Digital Commons Network^™

From Mission To Competition: The Experiences Of 10 Lds Missionary Student-Athletes Returning To Competition In The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, Matthew J. Moore, Leslee A. Fisher, Lindsey A. Miossi, Zach T. Smith, Jacob C. Jensen,

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of LDS missionary student-athletes returning to competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI). Using Consensual Qualitative Research methods (CQR; Hill, 2012) including a semi-structured interview guide, 10 DI student-athletes/returned LDS missionaries were interviewed regarding their experience (i.e., mean age of 25 years; baseball, cross-country/track and field, football, and swimming). A research team with five members constructed four domains and 16 categories representing DI student-athlete/returned LDS missionary chronological identity changes during this experience: (a) the development of an LDS missionary identity; (b) challenges associated with returning …

The Point Spread As A Reference Point: Evidence From The National Basketball Association, George Diemer, Michael Leeds

Journal of Applied Sport Management

A contentious literature surrounds the claim that heavy favorites’ failure to cover the point-spread in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball could indicate point-shaving. This paper extends the literature by using a new methodology to show that favorites in the National Basketball Association (NBA) also frequently fail to cover the spread. However, the high salaries in the NBA make point-shaving by players unlikely. Moreover, heavy underdogs also fail to cover the point spread and lose by more than expected. These seemingly anomalous findings are consistent with underdogs’ using the point-spread as a reference point.

In Remembrance Of Dr. Samantha Rachel Gorse Roberts, Clayton B. Bolton

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Dr. Samantha Roberts, a professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce, was a significant member of the association’s leadership team. Dr. Roberts had a strong passion for student development and mentorship and was heavily involved with the undergraduate and graduate case study competitions. Dr. Clay Bolton provides a touching tribute to our dear colleague and friend.

The Advancement Of Asma: Highlights From The 2022 Annual Conference, Marshall Magnusen

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The Applied Sport Management Association (ASMA) is a scholarly organization that aims to builds research partnerships between faculty and students as well as strong connections between scholars and students studying sport and practitioners working in the sport industry. Each year, ASMA hosts a national (international) conference.

Since 2005, ASMA has progressed to become the preeminent outlet for students and faculty to present research in a collegial and professional environment as well as build strong connects with sport industry practitioners. As evidence of the continued growth of ASMA, several noticeable events took place at the 2022 annual conference. A brief summary …

Adding Value To The Applied Sport Management Association, Mike Martinez

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Dr. Martinez is the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for the Applied Sport Management Association (ASMA). He offers his thoughts on adding value to ASMA to advance the association and sport management.

Bringing Students With Low Agreeableness To Attend Collegiate Sports: A Moderated Mediation Model With Team Identification And Student Involvement, Chanwook Do, Jun-Phil Uhm, Heetae Cho, Hyun-Woo Lee

Journal of Applied Sport Management

In a college athletics setting, we investigated a moderated mediation model of the effect of team identification on attendance intention where student involvement was the mediator and agreeableness was the moderator. Results showed that student involvement mediated the relationship between team identification and attendance intention, and agreeableness moderated the effect of student involvement on attendance intention. In particular, the interaction effect by agreeableness indicated how less agreeable students would be more willing to attend games when they are more involved in campus activities. Details of this study, including theoretical and practical implications, research limitations, and future directions, are discussed.

Relationship Between A Reflective-Formative Model Of Team Brand Associations And Behavioral Intentions: The Mediating Effect Of Fan Identification, Ho Yeol Yu, Neal Ternes, Claudia B. Ambs, Sanghoon Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Understanding fans’ perceived associations with their favorite teams is crucial for the successful management of sport teams. In the current study, team brand associations are measured as a reflective-formative construct to examine the role of the fan identification on the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Data from professional soccer spectators (n = 101) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that the reflective-formative construct of team brand associations and fan identification influence behavioral intention, whilst fan identification was found to mediate the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Managerial implications include strategic marketing how …

Determinants Of Competitive Advantage For Sport Firms: Using Public Big Data In Korea, Iksu Jun, Hojun Sung, Juho Park, Hyun-Woo Lee

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study examines the determinants of competitive advantage with respect to economic performance of sport firms. Logit regressions estimated dependent variables of economic performance measures based on sales per capita of firms. Determinants of competitive advantage were estimated by efficiency indicators, organization characteristic indicators, and industry classification indicators. Increase in efficiency was a significant determinant of competitive advantage as well as organizational type, size of human resource, diversification of products, and sales growth rate. Operationalizing competitive advantage as outperforming the market average and better than the top 10%, the logit regression model provides means for sport firms to analyze industry …

