Sports Management Commons^™

Take A Risk Or Play It Safe? Views Held By Student-Athletes, Russell D. Ravert, Marissa K. Turner, Wenting Sun

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Because assessing and managing risks is an integral part of sports, athletes may develop general beliefs regarding taking and avoiding risks that they draw upon. This qualitative study used inductive content analysis of survey responses to examine risk-related experiences and attitudes in sample of U.S. NCAA Division I college student-athletes (N = 101) from a variety of sports. Participants were asked to describe situations they experienced that required deciding whether or not to take risks, and to describe their “personal philosophy” on taking risks and playing it safe. Thematic analysis identified five situational contexts in which the student-athletes said …

#Rookieparty: The Intersections Of Social Media, Hazing, And Canadian Varsity Sport, Jay Johnson Dr., Geneva Gudmundson, Jessica W. Chin, Margery Holman

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020, almost two-thirds of all varsity athletes across gender and sport in Canada had engaged in a sport hazing ritual (Johnson et al., 2018). While hazing in sport has been researched from a variety of perspectives, few studies have examined hazing in the context of varsity athletes' social media use. This is a potential space where Johnson (2017) suggested that technological tools such as cellphones, that provide instant access to social media, have enabled users to more easily capture and post online, potentially exacerbating the trauma inflicted on rookies during team hazing …

Eating What They Kill: The Stark Reality Of Athlete Compensation In Mixed Martial Arts And Potential Solutions, Christopher Piel

Arkansas Law Review

“They eat what they kill.” Dana White, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) said this about the state of fighter pay in the organization. White, the voice of the company, holds firm that fighters are adequately compensated for their services. The reality is that UFC fighters are not paid what they deserve, and, one way or another, there are big changes coming to the organization and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (“MMA”) as a whole. In this Comment, I will discuss how the UFC has used its market power to suppress fighters’ wages and subject fighters to inequitable …

Antecedents Of Brand Authenticity In Cause-Related Sport Marketing Campaigns, Keevan Statz, Brian Gordon

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Cause-related sport marketing (CRSM) has been a popular managerial technique over the last two decades. There is a common perception that for CRSM to be effective, consumers must perceive the sponsoring brand to be authentic in its actions. Minimal empirical research has analyzed the antecedent factors that lead consumers to perceive a brand as authentic in CRSM. Using multiple linear regression, six antecedent factors’ impact on brand authenticity were tested. Perceptions of the brand’s motives and brand transparency were found to have a statistically significant impact on brand authenticity.

Matching Colors In Jersey Sponsorship: The Effect Of Team-Colored Sponsor Logo On Jersey Aesthetics And Purchase Intention, Sung Wook Son, Antonio Williams

Journal of Applied Sport Management

In jersey sponsorship, some sponsors today have decided to modify their logo colors to match the team colors. The present research examined the role of team-colored sponsor logo in jersey sponsorship, paying particular attention to its impact on perceived aesthetics of the jersey and fans’ willingness to purchase. Three experiments using both fictitious and actual sponsors across two different sports showed that the team-colored sponsor logo on a jersey was a positive predictor for both perceived aesthetics and purchase intention at all levels of team identification. The findings also revealed the indirect effect of the team-colored sponsor logo on purchase …

Advancing The Mission: Highlights From The 2025 Asma Conference, 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 2025, the annual conference was hosted by the University of Cincinnati under the direction of Dr. Matt Huml. Highlights from the annual conference include Dr. Chad Seifried from Louisiana State University receiving the ASMA Distinguished Service and Mentorship Award and Dr. Lawrence Judge of Ball State University becoming an …

Something’S Gotta Give: An Analysis Of Team Derogation And Deviant Behavior Surrounding Rivalry Games, Cody T. Havard, Timothy D. Ryan, Michael Hutchinson

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

This case analysis discusses the ever-growing concern over players and participants showing derogation and negative behavior toward competitors before, during, and after rival contests. We discuss examples taken from the 2024 Rivalry Week in college football, along with underlying literature addressing out-group derogation, in-group bias, and the impacts of competition and rivalry on participant and fan behavior. A call for additional research on the phenomenon of increasingly negative behavior is provided.

