Sports Management Commons^™

A-Rod, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The past few weeks have been full of riveting sport. The Stanley Cup Final proved to be one of the most exciting in several years as no team enjoyed more than a one goal lead until the last few minutes of the final game. The NBA finals were marked by expected and unexpected star performances. The College World Series went down to the final game in the best of three series with Virginia besting Vanderbilt. And continuing this week is the Women’s World Cup which has offered both newcomers and established teams a chance to shine in this world class …

Happy Valley, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Documentary film can be one of the most effective forms of journalism when done right. “Happy Valley” directed by Amir Bar-Lev is an impressive, haunting, and powerful example of documentary at its very best. The subject on its surface is the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal at Penn State University. Bar-Lev follows the story from the first revelations of November 2011 through the cascading fallout over the next year.

Triple Crown, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It was a just a year ago that I wrote about the last attempt at a Triple Crown. This year we are at that point again where a race of approximately two minutes and twenty seconds will either end a remarkable era of Triple Crown futility or extend it for yet another year. And so with a few changes of the cast I submit again these observations on this marvelous weekend in horse racing history.

Leadership In Collegiate Soccer, Jack Mccann, Thomas Kohntopp, Power Home Remodeling Group

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

One of the most significant athletic and social changes in the United States over the past two decades has been the growing popularity of soccer. Since the mid-1990s, soccer popularity has exploded, fueled by the emergence and growth of Major League Soccer (MLS) (Saporito, 2010). Though soccer is the world’s most popular sport in terms of attendance, U.S. soccer matches have modest attendance; however, this may be changing. Soccer popularity has increased through participation and media coverage while becoming integrated into the U.S. culture (Saporito, 2010). This research examined an extremely important aspect of the sport . . . the …

Catching Up, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As I mentioned previously it seems as if there are always some bizarre or hilarious developments in the world of sport while I am out of touch. A few days ago I reported on my experiences watching hockey in Russia. Now I want to revisit what many of you will consider old news.

Deflategate, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As I mentioned previously it seems as if there are always some bizarre or hilarious developments in the world of sport while I am out of touch. A few days ago I reported on my experiences watching hockey in Russia. Now I want to revisit what many of you will consider old news.

Hockey In Russia, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It may be my imagination but it seems as though every time I leave the country for a few weeks the world of sport goes through some sort of convulsion or some extraordinary developments take place. This past couple of weeks seems to have been no exception and I will come back to those later.

Financing Small Market Baseball: A Case Study Of The Auburn Doubledays, Derek Wohlfarth

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Professional baseball has been played in Auburn, New York, since 1958, but over the last few years, the team has experienced a period of financial losses. The biggest hit was in 2013, when the team lost $125,000. The City of Auburn, which owns the team, no longer has the money to support the franchise, so in order to keep baseball in Auburn, the team must become self-sufficient. Auburn is the second-smallest market in the league, so the community needs to get behind the team in order for it to stay in operation. New management came in for the 2014 season …

Ruth's First, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

A hundred years ago, Babe Ruth strode to the plate and cracked his first major league home run on May 5, 1915. Twenty years later he would hit No. 714, a milestone that would stand for generations. 712, 713, and 714 came in Pittsburgh a few weeks before his retirement, and 714 was the first ball ever hit over the roof of Forbes Field in right, and it came to rest in a small park across the street. It was the longest home run, some would say, of his career.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Head Coaches' Satisfaction With Athletic Training Services 2015, Whitney Larson

Master's Theses

Athletic trainers and coaches have a significant amount of interaction regarding the care of an athlete. This communication and cooperation is necessary to providing effective care. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of satisfaction that head coaches have with those providing athletic training services across all three NCAA Divisions. Overall satisfaction and four satisfaction categories (professionalism, communication, knowledge/ability, and accessibility) were examined. A total of 40 head coaches from NCAA Division I, II, and III schools participated in the study. The instrument used was originally developed by Beer (2004) and was modified to fit the current …

An Examination Of Athletes And Non-Athletes Academic Performance At The Division Iii Level, Troy A. Lemke

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

This research examines athletes and non-athletes’ academic performance at the Division III collegiate level. The sample that was taken for this study was comprised of two groups of Division III college students. Athletes, that participate in intercollegiate athletics and non-athletes, that do not. Results of this study supports the following hypothesis: Division III college athletes have similar to lower academic success than those that do not participate in sports. A behavioral and demographic survey was administered to one hundred and sixty seven students and student-athletes (84 non-athletes and 83 athletes) at a Division III University, in the Midwest. A twelve …

The Status Of Small Group Training As Perceived By Program Administrators, Jade Alexis Dworkin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study was obtain program components and administrative perceptions of collegiate recreation small group training programs. Through an extensive review of literature and valued input from key campus recreation professionals, a preliminary survey with 30 items was created. The preliminary survey, Administrative Effectiveness of Small Group Training Programs Survey (AESGTPS), was administered electronically to collegiate recreation small group training program directors. Research questions investigated were identifying ways in which various program components may vary from institution to institution, identifying program components that were perceived to be contributing to perceived program effectiveness, and defining ways in which program administrators perceived …

