Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Potential Factors Influencing College Sport Communicators Feels Of Being Overworked And Underappreciated, Kelly P. Elliott, Natalie Bunch, Tyler Williams

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

CSCs play pivotal roles, balancing the preservation of student-athlete narratives with the real-time demands of media-driven communication. However, a persistent challenge has emerged: many CSCs experience a pronounced sense of being overworked and undervalued. This study aims to explore predictors contributing to CSCs' feelings of being overworked and underappreciated, investigating factors like years of experience, career motivations, reasons for institutional selection, and tenure plans to understand their impact on CSCs' perceptions before employment. Researchers sent a survey instrument that included Likert scale, closed-ended items related to feelings over being overworked and underappreciated to CSCs. The primary analysis involved an independent …

“I Want To Continue Athletics And I Also Want To Study”: Exploring International Student Athletes’ Transition Experiences To The Naia Affiliated Colleges, Kibaek Kim, Karina Jolly, Chris Corr, Jinwook Han

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

There are over a million international students pursuing their degrees in U.S. universities. Among them are 25,000 international student-athletes (ISAs) who are enrolled in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) affiliated Universities. While studies have been striving to foster and support this population’s successful transition to the U.S., few studies are available that deal with international student-athletes competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) affiliated universities. Hence, based on the transition theory, this study utilized focus group interviews to explore the transition experiences of ISAs competing in NAIA. Based on previous studies that explored the transition experiences of ISAs …

Do They Belong? Inquiries Into The Perceptions Of The Black Male College Athlete Identity In Higher Education, Marcis Fennell, Kayla Martinez, C.Keith Harrison, Whitney Griffin, Nick Kopka

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This qualitative study examined attitudes about Black male college athletes (BMCA)in predominantly White higher education institutions. To investigate the experience in the classroom, the purpose of this study was to inquire into the perception of the BMCA identity from the identity of the non-college athletes (NCA). Using the social identity complexity model, we sought to understand the perceptions that influence group formation among college students. The present study employed the film elicitation technique to examine the NCAs’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the BMCA identity in higher education during faculty interactions and its correlation to ingroup formation. The findings from …

Meet The Fars: An Examination Of The Background, Roles, And Appointment Of Faculty Athletic Representatives At National Collegiate Athletic Association Member Institutions, Chris Corr, Christopher Atwater, Mark S. Nagel, Richard Southall, Rick Eckstein, Marek Taškár

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

As many National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions continue to engage in athletic centric decision-making processes, academic integrity and the campus experience for college athletes is often marginalized. Mandated by the NCAA to represent athletes’ academic interests, the faculty athletics representative (FAR) position is designed to occupy a central role in maintaining the primacy of academia among college athletes. FARs, however, exist within an institutional setting muddled by competing and contradictory logics. Accordingly, given the inherent juxtaposition between the operation of collegiate athletics and the stated role of FARs, the present study sought to examine the characteristics and positional …

Assessing College Athletic Departments’ Ability To Implement The Ncaa Mental Health Best Practices, Grace O. Louis, Shaine Henert

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Student-athletes endure rigorous schedules, intense pressure, and significant physical and mental strain, all while being expected to show no signs of weakness. This high-stakes environment can exacerbate mental health challenges (Harris & Maher, 2023; Rice et al, 2016 & Brown, 2021). To address these concerns, the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute developed mental health best practices to support college student-athletes. However, FBS Division I non-autonomous athletic programs often struggle to fully implement these guidelines due to resource limitations, despite their commitment to student-athlete well-being (2021; Beebe & Petrie, 2024). This study employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to explore the …

The Effect Of An Interdisciplinary Project On Students’ Understandings Of Mathematical Interdisciplinarity: A Qualitative Action Research Study, Jaime Krause

Theses and Dissertations

The siloed nature of education has likely caused some high school students to not recognize the interdisciplinary nature of mathematics, leading them to misunderstand its relationship to other subject areas. A misunderstanding of mathematical interdisciplinarity can cause issues when these students approach interdisciplinary problems later in life. The purpose of this study was to observe, investigate, and analyze the ways in which students understand mathematical interdisciplinarity following a collaborative and interdisciplinary project. I implemented a descriptive qualitative action research approach to determine how a collaborative interdisciplinary project on NASA technology in a high school mathematics course affects students’ understandings of …

Esports Audience Segmentation: Means-End Chain Approach, Deokkyung Ock

Theses and Dissertations

As live-streaming platforms have fueled esports’ rapid growth, they have also diversified content from competitive matches to casual gameplay, creating a complex audience landscape. To capture this diversity, the present study applied means-end chain (MEC) theory to: (1) examine how esports audiences cognitively associate different content attributes with their expected consequences and underlying personal values; (2) segment esports audiences based on these unique MEC structures; and (3) compare consumption frequency of both watching and playing esports across the identified segments.