Exploring The Incidence Of Synthetic Versus Non-Synthetic Cannabinoid-Induced Psychosis: A Scoping Review, Ruaa Al-Juboori, Zachariah Francois, Precious Patrick Edet, Marie Barnard

Faculty and Student Publications

Cannabinoids, including synthetic and non-synthetic variants, are associated with diverse mental health outcomes including the development of psychotic symptoms. While non-synthetic cannabinoids such as THC are well-studied, the stronger affinity of synthetic cannabinoids for cannabinoid receptors may lead to more severe and unpredictable health outcomes, including acute psychosis. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review is to investigate if the literature reported differences in the incidence of synthetic cannabinoid-induced psychosis versus non-synthetic cannabinoid-induced psychosis and quantify these differences if present. Following the JBI guidelines for scoping reviews, we will conduct a literature search across multiple databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, …

Examining Factors Affecting Consumers’ Daily Fantasy Sports And Sports Betting Participation: Comparing Motivation And Perception Of Skill Versus Luck, Koo Yul Kim, Colin Lopez

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

With the Supreme Court lifting the federal ban on sports betting, dominant Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators including DraftKings and FanDuel have entered the sports gambling market and operate in legalized states in the United States. These providers of both DFS and sports betting are making efforts to better understand the characteristics of both DFS and sports betting consumers and develop effective marketing strategies to target each consumer segment. This research investigates the differences in motivation to participate and perception of skill vs. luck between DFS and sports betting participants. 934 adults (sports betting = 434, DFS = 500) were …

Ua80/1 Meeting Minutes, W Club

University Organizations

Minutes of the January 2025 W Club Board of Directors meeting.

A Comparative Study Of Leadership Styles Of U.S. Olympic Swimming Head Coaches, Stephanie Barnes

Masters Theses

The role of leadership is paramount in successful sport coaching. The current study explored the realm of coaching in swimming to gain a deeper understanding of the unique and diverse leadership styles of U.S. Olympic Head Swimming Coaches. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design using a case study approach with two specific cases. Purposeful sampling was utilized to investigate two former U.S. Olympic Head Swimming Coaches with a combined 80 years of elite professional swim coach experience. Through semi-structured interviews and detailed questions, meaningful insight was gained into coaching practices, athlete interactions, and self-perceived effectiveness. Data analysis utilizing …

The Likelihood Of Sport Fans Selecting A Team To Follow Based On Uniform Color, Frederick G. Grieve, Daniel L. Wann, Logan M. Grieve, Jordan M. Pearsall

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between color and supporting sport teams. Some reasons why individuals support teams are team identification, need to belong, and the minimal group paradigm. Participants in this study (final sample N = 131) completed a questionnaire packet to assess their selection of teams because of uniform color. Participants provided their favorite team and demographics, then completed the SSIS, SFQ, vignette, and TAS. Results from the current study indicated that some participants selected a team based on color. Those who did select a team based on color reported that they would …

Juegos Panamericanos Y Parapanamericanos 2023. Estudios Sobre El Impacto Social, Turismo, Voluntariado, Y Equilibrio De Género, Gonzalo A. Bravo, Daniel Duclos-Bastías, Jorge Silva-Bórquez, Jose María López-Gullón, Jose Miguel Vegara-Ferri, Salvador Angosto-Sánchez, Melissa L. Roco-Olivares, Patricio A. Rubilar-Arancibia, David Gallegos-Meza, Natasha Santos-Lise

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

During the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games, held between October and November of 2023 in Santiago, Chile, six researchers from universities in the United States, Spain and Chile, conducted data collection for four research studies. These studies focused on: (1) the Games’ social impact on residents; (2) tourist profiles and their evaluations of the event; (3) volunteer motivations, empowerment, satisfaction, and future intentions; and (4) progress toward gender equity in Pan American sport organizations. Over 13,000 responses were collected. Findings on social impact showed improved public perception, enhanced infrastructure, a better city image, and a stronger sense …

How Agency From Precollege Experiences Empowers Black Student-Athletes To Succeed And Find Belonging At Pwis: A Phenomenological Study, Deborah V. Hogan

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In the ever-changing college football landscape, Division I (DI) student-athletes seek to maximize their athletic and financial potential while navigating the academic and social challenges of college life. For Black student-athletes (BSAs) at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), the campus racial climate shapes their college experience and sense of belonging. The current phenomenological study explores how DI Black football student-athletes (BFSAs) use agency from precollege experiences to navigate racial climates and find belonging at PWIs. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and sense of belonging frameworks, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 former BFSAs from DI PWIs. The study revealed three main …

Ua19/16/5/13 Athletic Media Relations - Baseball Film/Video/Audio File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Film, and video of WKU baseball games.

