In research, Dr. Pitts is distinguished as a Dr. Earle F. Zeigler Scholar and one of the first research fellows of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). She is author/coauthor of six sport marketing textbooks, editor of and an author in three Sport Marketing Association's books of papers, and author of numerous publications and presentations. Her work has been published in several scholarly journals such as the Sport Management Education Journal, Journal of Sport Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Journal of Vacation Marketing, International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Women in Sport and Physical Activity, Sport Management and Related Topics Journal, and the International Journal of Sport Management. Her research foci include: (1) sport marketing with emphases in consumer behavior, fan and spectator analysis, sport sponsorship and brand awareness measurement, and economic impact and visitor spending; and (2) sport management education with emphases in program design, curriculum standards and accreditation, instructional methodology, and examination and analysis of the body of literature (research journals and books) in sport management.

Dr. Pitts was an editorial board member (1991-1998) and later co-editor-in-chief of The Sport Management Library (1998-2000), a project that produced more than 20 textbooks in sport management. She serves on the review boards of the Sport Marketing Quarterly, the Sport Management and Related Topics Journal, and the Sport Management Review (Australia); she previously served on the review board of the International Journal of Sport Management. She has served as a guest editor for papers for the Journal of Sport Management and the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. 

Dr. Pitts received the 2004 Dr. Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award from NASSM in recognition of meritorious service. Some of Dr. Pitts's service accomplishments have included serving as co-chair of the committee that wrote the first Sport Management Curriculum Standards (published in 1993); serving on the first Sport Management Program Review Council (1993-1996), of which she is a continuing reading member; acting as program chair of 2 NASSM conferences; hosting (as co-director) the 1990 NASSM Conference; hosting (as executive director) the 2004 NASSM Conference; fulfilling the roles of council member, president-elect, president, and past-president of NASSM (1990-1995); serving as vice-president of academic affairs of the new Sport Marketing Association; acting as founder and co-director for the first scholarly conference on lesbian and gay sport studies; and helping establish the Sport Management Council under NASPE so that there could be more research outlets for faculty in sport management. 

Dr. Pitts has served as a consultant in sport marketing for various sport businesses, including the Georgia Dome in Atlanta (with clients such as the Professional Bull Riders, Inc., SuperCross, and the Atlanta Falcons), Tallahassee Soccer Association, and the NCAA.

Her research, consulting, and services work have taken her around the world; her international stops include Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, Hungary, England, The Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Portugal, Scotland, Cyprus, and China.