Mlb Franchises & Predictors Of Valuation, Danielle Marie Willett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been many studies done, for MLB, regarding multiple economic factors, yet there is previous research done to investigate the predictors a team's valuation. This study aims to investigate what, if any, of certain predictor variables effect the valuation of an MLB franchise over a five year span, beginning in 2008. The study includes 29 MLB franchises and looks at secondary fiscal and performance data throughout the five year span. The results of a regression analysis concluded that three predictor variables, market size, average ticket price, and salary expense, were significant indicators of valuation while the remainder of the …

Examining Factors Influencing Ncaa Division-I Conference Realignment, Ginikachi O. Nwosu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve and become

more dynamic. One of the most visible aspects of these changes is athletic conference realignment. During the period from 2010 to 2014 alone, over 30 institutions across the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) changed or announced imminent plans to change athletic conference affiliation (Mandel, 2012). Conference realignment is described as institutional changes in athletic conference affiliation (Covell & Barr, 2010; Groza, 2010; Sweitzer, 2009). Various literature has identified variables which influence NCAA Division-I institutions’ decisions in regard to conference realignment, yet no comprehensive study has examined …

Rugged & Exciting: Examining The Personality Of A Mixed Martial Arts Brand, Jason D. Reese

Bright Ideas Conference

The purpose of this study was two-­‐fold: (a) to iden4fy the brand personality associated with a mixed mar4al arts (MMA) brand, and (b) compare perceived brand personality dimensions among different consumer groups. There is a paucity of literature that assesses brand personality and MMA. This study was the first to apply the five dimensions of brand personality presented by Aaker (1997) to the Ul4mate Figh4ng Championships brand. In order to compare brand personali4es based on involvement, there must be an understanding of involvement and its concepts as well as the history of the sport. Three hypotheses regarding high and low …

Building The Brand: The Difference In Brand Profiles Between Team And Individual Athletes, Kayci Nucci

Sport Management Undergraduate

Billions of dollars are spent in the sport marketing industry each year; more specifically investors are looking to put their money into specific sponsorship and endorsements of athletes. Millions of dollars are put into each sponsorship deal by managers due to the ability of the athlete’s endorsement to elevate their brand. There has been several studies conducted that asses the effectiveness of athlete sponsorship due to the fit and qualities of the athlete. There is little known about the differences in athlete’s endorsement profiles in regards to their sport, as well as their gender, ethnicity, and media exposure. This is …

Who's Trending: #Nba Vs #Nhl, Kevin Martuscello

Sport Management Undergraduate

Many professional athletes across a wide variety of sport have obtained celebrity status and as a result, have become human brands much greater than themselves (Carlson and Donavan, 2013). Previous research analyzed specific cases, individual strategies, and consumer behaviors. However, this study has furthered new knowledge by obtaining a comprehensive description of the differing approaches set in place by the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League with regard to branding of individual athletes on Twitter. The purpose of this study was to determine in which ways do different sport leagues contrast in how they brand athletes on Twitter. …

Criminal Minds: The Relationship Between Sport And Off Field Violence, Danielle M. Falck

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between type of sports team and player convicted of a crime involving bodily harm off the playing field in the National Basketball League (NBA) and National Football League (NFL). This research was beneficial to the academic community because it further developed which professional sport participants were more engaged in violent acts out of the boundaries of their respective sports. This study allowed future researchers the opportunity to build off this study in hopes of building off of what is already known. This study was conducted with a cross …

Analytic Versus Non-Analytic Decision Makers And Their Effect On Win Percentage After In-Season Player Acquisitions, Kenneth Adam Siemers, Xin Gao Mr., Tyler Armijo, Brandon Lovette

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This paper examines whether teams with winning records that employ analytic decision makers see a higher increase in win percentage after in-season player acquisitions versus teams that employ non-analytic decision makers. This was accomplished through analyzing the in-season player acquisition data from the MLB and NBA over the last four completed seasons through descriptive and inferential statistics. There was not a significant difference between the two groups in average win percentage after total acquisitions, trades, or signings. Using inferential tests we found no statistical significance between the type of decision maker, and the difference in win percentage after an acquisition.

What Does It Take? Deciphering Performance Indicators Of Nfl Running Backs Through The Examination Of Collegiate Performance And Nfl Combine Results, Colin W. Weaver, Kevin L. Hindenach, Zach A. Vos, Antonio De Moss Jr.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This research uses a linear regression model to investigate the relationship between prospective NFL running backs’ NCAA FBS football statistics, NFL Combine measureables, and realized performance in the NFL as evaluated by Pro Football Focus. We observe 435 player-seasons from 2007-2014. The model suggests that collegiate conference affiliation, collegiate touchdowns, and NFL team passing strength are positively associated with NFL running back performance at statistically significant levels. Conference affiliation has the most substantial effect. NFL talent evaluators must appreciate that context is king when evaluating potential, and that pure stats are only a small piece of the puzzle.

