Peter Finley

Dr. Finley is a professor of sport and recreation management in the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

He has authored numerous scholarly articles on various sport management topics and has been a regular presenter at several major international conferences in the field. Dr. Finley was the recipient of the 2008 Huizenga College Excellence in Teaching Award.

Additionally, Dr. Finley has co-authored three books, including "The Sports Industry's War on Athletes" in which he and Laura L. Finley explore the downside of sports as big business. Included are chapters on drug use among athletes, academic fraud, on-field cheating, weight issues among athletes, playing while injured, and hazing. He also wrote "Sports Scandals", with Jeffrey J. Fountain and Laura L. Finley, which explores over eighty major scandals that had a significant impact on sports in America, including such memorable events as Rosie Ruiz nearly stealing the Boston Marathon, BALCO and designer steroids, Barry Bonds and the asterisk, and Spygate.

Dr. Finley served as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Affairs at the Huizenga College from January, 2014 to January, 2017 before choosing to return to a full-time faculty post.

In 2017, Dr. Finley was inducted into the Alumni Honor Academy for Western Michigan University's Department of Human Performance and Health Education.

Prior to returning to college to pursue a Ph.D., Dr. Finley was a successful high school teacher and was named an Excellence in Education “Significant Educator” in 1998. He also coached high school track and field, leading eleven athletes to All-State honors over a five year period. Dr. Finley was a member of a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship cross country team at Lansing Community College in 1991.

Dr. Finley has an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and a master's degree in Educational Leadership (both from Western Michigan University) and a Ph.D. in Sport Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He also holds a doctoral minor in applied statistics and research methods.