Robert Sroka, Ph.D., J.D.

he/him/his

Assistant Professor

Sroka headshot

Contact Info

Phone:
410-704-3894
Office:
Burdick Hall, 131 I
Email:
rsroka@towson.edu
Hours:
Tues 1-2pm & Thurs 1:30-3:30pm
or by appointment

Education

PhD, Sport Management, The University of Michigan

LLM, The University of Michigan Law School

LLM, The University of Calgary

JD, Peter A. Allard School of Law, The University of British Columbia

BA (Hon.) Political Science, The University of British Columbia

Areas of Expertise

Sport Venues; Events; Law; Urban Studies; Finance; Athletes’ Villages; Host Contracts

Robert is an assistant professor of sport management at Towson University. He previously held posts at Georgia State and Northumbria University. Prior to academia, Robert practiced local government law British Columbia and Alberta. 

Robert's research focuses on sport venues, events, and urban development, frequently integrating aspects of law, finance, tourism, and real estate. In addition to his PhD research at the University of Michigan focused on tax increment financing and major league venues, Robert's academic work has been published in sport management, law, urban studies, and public administration journals in the US, UK, and Canada.

His grant-funded research for the Olympic Studies Centre has investigated the finance, development, and legacy of athletes' villages for multisport mega-events. Robert has also been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, and The Globe and Mail. 

Select Publications 

  • Sroka, R. (2025). East enders: athletes’ villages and urban regeneration in Manchester, Glasgow and London. Town Planning Review.

  • Sroka, R. (2024). Subsidizing a sports arena in a bankrupt city: Detroit's Little Caesars Arena. Social Science Quarterly.

  • Sroka, R. (2022). Financial Fair Play and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Journal of Global Sport Management.

  • Sroka, R. (2021). Mega-Events and Rapid Transit: Evaluating the Canada Line 10 Years After Vancouver 2010. Public Works Management & Policy, 26(3), 220–238.

  • Sroka, R. (2021). International Sporting Mega-Events and Conditionality. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 13(3), 461-477.

  • Sroka, R. (2021). Does the arena matter? Comparing redevelopment outcomes in central Dallas tax increment financing districts. Land Use Policy, 105.

  • Sroka, R. (2021). Mega-projects and Mega-events: Evaluating Vancouver 2010 Stadium and Convention Infrastructure. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 25(3), 183-200.

  • Sroka, R. (2021). A Survey and Discussion of Tax Increment Financing Statutes and Major Professional Sports Facilities. The Urban Lawyer, 50(3), 309-369.

  • Sroka, R. (2020). Tax Increment Financing and Major League Venues. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 10(4), 495-517.

  • Sroka, R. (2019). Getting STIF[fed]: Louisville’s KFC YUM! Center, Sales-Tax Increment Financing and Megaproject Underperformance. Urban Affairs Review, 56(5), 1553-1580.