denies motion to dismiss by high school district in first amendment bullying case of high school football player. Sport Litigation Alert, 15(22), (online).

Select Presentations and Invited Talks

• Kozubal, J.B. (June 2024). An examination of organizational safety constraints as a barrier to attendance. Presented at Event Management Annual Conference, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL.
• Kozubal, J.B. (November 2023). Premises liability in sport. Presented for Nichols College School of Business, Dudley, MA.
• Kozubal, J.B. (October 2023). Columbus Blue Jackets Promotional Marketing Plan: A Project Based, Experiential Learning Assignment. Sport Marketing Association Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida.
• Kozubal, J.B. (June 1, 2021). Managing risk in sport. Presented for Ohio University’s Professional Masters of Sport Administration Sport Law class, Athens, Ohio.
• Kozubal, J.B. (November 2020). Premises liability issues and best practices in sport. Presented for Northwood University’s ESM 4040 Legal Aspects of Sport class, Midland, Michigan.
• Kozubal, J.B. (October 2018). The sponsorship buyer’s perspective. Presented for Ohio University’s 6650 sport management class, Athens, Ohio.
• Kozubal, J.B. (October 2017). The sponsorship buyer’s perspective. Presented for Ohio University’s 6650 sport management class, Athens, Ohio.
• Kozubal, J.B. (April 2016). Sponsorship activation best practices. Presented for Ohio University's sport management undergraduate class, Athens, Ohio.
• Kozubal, J.B. (October 2016). Intellectual property rights in sport. Presented for Ohio Dominican University’s SPM 660 sport management graduate program, Columbus, Ohio.
• Kozubal, J.B. (September 2016). Creating an effective Rose Parade PR campaign and activation. Presented for the Rose Bowl Sponsor Summit, Pasadena, California.