The Christian Sportsperson: An Introduction, Brian R. Bolt Phd, Chad Carlson

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Introduction to the Special Edition of the Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Studies dedicated to scholarship generated from papers presented at the the Second Global Congress on Sport and Christianity, October 23-27, 2019, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Soul-Training: The Why, What, And How Of Spiritual Formation In Sports, Elizabeth Bounds

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Sportspeople know how to train and prepare their bodies for competition. The question this article seeks to explore is how sportspeople should approach training and preparing their souls. The Willardian corpus provides sportspeople a framework for understanding spiritual formation. This article examines the “why,” “what,” and “how” of soul-training, how Christians in sports can engage in spiritual formation. Sportspeople train their souls to experience God’s presence and worship him on and off the competition stage (why). In order to do so, they train their souls by following Christ as his apprentices, leading to transformation into his likeness (what) by cooperating …

Sporting Faith: Exploring Displays Of Faith As Part Of Christian Higher Education Athletic Program Identity, Laci Mcree, Jason W. Lee, Dawn Tolbert

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Contemporary higher education is made of a marketplace where institutions aggressively market themselves to student consumers who “shop” for school options (Tolbert, 2014). This study examines the marketing of faith-based higher education institutions’ athletic programs to determine how faith-related missions are revealed on institutional websites. Higher education institutions analyzed in this study consisted of 112 of the 141 member institutions that are members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), which compete in sanctioned intercollegiate athletics programs (e.g., NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA). The study attempted to quantify how strongly a university’s athletic program portrays the faith dimension of the …

Professional Development And Faith Integration In Sport Management Education, Jason W. Lee, Jennifer J. Kane, Jeffrey P. Briggs

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Professional development is a critical component of academia and should support the institution’s vision, mission, and organizational goals (Lee & Briggs, 2020; 2021). The amount and type of professional development should be congruent with institutional expectations (COSMA, 2016), according to how faculty are to be evaluated, tenured, and promoted. When emphasizing professional development that integrates one’s faith, there are unique prospects to embody a Christian ethos. Hence, this article concentrates on professional development opportunities at faith-based institutions, notably Christian faculty members in the academic disciplines of Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure & Sport Studies (CSKLS). Using the specific emphasis on …

How Name, Image And Likeness “Fit” In Sport Partnerships, Lane Wakefield, Kirk Wakefield, Jonathan A. Jensen, Greg Bennett

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Sponsorship opportunities in college athletics have shifted dramatically as athletes have rights to name, image and likeness (NIL). NIL assets, once illegal for college athletes, are prime avenues for brands to reach college sports fans, the largest and most avid sports fan base in the US (Dosh, 2021). Our purpose is to evaluate how these changes “fit” into the overall sponsorship landscape and what will come next. With the impact on brands, properties and consumers over time, we narrow our discussion around “fit,” the most prevalent factor in academic sponsorship research (Wakefield et al., 2020)

Show Me The Money! A Review Of Current Issues In The New Nil Era, Windy Dees, Beth Cianfrone, Damon Andrew

Journal of Applied Sport Management

On July 1^st, 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved an interim policy that would allow college athletes in every state to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This meant student-athletes could accept money for sponsorships and endorsements and maintain their eligibility, which was previously prohibited by the intercollegiate sports governing body (The Athletic Staff, 2021). The change is positive for student-athletes and the brands looking to market through them and their active social media platforms, but it does not come without issues or challenges. The purpose of this study is to, (a) review the theory …

Nil “Reform” Fails To Address The Ncaa’S Biggest Issue, Richard Southall, Mark S. Nagel

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Do college sport stakeholders have the intellectual and moral courage to abandon the familiar and financially successful, but morally bankrupt and exploitative, collegiate model? The NIL "Reform," which effectively fails to address the NCAA's biggest issue, is explored in this article.

Hidden Consequences: Examining The Impact Of Nil On Athlete Well-Being, Hailey Harris, Natasha T. Brison, Marlene A. Dixon

Journal of Applied Sport Management

With the NCAA's NIL policy changes, many athletes will likely need to solve the issue of brand management, with many of them assuming the role themselves. Taking on this role will likely lead to even more investment in their athlete identity (i.e., role engulfment), which has negative consequences for the athlete (Hatteberg, 2020). Guided by the literature on role engulfment, this article investigates the hidden effects NIL may have on collegiate athletes and their well-being, along with various branding and legal implications.

