Digital Commons Network^™

Marketing For The Dreamwork Wrestling: How To Keep A Small Entrepreneurial Business And Dream Alive!, Steve Chen, Jennifer Mak, Karen Doran, Liz Allen

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Athlete Celebrity Endorsement On Attitude Toward Brand And Purchase Intention, Yunheui Jeon, Jennifer Y. Mak, Lei Ouyang

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Concerns Among Careers By Marketing Seniors About Covid-19: Beginning Versus A Year Into The Pandemic, Alan D. Smith

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Dehumanization Of Nfl Players In The Media, Destiny D. Farley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This creative thesis aims to bridge the gap in sports journalism by humanizing National Football League (NFL) players, showcasing their lives outside of sports, and exploring their nuanced relationships with the media. NFL players are objectified in the press in a variety of ways, with some common themes including coverage of drafting/trading, performance statistics, salary/contracts, and their overall celebrification. Through an episodic visual narrative podcast, the project grants autonomy back to the players by providing them with a platform to showcase their personalities, discuss media experiences, and share untold stories. This podcast series—featuring a blend of A-roll and B-roll—immerses audiences …

Student-Athlete Flourishing In Intercollegiate Athletics: A Mixed Methods Study, James Hines

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Comprehending the complexities associated with student-athlete well-being while competing on campus is important for both institutions of higher education and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Studies relating to student-athlete well-being have researched many different areas such as suicide prevention (Gross et al., 2020), mental health treatments (Ryan et al.,2018), and injury recovery (Martin et al., 2021). Few studies have examined student-athlete flourishing which focuses on helping individuals thrive and reach their greatest potential. This study employs an explanatory sequential mixed method design to examine student-athlete flourishing along with factors associated with student-athlete flourishing. Survey data (N=89) provided insight on …

The Data Movement In Professional Sports, Preston Dorand

Undergraduate Honors Theses

At the turn of the 21st century, technological advancement reshaped industries worldwide, including professional sports. Organizations increasingly adopted analytical frameworks, leveraging advanced software systems and performance metrics to inform and optimize decision-making on and off the field. Industry professionals frequently cite the film and book, Moneyball, as a cultural turning point that brought data driven methodologies to the forefront. Since that period, professional sports, especially baseball, have evolved from foundational sabermetric theory into a complex data ecosystem characterized by high-resolution tracking technologies, pitch modeling, player valuation systems, and matchup optimization models.

My thesis examined how sports organizations operationalized data-driven …

Consumer Reaction To Olympic Sponsorships, Bailey R. Wood

Honors Theses

The Olympic Games are the world’s premier sporting event, hosting athletes from 206 countries every four years. The Ancient Games date back over 3,000 years in what is now modern-day Greece. The “Classical Games” consisted of a single foot race, the “stade,” and eventually grew to include long-distance running, wrestling, long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw (Abrahams, n.d.). Now, the Games are split into summer and winter sports, with the Summer Olympic hosting 329 medal events and the Winter Olympics 116. Due to the size and magnitude of this event, the Olympic Games are broadcast all over the world, …

From Amateur To Influencer: The Nil Era Takes Over, Olivia J. Matulich

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the change of amateur athletics with the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights. For many years, the NCAA followed an amateurism model that prevented student-athletes from earning money, even though their efforts generated major profits through media contracts, sponsorships, and branding. The arrival of NIL in 2021 marked a major shift, allowing athletes the chance to earn money from their personal brand, which redefined the role they play within the collegiate athletic system.

This study looks at NIL from several angles, including its legal background, financial impact, and cultural significance. By reviewing key legal cases …

The Influence Of Ole Miss And Nil On Local Business Strategy In Oxford, Mississippi, Benjamin D. Blossom Mr.

Honors Theses

This thesis argues that while NIL policies have introduced new financial and promotional dynamics, the relationship between the University of Mississippi athletics and the Oxford business community is still primarily shaped by long-standing, collaborative practices. The study focuses on how NIL is influencing these established relationships and the economic landscape of a college town where the university acts as a major economic driver. Through six in-depth interviews with Oxford business owners across retail, hospitality, food service, and events, the research finds that athletics, and football in particular, fuel much of the city’s economic activity. However, businesses see NIL-driven endorsements as …

The Cornshocker Contract: Navigating Nil In A New Athletic Economy, Jason Kight

The COSMA Journal

This teaching case examines how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) reforms are reshaping governance, athlete branding, and competitive identity within NCAA Division II athletics. Set at the fictional Platte Valley State University, the narrative places students inside an evolving administrative dilemma involving booster-led collectives, transfer-portal pressures, and a sponsorship controversy that tests institutional values. Designed for sport management classrooms, the case emphasizes experiential decision-making and asks students to evaluate the interaction among stakeholder interests, organizational legitimacy, and crisis response rather than to perform exclusively doctrinal legal analysis. By situating contemporary NIL developments within a regional Division II context, the case …

An Exploration Of The Application Of Threshold Concepts In Sport Management, Debra Burke, Kadie Otto, Aj Grube, Charlie Parrish, Dan Grube

Global Sport Business Journal

Jan Meyer and Ray Land introduced the theory of threshold concepts to identify learning outcomes that represent a fundamental shift in the understanding of a subject which distinguishes how experts in the discipline internalize the discipline (Meyer & Land, 2006). They described the mastery of threshold concepts as being “akin to passing through a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something” (Meyer & Land, 2006, p. 3). Threshold concepts as defined by Meyer and Land (2006) are characterized by these features:

• Transformative: Once understood, a threshold concept changes the way in which the student …

Payrolling In The Deep, Kyle Rosenfeld

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This study examines how Major League Baseball teams can build their rosters to spend their payroll more efficiently. Using a manually constructed dataset, consisting of thirty teams over the past five years, this paper studies different payroll allocation strategies, such as the percentage of a team’s payroll to homegrown players or free agents, to improve the efficiency of how an MLB club is spending. Through running regression models, results have shown there is a statistically significant positive relationship between how efficient MLB teams spend their payrolls to the percentage of a team’s payroll designated to homegrown players. Additionally, there is …

The Impatience Of Winning: An Analysis Of Time Discounting, Predictive Modeling, And The Nba Draft, Alec R. Plante

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This paper examines whether NBA draft decisions can be better explained by incorporating non-geometric time discounting into a model of general manager decision making. Using a dataset of 285 NBA draft prospects over a 12-year period, the impact of college statistics on Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) is determined, and these impact values are then used to create a “predicted” VORP for the first 4 seasons of each player’s career: a projection of what a general manager might think of a prospect’s future value given their college statistics. Following this, geometric and hyperbolic time discounting models are applied to estimate …

The Expansion And Push For Competitive Gaming, Theresa T. Hoang

Honors Capstones

Competitive gaming, also known as eSports, is a rapidly growing industry that brings millions of views and streams every day. New games are constantly being created as well. This paper serves to discuss and go over how s Esports got so big and spread so rapidly. It will touch upon the current status of Esports. Namely, it will touch on the status of esports on the collegiate level. Then, it will go over how everything started: the idea of Esports sprouting and the start of its spread. It will go over Esports on the national and international stage(s). Lastly, this …

Legal Analysis Of Health Issues In Women's Sports, Isabella Docker, Olivia Jonas, Joslyn Maciak, Owen Goodridge

Transformations: Presentation Slides

This presentation examines the legal and ethical challenges surrounding health issues in women's sports. Key points include pregnancy, sexual assault, and mental health issues connected to women's sports. We focus on the impact on their well-being, athletes' performance, and career longevity. Negligence, liability, and assumption of risks all play a major role in women's sports.

Do I Have To Know Someone? The Impact Of Factors Beyond The Playing Field That Affect Mlb Hall Of Fame Voting., Jackson Wollscheid

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the creation of WAR (Wins above Replacement), it has created an index to measure the player’s value using a variety of statistics relevant to that player’s position. The higher a player’s career WAR then the greater the impact that player had on the game during his career. However, players are not simply inducted into the Hall of Fame on this measure of value but on voting from members of the BBWAA (Baseball Writers’ Association of America). This research investigates external factors outside of standard playing statistics’ influence on Hall of Fame voting, including team affiliation, career length, and other …

Book Review: Race And Resistance In Boston: A Contested Sports History, Eddie G. Walker Ii

Global Sport Business Journal

This review examines Cvornyek and Stark’s edited collection on race, resistance, and sport in Boston, highlighting how the essays collectively reflect Hartmann’s contested terrain theory. Through historical and contemporary examples—from Bill Russell’s activism to the cultural role of sports like cricket—the book demonstrates how sport functions as both a site of racial conflict and a tool for resistance and community-building. The collection offers a nuanced case study of Boston’s complex relationship with race, sport, and social progress.

Preventable Tragedy: A Negligence Case Study In University Recreation Programs, John J. Miller, Jeffrey F. Levine, Jason W. Lee

Global Sport Business Journal

This case study examines the lightning strike that killed a player during a university intramural softball game, emphasizing the importance of understanding legal responsibilities in sport and recreation settings. The incident occurred after visible lightning was observed yet play continued due to the absence of a formal severe-weather policy and uncertainty among student officials and administrators. Although industry standards for lightning safety were widely available, the lack of clear institutional guidance contributed to delayed decision-making and confusion at a critical moment.

This case study is important to students because it demonstrates how legal concepts discussed in class can have real, …

A Practical Guide For Teaching With Generative Ai In Sport Management, Geoffre Sherman, David Pierce

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping how sport management educators design assignments, evaluate student work, and develop professional competencies. This article presents a practical pedagogical framework that integrates GenAI tools within the Design Council's Double Diamond process—Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver—to scaffold student thinking across project-based courses. Rather than positioning GenAI as a replacement for student reasoning, the model treats it as a collaborator in roles such as a research assistant, clarifier, creative teammate, and editor. Fluency in prompt engineering is developed progressively through structured exercises that emphasize verification, iteration, and critical evaluation of model outputs. Two complementary assessments—the Prompt …

Toward Greater Wellbeing: Student-Guided Strategies For Improving Sport And Recreation Engagement, Vinu Selvaratnam, Laura Wood, Ryan Snelgrove

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Despite widespread recognition of campus recreation as a key contributor to student well-being, many university students remain underactive, even when programming is available. This study explores student-generated strategies for improving participation in campus recreation, drawing on open-ended responses from 182 undergraduates at a large Canadian university. Using thematic content analysis and chi-square comparison, we examine how suggestions differ between students who report being sufficiently active and those who do not. Seven core themes emerged, with underactive students more likely to identify structural barriers such as inconvenient scheduling, limited facility access, and insufficient communication. These suggestions are interpreted through the Leisure …

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

N/A

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

Steve Coleman Recognized By Ohio Valley Conference, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.