Sports Management Commons^™

The Momentum Continues: 2026 Asma Conference Highlights, Marshall Magnusen

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The Journal of Applied Sport Management (JASM) is the official publication of the Applied Sport Management Association (ASMA), which is a scholarly organization that builds research partnerships between faculty and students. ASMA also facilitates connections between sport management faculty and students studying sport and practitioners working in the sport industry. In 2026, the annual conference was hosted by Temple University. Highlights from the annual conference include Dr. Robin Hardin from the University of Tennessee receiving the ASMA Distinguished Service and Mentorship Award and Drs. Corr, Petersen, and Stokowski becoming ASMA Research Fellows.

The Privilege Of Service And Mentorship, Robin Hardin

Journal of Applied Sport Management

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Linking Sport Simulation Games To Real-World Sport Consumption: The Role Of Passion And Sport Enjoyment, Jeeyoon Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study examines the potential of utilizing sport simulation games in promoting real-world sport consumption. Drawing on diversification theory, we examine whether psychological experiences (arousal, belonging, achievement) in simulated sport play leads to sport enjoyment and subsequently increases sport consumption intentions (participating, spectating, media viewing); passion-type (harmonious vs. obsessive) is set as a boundary condition based on the dualistic model of passion. Using online survey data from 431 US/Canadian adults who regularly play sport simulation games, multi-group SEM was conducted. In harmonious group, arousal and belonging were positively linked to all three intention-types through sport enjoyment, supporting a positive relation …

Understanding What Drives College Football Season Ticket Renewals, Chris Greenwell, Adam Cocco, Nels Popp

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Recent changes in intercollegiate athletics have significantly impacted the economics of college football. Heightened competition and increased operational costs have necessitated greater revenue generation through ticket sales, as ticket sales contribute a significant amount of revenue to college athletic department’s budgets. Therefore, this study utilizes self-determination theory to investigate factors influencing football season ticket holders’ intentions to renew. Employing a survey of 6,777 season ticket holders from 11 schools competing in an NCAA Division I Power 4 conference, the study identifies significant predictors of renewal intentions based on intrinsic (Team Direction, Game Day Experience, and Sense of Being Valued) and …

Family Perspectives: A Qualitative Examination Of College Athlete Suicide During The Spring 2022 Semester, Elaine M. Anton-Lotruglio, Sophia M. Burke, Kimberly H. Mcmanama O'Brien

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Objective: Suicide among college athletes remains largely underexplored despite rising rates. This qualitative study aimed to explore family members' perspectives on why their loved ones died by suicide. Participants: The study included family members (N=10) of three college athletes who died by suicide in the spring 2022 semester. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and July 2024. ATLAS.ti and Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis were employed to analyze the data and identify themes. Results: The data revealed three primary themes: factors contributing to the suicide crisis, presence of a suicide crisis, and university crisis response. The themes suggested a …

Beyond The Playing Field: Athletic Identity, Academic Performance, And Career Readiness Among Student-Athletes, Lucy Mcafee, Alexander Traugutt, Caroline J. Ketcham, Eric E. Hall

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This mixed-methods study examined how athletic participation relates to perceived career readiness development and explored relationships between athletic identity, academic performance, and post-graduation plans among 124 Division I student-athletes (varsity and club) at a private university. Participants completed surveys measuring athletic identity (AIMS), perceived development of NACE Career Readiness competencies, and open-ended questions about how athletics prepared them for future careers. Varsity athletes reported significantly higher perceived development than club athletes across five competencies: professionalism, critical thinking, communication, technology, and career and self-development. Male athletes reported higher perceived development in professionalism, critical thinking, and technology. Athletic identity demonstrated significant positive …

Why Western Michigan University Should Implement A Women's Varsity Ice Hockey Program, Lauren Young

Honors Theses

This study evaluates the feasibility and strategic value of implementing a varsity women’s ice hockey program at Western Michigan University (WMU). As women’s ice hockey continues to experience significant growth at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, disparities in participation opportunities persist, particularly within institutions that sponsor men’s hockey but not women’s programs. This research argues that WMU is well-positioned to address this gap by establishing a women’s varsity ice hockey team that aligns with institutional goals, gender-equity standards, and national participation trends.