Ua19/16/5/16 Athletic Media Relations - Volleyball Film/Ideo/Audio File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Video of WKU volleyball games.

Ua19/16/1/1 2025 Hilltopper Baseball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

2025 baseball media guide produced by WKU Athletic Media Relations, includes athletic records and statistics, photographs, schedule and information regarding opponents.

Investigating Esports Training And Performance: An Evaluation Of Research And Practice, Kalem Griffin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates performance and training in eSports. The guiding research question is: What does an investigation of the academic literature on esports performance and training reveal? Performance and training are significant areas of interest in esports, as they encompass a range of insights, challenges, and opportunities. While performance and training have been well researched and documented across the broader sport industry, insight and understanding into esports performance and training remain limited, despite their considerable impact and significance.

Much remains to be explored, discussed, and achieved regarding eSports performance and training. In this area, much is at stake in the …

The Legend Of Taylor Heinicke: An Autoethnography Of Unexpected, Passionate Fandom, Brendan O'Hallarn

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Passionate fandom is not a novel phenomenon in the field of sport. The fervor of fans builds stadiums and has allowed the sport industry to grow exponentially in the past few decades. Scholars have examined the passionate fan through many theoretical lenses, but comparatively little scholarship has looked at sport fandom fervor from inside. An autoethnographic examination of my unexpected journey as a fan of journeyman National Football League (NFL) quarterback Taylor Heinicke demonstrates how fandom can stir passions and create rituals in sport followers. A multimedia diary of Heinicke's unexpected ascension to starting quarterback of the Washington Commanders provides …

Fair Play? Gender Equity, Title Ix And Resource Allocation In College Athletics, Caleb Horsch

Honors Theses

Amid a period of rapid transformation in college athletics, gender equity and Title IX remain underemphasized in the discourse. This study investigates disparities in athletic expenditure by gender, finding that in 2022, Division I institutions spent approximately $1.30 on men’s teams for every $1.00 spent on women’s teams. While Title IX does not mandate equal spending, it does require that schools provide equitable experiences for male and female student-athletes. The persistence and magnitude of an expenditure gap call into question if schools are continuing to meet Title IX. This study identifies the characteristics of schools associated with less equal expenditure …

Pitching For Reform: Cangrejeros' Push To Level The Legal Playing Field By Challenging Baseball's Antitrust Exemption, Justin P. Chaljub

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

For over one-hundred years, professional baseball has enjoyed an antitrust exemption unique among American major sports leagues, stemming from Supreme Court decisions in Federal Baseball and its progeny. This exemption has significantly influenced the evolution and structure of Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite extensive criticism and challenges for judicial and legislative reform, the exemption persists today.

However, new efforts have emerged to comprehensively disrupt this framework. In 2023, Nostalgic Partners was brought and structured to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Plaintiffs anticipated they would lose at the lower court levels and garnered widespread support for the Court to grant a …

Confronting Indecision, Lane Allison Murray

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This course aims to increase students' understanding of indecision and how to confront it. The class provides insight into how the fear of the unknown holds people back from making decisions and about understanding one's values as a means to combat indecision. Students and teachers alike explore instances of indecision and evaluate their own impulses & thought processes by reflecting on the deeper reasons for their choices. Students will increase their comfort level of asking themselves and their peers questions about the values that guide them and, in doing so, strengthen their relationships with themselves and others.

“I Know More About What We Can’T Do Than What We Can”: Division I Women’S Sports Athletes’ Perceptions Of Name, Image, And Likeness, Jalyn Jimerson, Courtney Jones, Quinn Lukens, Marina Miller, Sarah Stokowski, Michael Godfrey, Trevor Bopp, Chris Corr

The COSMA Journal

This study investigated women’s sport athletes’ perceptions of their ability to profit off name, image, and likeness (NIL) as current participants in collegiate athletics. Researchers conducted comprehensive semi-structured interviews with eight women’s sport athletes representing four NCAA Division I member institutions. Participants explained how institutionally organized programmatic educational initiatives primarily codified impermissible forms of NIL compensation while often omitting information about permissible NIL opportunities. Furthermore, participants considered themselves minimally involved in the NIL space, feeling on the low to average side of NIL engagement compared to their athlete-peers competing in men’s sports. The findings of this study are informative for …

