NFL Intro to Business Case Study | Reader’s Theater Format | Econ 101

This NFL Intro to Business Case Study in Readers’ Theater format will engage your business, marketing, or entrepreneurship class with the incredible rise of the National Football League. Sick of dry textbook lessons? This narrative hooks high school students with a thrilling ride through the NFL’s real-world grind, spotlighting legends like George Halas, Pete Rozelle, and Tom Brady. Watch Halas launch the league with scarce cash in 1920, Rozelle score billion-dollar TV deals, and Brady build a $50 million empire—all while unpacking 10 key business and economics concepts (see script summary). Assign roles, spark debates, and let students discover why football rules America!

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What's included?

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS, NCSS, NCSEE, NCHS, CEE)
• Teacher Tips for use as RT
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: MSWORD DOC (9 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~13 Characters, 7000 words,
• Format: Google Doc (23 pages) (Can be downloaded to PDF, etc)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script.
• 3 Primary Source Exploration: Students must connect concepts in the script with outside sources (links to primary source text provided).
• Fact vs. Fiction: Identifying whether script details are fact or fictional narrative elements within the script.
• 10 Business Concepts in the Case Study: 10 Questions that explore how the story demonstrates key business concepts and application of them in students' lives.
• Format: Google Slides (32 Slides) (Can be downloaded to PDF, etc)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about 25~40 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.
• The included primary source exploration and business concept questions can be assigned for homework.

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Script Summary:

(Note: Each act covers an important business/entrepreneurship concept)

• Act 1: Scarcity and Choice - In 1869, a dangerous Rutgers-Princeton game with no gear forces the NCAA’s 1905 forward pass rule; Halas founds the NFL in 1920 despite tight funds.
• Act 2: Supply and Demand - The 1920s see small-town teams flop, but demand spikes post-WWII with the 1944 AAFC rival league pushing the NFL west.
• Act 3: Entrepreneurial Mindset - Bert Bell risks TV in 1946-1958, with the 1958 Greatest Game (45 million viewers) proving football’s screen power.
• Act 4: Business Idea Generation - Lamar Hunt’s 1959 AFL and Rozelle’s 1961 $4.65 million CBS deal innovate to outpace rivals.
• Act 5: Market Research - NFL Films (1962) and Namath’s 1969 Super Bowl III upset show fans crave drama, drawing 65 million viewers.
• Act 6: Business Planning - The 1966 NFL-AFL merger, fully set by 1970, plans a 26-team league with $40 million TV deals and the Super Bowl.
• Act 7: Marketing and Sales - Rozelle’s 1970 Monday Night Football (60 million viewers) and 1963 NFL Enterprises sell the NFL as a must-watch brand.
• Act 8: Financial Management - Tagliabue’s 1993 salary cap (48.8% to players) and Goodell’s 2022 $112 billion media deal balance costs and profits.
• Act 9: Macroeconomic Concepts - Nixon’s 1973 TV push and 2018 betting boom (46 million fans) grow U.S. cash, but NFL Europe flops.
• Act 10: Personal Finance - Brady’s $50 million empire in the 2000s-2020s contrasts with players hit by CTE, while team values soar to $4.5 billion average.