Although marketing research traditionally considers itself an applied discipline, research in this area has been criticized over the last decades for its lack of managerial relevance. The debate on rigor versus relevance is age-old, but could not be more vigorous, in marketing science, in practice as well as within higher education institutions. Yet, there has been little empirical research on the triangular relationship between academic quality, managerial relevance and anticipated relevance – that is, students’ relevance anticipation. This paper contributes to the discussion threefold: First, it empirically confirms a positive relationship between academic quality and practical relevance for the marketing discipline. Second, the findings are supported for an educational setting. Academic quality and anticipated relevance (as perceived by marketing students) are positively correlated. Third, the paper assesses the suitability of academic journal articles for marketing education. By introducing the concept of anticipated practical relevance, academic journal articles can be categorized on an additional dimension. The question whether students are able to anticipate practical meaning now allows identifying “triple drivers”, that is, journal articles that are (1) highly regarded in science, that are (2) practically relevant, and that (3) allow students to correctly anticipate the managerial meaning. I propose that these articles are suitable for confirmatory teaching and learning and therefore have a place in the classroom.