College Athletics And Disseminating Sports Betting Data, Ryan Rodenberg

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The focus of this article is the interplay between college athletics and sports betting data dissemination, a near-future friction poised for litigation given concurrent issues involving name-image-likeness (NIL) rights and concentration of college sports via mega-conferences.

Thoughts On The Nil Era: An Introduction To The Special Issue, Marshall Magnusen

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The goal of this special issue is to inspire scholarship and spark conversation about NIL through a variety of “think pieces” from leading researchers. Sport scholars were invited to combine their expertise with creativity to craft compelling papers about NIL and how it may be interpreted through a variety of disciplinary lenses.

A Fistful Of Nil: Have We Entered A “Wild West” Recruiting Era?, Marshall Magnusen, Samuel Y. Todd

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Changes about the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy impacted the world of college sports in the summer of 2021. Emerging from the dust of this seismic event was an apparent new frontier for athletes, coaches, and universities to explore. In the eyes of many, college sports had now entered a “Wild West” frontier because of NIL, especially as it pertains to recruiting athletes. But what does that really mean, “Wild West”? And further, if such a comparison is at least somewhat accurate, are there lessons that can be learned from other sectors who likewise …

Reframing The Collegiate Facilities Arms Race: The Looming Impact Of Nil And Conference Realignment, Jeffrey Petersen, Lawrence W. Judge

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Amidst the backdrop of an ongoing global pandemic, the summer of 2021 brought forth two events teetering the Division I college sport landscape at the precipice of unprecedented change due to two fundamental shifts: the first being the opening of revenue streams to collegiate athletes through use of name, image and likeness (NIL), and the second being the latest round of athletic conference realignment. With the impacts of these changes just beginning to be manifested, it is important to consider how these potentially seismic shifts in the collegiate landscape may influence existing issues of prior scholarly examination as well as …

Who Are Our Fans: An Application Of Principal Component-Cluster Technique Analysis To Market Segmentation Of College Football Fans, Daniel A. Rascher, Kenneth Cortsen, Mark S. Nagel, Tiffany Richardson

Journal of Applied Sport Management

A 66-question online marketing survey of 2,800 football fans who had purchased tickets to a Division I, Power 5 (P5) university football game was conducted in order to understand the fan base and provide better services and targeted marketing. Principal Component Analysis was employed to combine responses from multiple questions about purchase behavior, on-site satisfaction, demographics, and other criteria. Subsequent market segmentation via cluster analysis indicated that 95% of the survey respondents could be categorized into one of five clusters. The identified fan perceptions and evaluations resulted in the P5 athletic department taking specific actions to improve targeted marketing activities …

Win-At-All-Costs? Exploring Bottom-Line Mentality As A Buffer Between Athletic Director Servant Leadership And Coach Commitment, Matt Robinson, Jun Woo Kim, Marshall Magnusen, Mitchell Neubert

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Servant leadership (SL), characterized by enduring qualities of genuine caring, humility, and empathy, has been positively associated with numerous leader effectiveness outcomes (e.g., employee satisfaction) across sport and non-sport settings. This study addresses the need to more thoroughly investigate follower characteristics that may allow servant leadership to be more (or less) effective in a sport context. Drawing from leader-member exchange theory, this study predicted head coach bottom-line mentality (i.e. 1-dimensional, win-at-all-costs attitude) would negatively impact the relationship between athletic director SL and head coach commitment. Surveying a sample of 810 interscholastic HCs across the USA, Structural Equation Modeling revealed SL’s …

Intercollegiate Athletics Marketing-Generated Revenue: Within Autonomy Football Bowl Subdivision, Alicia Romano, Jamie Riggs, Alan Morse, Yoon Tae Sung

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Intercollegiate athletic market-generating revenue (MGR) is of interest to administrators for increasing institution revenue. The driving factors of MGR (i.e., conference, facilities, and finances) need to be understood to allow target level planning for increasing MGR. Multiple linear regression was used to assess MGR on a sample of U.S. autonomy Football Bowl Subdivision institutions. Per capita attendance by designated marketing area, capacity, and contributions were shown to have a strong, quantifiable influence on MGR. By setting the levels of the facility and financial determinant variables, and adjusting for conference, the MGR may be predicted or targeted for institution revenue goals.