Student Speed Dating As A Catalyst For Creative Idea Generation In Sport Management Programs, Logan Schuetz Ph.D., Yo Han Lee Ph.D., Tyler J. Hajek, Brandy Runyan

The COSMA Journal

This article presents a novel approach to addressing the challenges of idea generation among students in higher education, particularly in the field of sport management. Based on research into student engagement and creativity, the authors suggest incorporating speed dating techniques into both in-person and online classes. Speed dating sessions, conducted in breakout rooms via platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, offer students multiple opportunities to engage in brief, structured interactions, thereby enhancing their presentation skills, idea generation, and perspectives through structured, rapid interactions. Additionally, this method encourages greater collaboration and active participation, improving the overall learning environment. This strategy not …

The Reclassification Of Sport Management, Robyn Lubisco, Kerry Fischer, Genevieve F.E. Birren, Kathleen Burke

The COSMA Journal

Institutions of higher education use Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes to categorize and track academic programs. Developed by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), CIP codes are used for various purposes, including data collection, analysis, and reporting (NCES, 2010). Academic administrators can use CIP data to initiate or revise academic curriculum, develop market research for new programs, and reallocate programs. Institutions can establish benchmarks in the form of teaching, research, qualifications, and funding (Knudson, 2016). A survey distributed in November 2022 to members of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) revealed less than one percent of …

Nirsa Student Referees: Exploring The Connection Between Sense Of Community And Positive Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Jacob K. Tingle

School of Business Faculty Research

Despite working in complex environments, which require managing antagonistic and abusive relationships, sport referees are essential to ensure fair and safe competition. Evidence suggests officiating can positively impact well-being and officiating communities provide social support. Despite those positives, there remains a shortage of qualified officials, which is compounded by aging referee populations. These concerns emphasize the need to attract young people and examine well-being benefits resulting from involvement in officiating communities. As such, the aim of this study is to help NIRSA professionals better understand how the community or social networks made through officiating intramural sports could better support student …

The Leadership Pivot: How Labor Market Dynamics And The Ncaa Transfer Portal Impacts Leadership, Evan Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will cover a multitude of topics specific to my major, and also will use my in depth knowledge and connections within a collegiate sport to analyze how labor market changes effect the leadership styles of leaders within a given industry. This project is going to challenge me as a student because of the in depth research and data collection that will be necessary to not only educate myself about labor markets and leadership styles, but also educate myself enough to be able to present the information in a way that is digestible to readers. The other aspect of …

Weighted War: A Team-Specific Approach To Optimizing Mlb Rosters, Paul Wendler

CMC Senior Theses

This paper introduces a new baseball statistic, Weighted WAR (wWAR), designed to enhance Major League Baseball (MLB) roster optimization by incorporating team-specific factors into player valuation. Traditional WAR (Wins Above Replacement) offers a generalized measure of player performance relative to the league minimum salaried player. The study bridges the gap by developing wWAR, a customizable, team-specific framework for evaluating player impact. Taking player data, team data, and salary data from 2021-2023 the study proves the significance of wWAR’s impact relative to the traditional WAR statistic using case studies and regression analysis. The results demonstrate that wWAR outperforms traditional WAR in …

Optimal Capital Allocation Decisions And Investments In The Nba, Anderson Cynkar

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the relationship between salary concentration and winning in the NBA, primarily focusing on how the concentration of payroll among top-earning players influences success. Several concentration metrics were constructed and employed including the use of a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) to measure the share of payroll each player receives across a team. I used fixed effects regressions and clustered standard errors at a team level to control for unobserved factors that remain the same over time. The results revealed a consistent inverted U-shape curve, signaling that an optimal concentration of capital exists for the highest paid player, two highest …

Book Review: Basketball Beyond Paper, Chad Goebert

Global Sport Business Journal

Dean Oliver’s Basketball Beyond Paper is a thoughtful and in-depth follow-up to his paradigm-shifting work in 2004, Basketball on Paper. Twenty years after Basketball on Paper laid the groundwork for possession-based efficiency metrics, Oliver returns with a deeper focus: incorporating the human side of the game. Rather than simply refining statistical models, Oliver argues that understanding motivation, emotional ups and downs, distractions, and team dynamics is just as critical to winning as traditional data analysis. Written with a direct and technical style, Oliver not only advocates for the importance of analytics in the transformation of how basketball is played, but …