The current study adopted exploratory sequential mixed methods to achieve the study’s objectives. In Study One, in-depth interviews with 22 …

The Mediating Role Of Gratifications In Gamified Ai Chatbot Engagement: Astimulus-Organism-Response Approach, Deukmook Bae

Theses and Dissertations

Recent technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences have prompted a substantial shift from live sport attendance to mediated sport consumption, particularly among younger audiences. In response, enhancing the quality of mediated sport experiences has become a strategic priority for sport marketers seeking to maintain consumer engagement and market relevance. Although second-screen usage has been introduced to support this transition, its effectiveness remains uncertain due to limited interactivity, lack of personalization, and the potential for user distraction.

To address these limitations, AI chatbots have emerged as a compelling alternative, offering adaptive, user-centered interactions that promote deeper engagement and enrich the mediated …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On The Sport Industry: Trademark Challenges And Legal Issues For Sport Brands, Suji Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and trademark law, focusing on the implications of AI-driven brand management in the sport industry. As AI technologies increasingly shape marketing strategies, particularly through fan engagement and content creation, they present new legal challenges, especially concerning trademark infringement, false endorsement, and the protection of athletes’ Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights. The study analyzes key legal issues arising from AI’s role as both a tool and a potential legal actor in brand management, emphasizing the evolving definitions of “use in commerce” and the liability of sport organizations and third-party platforms.

Through …

Navigating Survival: Trans Adults’ Information Practice In South Carolina, Rhys R. Dreeszen Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

This community-based action research dissertation has two parts. First, through interviews with 25 trans adults in South Carolina, I asked how trans people use information to survive. The findings indicate that while trans people face significant financial, medical, legal, and social barriers, they are generally well-equipped to navigate them. I identified the following themes from the interviews: Identity practices shaped information outcomes. Participants' understanding of themselves as trans impacted how they evaluated and used information. 2) Participants preferred to find information from within trans communities. The internet was a popular place to seek information because it was a way for …

Strategic Pricing In A Disrupted Hospitality Landscape: Asset Valuation, Competitive Behavior, And Consumer Preferences, Badr Badraoui

Theses and Dissertations

The lodging industry is experiencing profound disruption as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) such as Airbnb increasingly compete with traditional hotels, reshaping competitive structures, consumer expectations, and pricing strategies. While prior research has examined the impact of STVRs on hotel performance metrics, significant gaps remain regarding how pricing resilience, competitive behaviors, and consumer perceptions evolve under these new conditions. In particular, little is known about how ADR-based valuation models withstand competitive pressure, how STVR hosts respond strategically to hotel pricing signals, and how consumers evaluate partitioned pricing structures across accommodation types. This dissertation addresses these gaps through three interconnected studies designed …

Artificial Intelligence In Sport Management: A Systematic Review, Scale Development And Validation, And Implications, Kemardo Tyrell

Theses and Dissertations

The democratization of intelligent systems and their ubiquitous presence across the sport industry have created an urgent need to understand the current environment and how stakeholders perceive artificial intelligence (AI) as it reshapes decision-making, engagement, and organizational design. This three-manuscript dissertation conceptualizes artificial intelligence as a contested domain shaped by stakeholder meaning-making, consumer perception, and shifts in organizational practice. The first manuscript provides a systematic review of AI in sport management using the PRISMA framework, mapping how AI has been conceptualized as a methodological tool or contextual innovation across the sport industry segmentation (performance, production, and promotion). The second manuscript …

Play, Guide, Aspire: How Game Type And Trainer Involvement Shape Orientation Training Outcomes, Damla Sonmez

Theses and Dissertations

The use of gamification in orientation training has gained attention in organizational settings, yet questions remain regarding how different gamified training designs influence new employees’ emotional commitment, willingness to participate in future training, and long-term aspirations. Drawing on Stimulus–Organism–Response (SO-R) theory, Achievement Goal Theory, and Ecological Systems Theory, this dissertation investigates how game type (individual vs. team) and trainer involvement (active vs. passive) shape these outcomes.