To Play Or Not To Play: D3 Football Injuries, Tyler J. Darby

Sport Management Undergraduate

Injury in college athletics are a very common occurrence, and can affect the participants very severely. Football has been one such sport that has shown a lot of public health concerns at the elite levels. With this being said research has lacked at the lower levels of collegiate football, even though this is where the vast majority of NCAA football players participate. Many scholarly sources have either focused on the elite levels of football or the youth levels, no research had been specifically done on the Division III level of football in regards to injury. Ultimately this paper hoped to …

How Does Competitive Balance In International Soccer Relate To The Fluctuation In Attendance, Christopher Blyth

Sport Management Undergraduate

Competitive balance is a contributing factor in the fluctuation of attendance in international soccer. The importance of this research was to show soccer organizations that competitive balance had some sort of relationship with the attendance of these games. Another reason why this study was important was because it developed further knowledge on this topic. Before conducting this study prior research was done that showed that competitive balance is not the only factor that plays into the fluctuation of attendance. The timing of the games, economy, and certain preferences of the fans were other factors that played in a role in …

The Formation Of A Student-Athlete Trust Fund: Compliance And Tax Implications, Stephanie Gratto

Honors College Theses

This study reviews the possible tax and compliance issues of a student athlete trust fund as proposed in the case O’Bannon v. NCAA. With the possibility of the creation of a trust fund comes a myriad of issues to consider. The following review of the literature will review pertinent literature on the topic. Interviews were conducted with athletic directors of three universities and with three tax partners in Atlanta tax firms in order to determine potential compliance and tax implications. These interviews outline possible issues and solutions that may rise from the formation of the trust.

Sports And Exercise Medicine For Athletes And Footballers: The Case Of Kenya, Monil Patel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sports are one of life's greatest gifts. People love watching, discussing and participating in sports. Kenya has a rich and successful history in certain sports, notably in athletics (track and field). Since the 1960's, Kenyans have won several gold medals and numerous world champions. In addition, Kenyans have dominated the world marathons since the 1980's. Kenya has some of the best yet simplest training areas, some of the best coaches, and some of the hardest working athletes in the world. However, people do not realize that many Kenyan athletes only shine for a few years before they vanish in the …

Geography Lessons, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As most sports fans and others who have become collateral damage know, the NCAA basketball tourneys are underway. The men’s version started on Thursday, unless you count Tuesday, and the women began play on Friday. Aside from several exciting finishes in this first flurry of games, several other things are worth noting. Or, as they say on TV after a particularly exciting play or game, “This is what college basketball is all about.”

Ncaa Geography, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As most sports fans and others who have become collateral damage know, the NCAA basketball tourneys are underway. The men’s version started on Thursday, unless you count Tuesday, and the women began play on Friday. Aside from several exciting finishes in this first flurry of games, several other things are worth noting. Or as they say on TV after a particularly exciting play or game, “this is what college basketball is all about.”

March Madness, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is March Madness time. This usually means it is time for the NCAA to take those to court who are violating their copyright of that phrase.

Alison Gordon, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the past ten days there has been an avalanche of deaths of major sports figures. The obituary writers have been kept busy and tributes have been coming from all directions in sportsworld. The death of Dean Smith attracted the attention of sports writers and social commentators across the country. A few days later tributes came for Jerry Tarkanian another legendary college basketball coach. The passing of Charlie Sifford, golf’s Jackie Robinson led to reflections on the central place race has played in the world of sport. So too with the death of Ernie Banks came a reminder of the …

Roar Of The Crowd: Noise-Related Safety Concerns In Sport, Robin Ammon, Kimberly L. Mahoney, Gil Fried, Khadija Al Arkoubi, Dale Finn

Sport Management Faculty Publications

In sport the safety of staff, participants and spectators is of the utmost importance. Therefore, sport venue and event managers should take every precaution to address safety concerns while planning for and executing events or activities. While venue managers have a legal duty to protect fans and participants, federal regulations exist to ensure a safe workplace for all employees, including those at a sports event. This is a conceptual article intended to assist practitioners to identify potentially unexpected hazards within the work environment, as well as strategies to eliminate or manage them. The authors examine existing federal regulations, current research …

Super Bowl Xlix, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is a 153 page document made public by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that begins with these awkward sentences: The day of the Super Bowl game (the “Game” or the “Super Bowl”) is America’s unofficial holiday, a day when the attention of an entire nation is focused on the Game in one region between the championship teams of the American and the National Football Conferences. The most highly anticipated annual sports event in North American sports is also a time for festive celebration and civic pride.”