Sports Management Commons^™

A New Generation Of The Ncaa: How Two Major Rules Have Changed The College Landscape, Brennan Saunders

Honors Theses

This paper is designed to take a look at the effect of two new rule changes the NCAA has established within the past two years. Through an explanation of what led to the NIL and transfer portal rulings, what NIL involves, and the long-term effects that NIL and the transfer portal are going to have on future athletes’ decisions, we will find that the NIL and transfer portal are the biggest rule changes in NCAA history and will have major ramifications for years to come.

A Statistical Analysis Of The Ouachita Baptist University Men's Baseball Team, Evan Nelson

Honors Theses

In this paper, I use sabermetrics to analyze the Ouachita Baptist University men’s baseball team. I run correlation and regression analyses on the hitting and fielding and pitching statistics for games the Tiger baseball team have played from the 2003 season through the 2018 season. Using these analyses plus other information on sabermetrics I have studied, I determine which statistical categories lead to success for the Ouachita baseball team. Using these determinations, I create formulas that analyze player production for position players and pitchers on the 2018 Ouachita Baptist University men’s baseball team.

These formulas isolate four important factors for …

Changing The Game: The Effects Of Social Media On The Business Of Sport, Jacqueline Avola

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine the way in which social media has revolutionized three major components of fan engagement. First, it illustrates how social media dramatically increases the immediacy by which fans receive sports news and information. Second, the thesis demonstrates the importance of social media to enable fans to develop intimate relationships with their favorite teams and players. Third, this thesis illustrates how social media sites considerably increase the accessibility of sporting events to fans.

The Super Bowl's Economic Impact On Its Host City, Ashley Lockwood

Honors Theses

In this paper, I am going to discuss the major differences between the sports boosters' pregame estimates compared to the economists' post game analysis. In my research, I analyze all 32 cities with an NFL team over the most recent 20 years to see if there is a significant impact on the host's economy. This research will show if increasing local taxes in order to host the game yields an increase in per capita GDP after the game. Tax payers accept higher tax rates under the impression that, after the game, their city will reap massive benefits from hosting the …

The Effectiveness Of Promotions In Minor League Baseball : A Study Of The Eastern League, Collin R. Zucker

Honors Theses

Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is comprised of 247 teams playing in 17 leagues at six different levels. Every team in these leagues is an affiliate of a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, but many are privately owned and are therefore financially independent. While MiLB primarily serves as a development environment for future MLB players, profit maximization is still a goal of various front offices. Minor League Baseball has existed for over a century but only recently have teams been regarded as profitable investments. In Forbes’ “Most Valuable Minor League Teams” list published in 2016, the average value of the top …

The Effect Of Distance From Nhl Affiliate On Ahl Fan Attendance, Stephen Picard

Honors Theses

This paper examines the effect of American Hockey League (AHL) teams locating closer to their National Hockey League (NHL) affiliates. With several AHL teams closing the distance (geographically) between their NHL affiliates for logistical purposes, I studied whether or not they will experience higher levels of fan support. I used data from all AHL teams between 2007 and 2017. I found a statistically insignificant negative relationship between proximity to NHL affiliate and average attendance in the AHL for all the teams. However, less popular AHL teams do experience higher levels of fan attendance when located closer to their NHL affiliate. …