Search

Persistent evidence of inequitable experiences within collegiate recreation exists. Within the same field are multiple articulations of diversity and inclusion's high significance. The intersection of these contrasting ideas suggests there is a need to expand understanding of the role of diversity and inclusion in collegiate recreation. Exploring germane theoretical conceptualizations may allow for those stated goals to consistently align with practical outcomes, resulting in more equitable experiences for collegiate recreation's multiple stakeholders. Thus, the purpose of this article was to propose the integration of two conceptual frameworks which can be applied by researchers and practitioners to increase the scope and depth of understanding pertaining to engagement with diversity and inclusion.

As the sport industry becomes progressively competitive, most professional teams focus on ways to develop a long-term relationship with fans. One such strategy is sport marketing intended to enhanc...

PurposeDue to the increased growth of Internet users, the examination of compelling online shopping behavior has emerged as a vital topic in developing positive consumer behaviors. However, there is a dearth of studies into how consumers of sport merchandise in the online setting spend their time and what types of factors contribute toward their positive shopping experience. To fill this gap, the purpose of this current study is to investigate the impact and complexity of sport commerce websites by providing the precondition of flow (e.g. convenience, content, aesthetics, interactivity and customization), as well as the consequences of flow (e.g. website satisfaction and shopping well-being).Design/methodology/approachThis study examines relationships among perceived website quality, flow, web satisfaction, and shopping well-being by using structural equation modeling. This current study is based on online sport fans who have recent online shopping experiences of licensed sport products (n = 331).FindingsResults of this present study show that flow plays a mediating role between perceived website quality and web satisfaction, which in turn is positively associated with consumers' shopping well-being.Originality/valueThis current study supports a mediating role of flow state in sport consumer perceptions of website quality and satisfaction; it expands existing knowledge through determining the factors that facilitate flow state and website satisfaction in online shopping. This empirical finding offers important implications regarding the function of flow as an essential factor via the optimization of website services and sport consumers' attitudes.

Collegiate sports have become increasingly popular in recent years with college football seeing, arguably, the greatest rise in popularity. This has led to an increased number of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games, which now culminate in a college football playoff. Universities are constantly developing new and innovative ways to increase revenue. One potential solution receiving increased consideration is the option of selling beer throughout stadiums. Previous research has separately focused on aspects of beer consumption and factors that influence collegiate sport attendance, but not in the same study. Thus far, studies focusing specifically on the topic of how beer sales affect attendance have been lacking. The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not the sale of beer inside FBS collegiate stadiums affects attendance. Our results indicate there is a negative correlation between beer availability and attendance. No significant difference was found as to whether or not stadium location, on or off campus, affects attendance figures.

Coaching salaries within intercollegiate athletics have increased tremendously over the past decade. This has led to continued and increased criticisms of current gender constructs within the NCAA and specifically the way in which coaches are compensated. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether gender was a significant predictor of compensation for basketball coaches of men's and women's programs at the Division I level, while also assessing a variety of revenue and productivity variables. Results indicated that gender was not a statistically significant predictor of compensation. Rather, a host of revenue-specific variables were found to be the primary drivers of compensation for both male and female coaches.

This study examined satisfaction levels with graduate sport management programs in the United States. A 26-item graduate degree program satisfaction instrument was developed and administered electronically to a sample of current students and alumni from seven sport management master’s degree programs yielding a 54.31% response rate (N = 302). Respondents generally indicated high levels of satisfaction with their decision to pursue a graduate sport management degree, but were significantly less satisfied with the specific school they attended. Respondents indicated the most beneficial courses included current topics, sport and society, sport marketing, and sport ethics, whereas the least beneficial courses included statistics, international sport, and research methods. Students who earned their undergraduate degree in business were consistently less satisfied with how well their graduate program taught them various sport management skills compared with students with undergraduate degrees in sport management, sport-related studies, or other majors.

Collegiate sports have become increasingly popular in recent years with college football seeing, arguably, the greatest rise in popularity. This has led to an increased number of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games, which now culminate in a college football playoff. Universities are constantly developing new and innovative ways to increase revenue. One potential solution receiving increased consideration is the option of selling beer throughout stadiums. Previous research has separately focused on aspects of beer consumption and factors that influence collegiate sport attendance, but not in the same study. Thus far, studies focusing specifically on the topic of how beer sales affect attendance have been lacking. The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not the sale of beer inside FBS collegiate stadiums affects attendance. Our results indicate there is a negative correlation between beer availability and attendance. No significant difference was found as to whether or not stadium location, on or off campus, affects attendance figures.

