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The Football Factor: Shaping Community On Campus, Stacy Warner, Stephen L. Shapiro, Marlene A. Dixon, Lynn L. Ridinger, Scott B. Harrison

Human Movement Sciences Faculty Publications

Many American universities continue to invest in expensive intercollegiate football programs, and specifically cite the sport’s ability to foster a sense of community (SOC) as justification for the cost. This study sought to assess the importance of SOC and the influence of football on the cultivation thereof. A pre-post test design utilizing an online survey compared SOC levels for students (N = 886) before and after the implementation of Division I football on a large university campus. No significant differences were found in SOC levels before and after the football season (regardless of attendance). Post-test SOC perceptions differed based on …