Two experimental studies using vignette-based scenarios were conducted. Study 1 tested the direct effects of game type on emotional commitment and willingness to participate. Study 2 employed a 2 (game type) × 2 (trainer …

Tiktok As A Learning Tool In Higher Education: Validation Of A Scale, Pablo Gálvez-Ruiz, Samuel López-Carril, Nicholas M. Wantanabe, Alejandro Lara-Bocanegra

Faculty Publications

In our increasingly digitalized society, social media have emerged prominently within the educational landscape, fostering the creation of online and blended teaching-learning environments. Among these platforms, TikTok, renowned for its short dynamic videos featuring effects and music, stands out. Despite its growing popularity among youth and initial explorations of its pedagogical use by university educators, the educational benefits of TikTok remain largely unexplored. This gap is partly due to the absence of validated research tools to assess its potential educational impact. This study addresses this gap by adapting and validating a new scale, “TikTok-SportEdu”, with a sample of 250 Spanish …

May 13, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes: Special Session, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

The Real Price Of Glory: Gerald Gurney’S Ethical Indictment Of Intercollegiate Athletics, Hayden V. Coombs, Bryson V. Lester

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Gerald Gurney’s The Cost of Winning: An Insider’s Perspective on Exploitation and Greed in College Sports is a powerful and timely indictment of the ethical and financial dysfunction in NCAA Division I athletics. Drawing from decades of experience in academic advising and compliance, Gurney delivers a reflective yet scathing critique of a system that prioritizes winning, revenue, and prestige at the expense of athlete welfare and educational integrity. His analysis reveals how institutional complicity, inflated coaching salaries, the academic-athletic eligibility divide, and misleading graduation metrics distort the purpose of higher education. Combining narrative depth with scholarly relevance, The Cost of …

“I Didn't Come Here To Make Money”: Exploring Power 4 Athletes’ Perceptions Of Exploitation, Sarah Stokowski, Chris Corr, Kaleigh Smith, Elijah Toney, Emma Kate Bostick, Eileen Russell, Brooke Prince, Michael Godfrey

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

While it is widely noted that athletes competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics are exploited in a variety of ways, scholarly examinations of college athlete exploitation have rarely sought to engage athletes themselves. Accordingly, researchers conducted in-depth, detailed, semi-structured interviews with college athletes currently competing in Power 4 conferences to uncover their perceptions of exploitation based on their lived experiences. Ten athletes representing five distinct sports (baseball, football, gymnastics, softball, and track and field) competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, and Southeastern Conference agreed to participate in the study. Findings indicate the characteristics of participants’ …

College Student-Athlete Identity Unveiled: The Interplay Of Racial And Ethnic Subdimensions, Trevor Bopp, Rhema Fuller, Michael Stellefson

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

The racialized and institutionalized structure of the NCAA, college sports, and the PWIs that host most athletic programs positions racial and ethnic identity as a potential barrier to the social and academic engagement, mental health, and identity development of student-athletes. However, few studies examine the relationship, role, and influence of racial, student, and athlete identities outside of domain-specific outcomes. We collected data from 343 student-athletes to explore the relationships between student-athletes' academic and athletic identities, race centrality, and private and public regard, while also examining how race and ethnicity influence these identity dynamics. Our results revealed race and ethnicity to …

Ncaa Student-Athletes' Sports Gambling Behaviors Examined Using Psychological Reactance Theory, Braden E. Norris, Paul M. Pedersen

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Since the repeal of the Pro and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, sports gambling has been a rapidly growing segment of the sport world. The United States federal government has left it up to individual states to legalize and govern the activity of sports gambling, however, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) still prohibits (Bylaw 10.3) the activity regardless of legality. With it known that student-athletes violate Bylaw 10.3 (e.g., Paskus & Derevensky, 2025; Richard et al., 2019), this study examined sports gambling behaviors through under the scope of Psychological Reactance Theory (PRT) to investigate if student-athletes’ sports …

Recruitment Of International College Athletes (Icas) To The United States: A Bourdieuian Examination Of Pathways To Success, Simran Kaur Sethi, Kirsten Hextrum, Kaitlin Pericak

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Successful recruitment pathways of international college athletes (ICAs) remain understudied. We use Bourdieu’s capital exchange theory to examine how ICAs acquire and deploy forms of capital to navigate college athletic recruitment. Bourdieu posits that individuals accumulate different forms of capital, including economic, social, and cultural capital, which they can use to gain access to resources and opportunities. In the context of athletic recruitment, ICAs may need to acquire different forms of capital than their domestic counterparts. Thus, we use a qualitative research design to explore how ICAs navigate the recruitment process. Findings from our study provide valuable insights into the …

Academic Professionals’ Perspectives On Return To Learn Following Concussion In Ncaa Student-Athletes, Tom Bowman, Monica R. Lininger, Alicia M. Pike Lacy, Johna K. Register-Mihalik, Steven M. Myers, Stephanie M. Singe