A qualitative case study approach was used to assess feasibility through three primary areas: institutional comparison, …

Improving Transfer Portal Decision-Making Through A Microsoft Excel Optimization Model, Peyton Steffes

Honors Projects

The creation of the transfer portal has increased the mobility of collegiate athletes, giving players the autonomy to switch teams throughout their career. As a result, the roster development process has become more complex, as coaches are tasked with the challenge of recruiting from the transfer portal, which involves an extensive decision-making process. Coaches not only have to evaluate a substantial pool of players, but they also must consider the following constraints they are under: scholarship budget, roster spots available, and positional needs. To simplify this decision-making process, this analysis includes the results of a Microsoft Excel data optimization model …

Guarding The Game: Building A Defensive Line Between Athletes' Biometric Data And Gambling Interests, Caroline Hébert

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment examines the intersection of wearable technology, professional sports, and the burgeoning sports betting industry. Focusing primarily on the National Football League (NFL), the author explores how biometric markers such as heart rate, stress levels, and fatigue—originally intended for player health and performance—are increasingly targeted for commercialization in the gambling market. The comment provides a critical analysis of the current legal landscape, noting that existing frameworks like HIPAA and GINA, as well as current Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), offer insufficient protections for athletes' sensitive personal data. Hébert identifies key points of exploitation by third-party vendors and highlights the conflicting …

Sowing Imbalance From The Start: Power, Role Socialization, And Graduate Assistants In Ncaa Division I Power Four Athletic Departments, Kaitlin Pericak, Daniel Springer, Brittany Washington, Rachel Silva

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Graduate assistantships represent early entry points into intercollegiate athletics and serve as critical sites of professional socialization. Guided by Mead’s (1934) role theory and Foucault’s (1975/1977) concept of power, this study examined how graduate assistants (GAs) negotiated their dual roles as students and employees within Division I Power Four athletic departments. Semi-structured interviews with 10 current GAs revealed how organizational expectations normalized overwork, positioned the master’s degree as a compulsory credential, and sowed imbalance that shaped participants’ identities and well-being. Findings demonstrate how GAs internalized structured constraints and reproduced organizational norms, framing overwork as a necessary rite of passage. These …

Teaching With S2scc-Ai: A Practical Framework For Sport Management Classrooms, Kimberly D. Bynum, Wendy T. Gillis

The COSMA Journal

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, are radically changing how higher ed students approach their college learning experience. These shifts are especially impactful in undergraduate sport management programs, where employers expect graduates to demonstrate teamwork, critical thinking and digital literacy skills. As AI becomes embedded across sport industry functions such as event operations, marketing, analytics, and fan engagement, higher ed pedagogy must evolve to reflect the professional contexts students are preparing to enter. In this paper, Student-to-Student Co-Creation enhanced by AI (S2SCC-AI) is advanced as a practical, COSMA-aligned pedagogical framework for leveraging …

Does A Satisfied Customer Care About Price? A Study Of The Moderating Effects Of Switching Barriers On The Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction And Price Sensitivity In The Health And Fitness Club Industry, Lei Ouyang

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Evolving Impact Of The National Anthem Protest And Covid On High School Interest In Nfl Football: An Exploratory Investigation Of High School Student Interest In The 2021-2022 Super Bowl., George W. Stone

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Not All Emotions Are Created Equal In Social Media Marketing, A Case Of Savannah Bananas, Jen Jones, Ania Izabela Rynarzewska

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Is Customer Always Right? A Common Service-Related Issue In The Sport Arenas, Steve Chen, Christy L. Trent, William Wellman, Jose P. Garcia

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Possibility Of A Salary Floor In Major League Baseball (Mlb), Tyler Michael Jones

Masters Theses

This non-experimental quantitative study examined the relationship between team payroll disparities, fan engagement, and perceptions of fairness in Major League Baseball (MLB). Guided by Competitive Balance Theory, the study sought to determine if perceived fairness influenced fan support for the implementation of a salary floor, and whether those attitudes differed across demographic and team context. Data were collected from 200 adult MLB fans residing in the United States and Canada using an online survey distributed via social media platforms. The instrument included demographic items and Likert-scale measures assessing fairness perceptions, fan engagement, and policy support. Data were analyzed using hierarchical …

Formula 1 In The United States: A Model For Growing International Sports In U.S.?, Kate Meg Eagan, Matthew Lastner, Brian Kinard

Atlantic Marketing Association Student Proceedings

Formula 1 (F1) has grown exponentially in popularity with American audiences in the past several years, in large part by deploying modern marketing practices that are reshaping the perspective of motorsport in the U.S. Marketing experts have credited this growth to marketing practices such as the launch of a Netflix docuseries, “Drive to Survive,” which offers a dramatized retelling of the season and grants viewers a behind the scenes glimpse of the sport. As a next step, F1 is funding a major motion picture named for the sport starring Brad Pitt. Despite evidence that these practices have benefitted F1, other …

New Marker Unveiled To Honor Una, Jeff Mcintyre

Documents

A new marker was unveiled to honor the University of North Alabama as being the only college football team in history to win three consecutive national championships- The TimesDaily 

There's 'No Place Like Home' For Una Lions, Jeff Hodges

Documents

News article in The Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily on the impact Flowers Hall has for the UNA Lions and their at home win ratio.

Hall Of Fame- Hal Self (Induction Class Of 1990), University Of North Alabama

Documents

Hal Self-- Hall of Fame Class induction of 1990. The Flowers Hall Annex, now known as the UNA Athletics Offices, was renamed in honor of Self (Self Field House)