CHICAGO (CBS) — Longtime University of Chicago economist Allen Sanderson died late last month.

A published obituary said Sanderson passed away on Thursday, Jan. 23, after a brief illness. He was 81.

Sanderson, a graduate of Brigham Young University and the University of Chicago, returned to UChicago from Princeton University in 1984. He served in numerous roles at the U of C over the following 40 years — including associate provost, senior research scientist at the National Opinion Research Center, and senior instructional professor in economics.

Sanderson was in known for his courses, research, and commentary about the economics of sports. He contributed columns to op-ed pages in sports and non-sports topics in newspapers around the country, and appeared frequently on Chicago area TV and radio programs.

Sanderson offered perspective in several CBS Chicago news stories about economics, and particularly the economics of sports, over the years.

He also served on the editorial board for The Journal of Sports Economics.

Sanderson wrote in relatively recent years about the NCAA and the case for paying college athletes, the economic impact of colleges and universities on their communities, the economics of professional sports stadiums holding “big-ticket” events, and the political economy of the unsuccessful bid by the City of Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to his online biography.

Sanderson also received a Quantrell Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and held the distinction of teaching more students than anyone in UChicago history, according to his obituary.

Sanderson is survived by his two children, Catherine and Matt, their spouses, and five children. A memorial service is to be held at the University of Chicago this fall.