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

While evidence supports the gradual return to participation in collegiate athletics following a concussion, limited evidence exists of the return to learn (RTL) procedures for a successful return to the higher education classroom. The objective of this study was to determine what academic supports and hindrances are present for NCAA student-athletes during the RTL process following a concussion from academic professionals’ perspectives. In this qualitative study with purposive recruitment strategies, academic support professionals (5=female, 4=male, age=44.2±13.9 years, experience=11.6±10.4 years) and faculty athletic representatives (5=female, 5=male, age=48.6±7.8 years, experience=3.9±5.6 years) volunteered to complete virtual interviews. We conducted semistructured one-on-one interviews with …

Book Review: College Sports And Institutional Values In Competition: Leadership Challenges, Kirsten Hextrum

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football's Era of Chaos Armen Keteyian and John Talty have written the first comprehensive post-NIL examination of college football’s new landscape for coaches, athletes, agents, and athletic departments. The authors explore the newly disrupted landscape of college football, likening it to the "Wild West" where traditional structures have been upended. The authors detail the profound impact of recent upheavals, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the transfer portal, and name, image, and likeness (NIL), which have collectively struck the sport like a nuclear bomb, leaving coaches and administrators grappling with unprecedented challenges. …

May 7, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

April 2, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Transforming The Feminist Movement – How Female Celebrities Influence The Economic Power And Consumer Behaviors Of Women, Erin Lewantowicz

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the evolving relationship between feminism, economic power, and celebrity culture in the 21^st century. Through an examination of three key industries—entertainment, athletics, and influencers—this study highlights how female celebrities like Taylor Swift, Caitlin Clark, and Alix Earle act as catalysts for significant shifts in women’s economic and consumer power. Taylor Swift’s impact on the entertainment industry, Caitlin Clark’s role in redefining women’s sports, and Alix Earle’s influence on the social media marketing landscape illustrate the growing authority of women as consumers and change-makers. Utilizing social media, brand partnerships, and unprecedented fan engagement, these women transcend traditional …

Athlete Decision-Making Process In The Liminality After Career-Ending Injuries, Grace Davie

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the decision-making process of athletes in the liminal period immediately following career-ending injuries. While existing research has examined transition challenges and coping strategies, there remains a critical gap in understanding how athletes actively make decisions that shape their post-sport trajectories during this crucial period. Using Crisis Decision Theory (CDT) as a theoretical framework, this study investigated athletes' overall experience, support systems, injury severity assessment, and response option determination and evaluation during the immediate post-injury decision-making process. Key findings demonstrated that athletes' decision-making processes closely aligned with CDT's three-stage framework: assessing injury severity, determining response options, and …

Reducing Information Asymmetry: Economic Value Of Airbnb Signals In A Small College Town, Hatice Sena Akkurt

Theses and Dissertations

Trust is the backbone of platform operations. Airbnb platform designers implement various methods including trust-building mechanisms, user interface (UI) artifacts, and reputation management systems. Previous research has explored trust in Airbnb, yet little is known about the economic value of trust indicators in smaller cities and rural areas. Thus, this thesis investigates the economic significance of User Interface (UI) artifacts, including the “Superhost” badge, star ratings, and listing photographs, within the peer-to-peer accommodation sector in the Columbia Metropolitan Area. Drawing on signaling theory, we conducted quantitative analysis, to examine the relationship between trust indicators and listing prices, controlling factors like …

Who’S On First, What’S On Second An Analysis Of Major League Baseball Fans And Multiple Points Of Attachment, Ryan W. Dastrup

Theses and Dissertations

Need to write

“Burned At The Stake”: Unpacking Disinformation In The Story Of A Coach Allegedly “Terminated” For Expressing Anti-Transgender Women Athlete Beliefs, Ellen J. Staurowsky

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

On August 29, 2023, a video testimony entitled ‘Burned at the Stake’: One NCAA Coach’s Battle to Protect Women’s Sport was released. The film was part of a “female athlete storytelling series” developed and funded by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) designed to support the IWF’s stated agenda to “fight to save women’s sports and counter the radical agenda that seeks to erase women” by allowing transgender girls and women on teams that match their identities. The central figure in the video is Kim Russell, then head women’s lacrosse coach at NCAA Division III Oberlin College, who claimed her right …

The Relationships Between Perceived Stress, Burnout, And Work-Family Conflict Among Athletic Trainers Working In Collegiate Sport, Stephanie M. Singe, Alexandrya Cairns, Christianne M. Eason

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletic trainers in collegiate sport experience burnout and work family conflict, however the relationship with perceived stress in this setting has yet to be explored. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact that perceived stress has on self-reported measures of burnout and work family conflict. Secondarily, the study aims to better understand if subdivision (DI, DII, DIII) within the NCAA impacts perceived stress, burnout, or work family conflict. A web-based cross-sectional survey (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) was utilized to collect data on collegiate athletic trainers’ perceptions of stress, burnout, and work family conflict as well as demographics relevant …