Claire Monroe was challenged to increase a minor league baseball team’s revenue and was in charge of developing a marketing plan to target female baseball fans. This would be a new target market for the team. The increasing female fan base can create revenue for baseball franchises through ticket, merchandise, and concession sales, as well as connecting with sponsors who specifically target female customers. Although there are many gender similarities in regards to fan avidity, there are important differences between the sexes in terms of motivation, media, and merchandise needs. Claire must research the target audience, analyze marketing research data, and make recommendations to increase female attendance to have those women spend more money on baseball-related items.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team has enjoyed strong fan support over the years as the Bulldogs play in front of sold out crowds each time they take the field. The problem is not the ability to sell tickets, but the high frequency of “no-shows.” Ticketing Director, John King, must consider the big picture when formulating a plan to solve this problem. There are many areas within the athletic department that contribute to this problem, and can help “right the ship” as John described it. The goal is to solve the problem with frequency of attendance at home baseball games from multiple aspects. Many areas within the athletic department factor into this process: 1) fundraising and development, 2) ticket office, 3) marketing department, and 4) promotions department.

The growth of fantasy sports into a multi-billion dollar industry has made it an important component of the sports industry. Sport leagues must acknowledge the impact fantasy sports have on the way...

This paper presents qualitative research in sport management and suggests that case study is an appropriate qualitative methodology for research and practice in sport finance. The purpose of qualitative methodology is presented along with the process of a case study. The intention of this paper, for academicians working in sport management, is twofold. The first aspect is for researchers to consider using qualitative case study methodology in instances where such practice will progress the knowledge and understanding of specific situations while invoking a deeper response to research questions. The second facet of this paper focuses on the framework of case study methodology, as applied to a research project in the field of sport finance.

The focus of this study was to analyse constraint factors affecting non-attendance in sports. Few research studies have investigated the topic of non-attendance, and even fewer have sample representation of respondents who did not attend games. A survey was used to measure the impact of 12 constraint factors (41 total items) on non-attendance at women's college volleyball. The results of a logistical regression indicated that non-attendance of those who had never attended a match was predicted by the factors of financial cost, lack of knowledge, and no interest from others, while non-attendance of those who had previously attended was predicted by other sport entertainment and lack of success. These findings should be used to help marketers of typically lower-attended sports realise in development of strategies to increase attendance, more of a focus should be put towards their core product and enhancement of the event atmosphere, rather than on constraints.

With the purpose of bringing added depth to our understanding of sporting event volunteerism by taking a new approach to research on the topic, the current study employed the critical incident technique to explore the perceptions of volunteers at a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour event. Our findings suggest both connections to and departures from existing work on sporting event volunteerism. Specifically, the current study highlights a range of factors relevant to understanding sporting event volunteers’ experiences, including (a) the prominence of sport interest as a reason for volunteering, (b) the importance of social interaction and a feeling of contribution in the volunteer process, (c) the relevance of management practices in impacting volunteers’ experiences, (d) the gendered, raced, and classed nature of volunteerism, and (e) the implications of the overall high satisfaction levels of volunteers.

Major League Soccer (MLS) officials have focused on the construction of soccer-specific stadiums as a key aspect of the league’s development strategy. Research in numerous professional sport contexts has found that teams tend to experience an increase in attendance after moving into new stadiums. Researchers have termed this phenomenon the novelty effect. Given MLS’s longtime emphasis on constructing soccer-specific stadiums, the purpose of the current study was to examine the extent to which a novelty effect exists in MLS. Results of a repeated measures t test indicated that clubs experienced an increase in attendance during their first season in a soccer-specific stadium, and this novelty effect appears to persist to a significant extent for at least 3 years. However, the relatively young age of the league, the success of a club such as Seattle Sounders FC playing in a multipurpose venue, and the costs associated with stadium construction present important issues for further research and consideration.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of roster turnover on demand in the National Basketball Association (NBA) over a five-year period (2000-2005) and compare these results to previous research on turnover in Major League Baseball (MLB). A censored regression equation was developed to examine the relationship between roster turnover and season attendance, while controlling for other potentially confounding variables in the model. The censored regression model was used to account for the capacity constraints by forecasting the level of demand beyond capacity using information from the uncensored observations. The regression model was found to be significant with a log-likelihood statistic of 110.446. Previous attendance, current winning percentage, previous winning percentage, number of all-star players, and team history were found to be significant predictors of attendance. However, the variables measuring the effects of roster turnover were not found to be significant. There were substantial differences in the effect of roster turnover on attendance in the NBA compared with MLB. In addition, these findings provide evidence for using censored regression when dealing with constrained variables. Sellouts in the NBA appear to have an effect on all of the variables in the demand model. Future research will need to be conducted to help sport managers understand the role of roster turnover in specific professional leagues and to better understand the importance of using a censored regression model.

This study investigated the relationship between whether a major conference NCAA Division I men's college basketball game was televised and game attendance during the 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 seasons. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine this relationship while controlling for 19 other potentially confounding variables. A significant regression model was created (F = 111.586, p < 0.001), explaining 77.6% of the variance in game attendance. The model estimated that men's basketball game attendance increased by 564 spectators when a game was broadcast on television, ceteris paribus, representing a 6.3% increase over the mean game attendance of 8892. These findings support practitioners broadcasting home men's basketball games on television, as television broadcasting was found to be significantly related to a substantial increase in game attendance in the population studied.