Using sports scheduling to teach integer programming

In my MBA level courses in operations research, the topic of integer programming is a key component in my efforts to get across the relevance and importance of an OR-oriented modeling and solution approach. Algorithmic advances over the last years have greatly increased the relevance and importance of integer programming as a practical technique for solving important problems of managerial relevance. It is critical that tomorrow's managers and executives understand the importance of integer programming in providing their companies with a competitive advantage. Finding classroom examples that get across this importance, however, is not easy. Many integer programming examples require specialized knowledge of an area in order to get to the model. Sports scheduling offers a domain that is intuitive enough for students to grasp immediately. In addition, though, the models are rich enough to illustrate the important concepts that underlie the successful use of integer programming in practice. Concepts such as symmetry-breaking, cut generation, and alternative formulations can be easily included in the context of sports scheduling. In this note, I give a few examples of sports scheduling models and show how they can be used to illustrate key concepts in integer programming.