Effect Of Environmental Csr Initiatives On Potential Stakeholders’ Perception Of Non-Environmentally Friendly Sporting Events, Yong-Chae Rhee, Yukyoum Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The protection of the natural environment is increasingly being perceived as a pillar of CSR. Although most professional sport organizations in the United States participate in some form of philanthropic activity, little research has examined how non-environmentally friendly sport organizations can effectively communicate their environmental initiatives. Two different CSR approaches (Environmental and Nationalistic) by NASCAR were exposed to potential stakeholders to examine the changes in the perception (Attitude, Reputation, Identification, and Perceived CSR) of the organization. We analyzed the MIMIC model to compare the means on the latent constructs. Environmental approach showed positive changes in potential stakeholders’ perception toward NASCAR. …

Senior Woman Administrators' Perceptions And Experiences Of Women Serving In Leadership Positions In Conference Offices, Kelly Patricia Elliott, Tim Kellison

Journal of Applied Sport Management

NCAA conference office Senior Woman Administrators (SWAs) were surveyed to gain their perspective on the gender disparity reported in intercollegiate athletics. The perceptions offered by the SWAs indicate the need for NCAA conference offices to implement professional development programming for women aimed at increasing management skills, developing best practice guidelines for including SWAs in athletic administration, and establishing mentor programs for women working on member institution campuses. Additionally, the results indicate directors of athletics need to create more meaningful opportunities for women to participate in decision making and include SWAs in meetings with coaches and other staff members.

Political Skill For Sport Professionals: Theory, Research, And Career Success Implications, G. Matthew Robinson, Marshall J. Magnusen, Glenn Miller

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Motivated by an increasing interpersonal aspect to the profession of sport coaching, the importance of being socially effective as a coach has multiplied in significance. This review specifically considers the social effectiveness construct, political skill, as a crucial aspect to career success through the perspective of a sport coaching lens. Political skill refers to the ability to effectually understand others at work, and to then use that information to influence others to behave in ways that enhance one’s personal and/or organizational objective. Political skill is a means through which sport coaches may be able to build and maintain important and …

Enhancing Athletic Programs' Recruitment Success: A Strategic Planning Model Of Recruiting, Sean Dwyer

Journal of Applied Sport Management

A critical yet understudied element in recruiting success is understanding an athletic program’s strengths and weaknesses relative to influential college choice factors. The purpose of this study is to provide practitioners and researchers with a new approach to assess an athletic program’s recruiting process, improve its effectiveness and efficiency, and close the gap between what student-athletes desire in an athletic program and what the program offers. To achieve that end, collegiate football players (N = 66) at a NCAA FBS school were surveyed using a scale consolidated from past college choice factor scholarship. Exploratory factor analysis using principle-component analysis and …

How To Attract Your Students To Your Games: The Difference Of Mediating Effect Of Psychic Income On The Relationship Between Points Of Attachment And Behavioral Attributes, Jinwook Chung, Yong-Chae Rhee, Wonyoung Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of the points of attachment with the mediating impact of college students’ psychic income on their attendance and word-of-mouth behavioral intentions. A total of 537 samples were collected from college students at a mid-sized southwest university in the United States. A CFA was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scales. The hypothesized model was tested using a SEM with AMOS 26 software. Additionally, a bootstrapping method was employed to determine the indirect effect of the mediating variable of psychic income on the relationship between points of attachment …

The Way Of The Fight: An Analysis Of Mma Judging, Todd Feldman

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Judging is a controversial but rarely studied topic in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Most MMA scholarship focuses on health (e.g., head trauma) and training (e.g., dieting, strength, and conditioning), with relatively few exploring matters of judging even though judging is of considerable importance to the appeal and integrity of the sport. Thus, the purpose of this study is to fill this research void by analyzing data on MMA judging decisions to determine if MMA judging follows the criteria approved by the ABC MMA Rules Committee. To evaluate MMA judging, FightMetric data were gathered from a period spanning November 17, 2000 …

How Do Collegiate Sport Clubs Achieve Organizational Effectiveness?, Leeann M. Lower-Hoppe, Shea Brgoch, Richard Bailey, Ashley Ryder, Chad Lowe, Stephen Dahl, Daniel Wray

Journal of Applied Sport Management

A greater understanding of the organizational processes of sport clubs can inform strategies to improve clubs’ organizational effectiveness. This study examined whether sport club capacity and activities influence the organizational effectiveness of collegiate sport clubs. Sport club members (n = 201) completed a questionnaire, with secondary data collected from the university. Regression analysis found club operations, club fiscal responsibility, frequency of club practice, and frequency of competitions significantly, positively predict organizational effectiveness. Comparatively, club human capital and facility quality significantly, negatively predict organizational effectiveness. These results have implications relating to club training, mentorship, resource allocation, and club activities.