Sports Management Commons^™

Fan Reaction On Twitter Following The Announcement Of Ahl Teams Relocating, Pat Sofia

Sport Management Undergraduate

Franchise relocation has been occurring in professional sports for years. The Hartford Whalers experienced one in 1997. Almost 20 years later, the American Hockey League (AHL) experienced a historic franchise relocation process. However, little research has been done that included more recent research about fan identity, affiliation, and actions. This study is a content analysis of fan Twitter posts a week prior when the rumors start to spread that both the Manchester Monarchs and the Norfolk Admirals will be relocating to California for the 2015-2016 hockey season and the week following the official announcement. A total of 43 tweets were …

Sport Specialization By Youth Athletes, Ian Campbell

Sport Management Undergraduate

Sport specialization and sampling are two ways youth athletes can play sports. Athletes playing in college, at the Division III level, sample sports throughout their childhood instead of specializing in one sport. There is not a lot of specific research done for each Division in the NCAA. This study is a cross-sectional survey of students and athletes at SJFC, which is a small Division III school in Western New York. Using surveys, data was found that supports the research question that Division III athletes and students sampled sports throughout their childhoods rather than specializing. This question can help parents determine …

Evolution Of Salary Discrimination In The Nba, Taylor D. Rayburn

Sport Management Undergraduate

Prior research has found that salary discrimination based upon a player’s race was present and eventually disappeared from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Recent research has produced similar findings regarding salary discrimination between foreign and U.S. players, which too has produced conflicting results. Foreign players have continued to enter the NBA over the past decades and the game has expanded as a global brand. This study examined salary discrimination between foreign and U.S players after the implementation of the 2011-2012 CBA using 39 foreign and 39 U.S. players. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine if salary discrimination persisted in …

Burned Out: The Relationship Between Coaching Style And Burnout In Elite Athletes, Ethan S. Bledsoe

Sport Management Undergraduate

Sport specialization and sampling are two ways youth athletes can play sports. Athletes playing in college, at the Division III level, sample sports throughout their childhood instead of specializing in one sport. There is not a lot of specific research done for each Division in the NCAA. This study is a cross-sectional survey of students and athletes at SJFC, which is a small Division III school in Western New York. Using surveys, data was found that supports the research question that Division III athletes and students sampled sports throughout their childhoods rather than specializing. This question can help parents determine …

Muscular Christianity: A Comparison And Analysis Of The Historic And Modern Muscular Christian Movements, Chase H. Stevens

Senior Honors Theses

“Muscular Christianity” is a scholarly term that is used to define the general view of Christians in Europe and the United States that arose in the 1800s toward sport involvement. Muscular Christian beliefs have progressed throughout the past century and are still influential in the modern world. This thesis seeks to outline the historic progression of muscular Christian beliefs and practices and then explores similarities and differences of modern muscular Christian beliefs with its historic positions. It concludes with a future perspective on the globalization of muscular Christianity and provides suggestions for proper Christian attitudes toward sport.

Career Motivation Within Ncaa: A Study On Division Ii Administrators’ Motivation To Advance To Division I Athletics, Kelsey Sampson, Taylor Sundstrom, Katerina Peterson, Sean Harris

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This study investigates the effects of career motivation in NCAA Division II athletic administrators’ advancement to Division I. We specifically identified gender and current position within an athletic department as variables. The entire population of Division II athletic administrators at the assistant athletic director level or higher was surveyed, accumulating a total of 327 responses. Male (p=0.035) and assistant/associate administrators (p=0.013) are more likely to accept a similar or elevated role at the Division I level. This study is relevant to current and aspiring collegiate athletic administrators across all subdivisions who are looking to advance in their respective careers.

Exploring Nirsa Championship Series Professional Development Opportunities: Understanding Their Perceived Value To The Association, Jacob K. Tingle, Dan Hazlett, April Flint

School of Business Faculty Research

The NIRSA Championship Series (Series) is a significant component of NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation (NIRSA). Demonstrated, in part, by the fact that many campus recreational professionals contend the events directly relate to both their institution and the association’s mission. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how NIRSA professionals perceive the value of volunteer experiences at Series events. The research team conducted semistructured interviews with thirteen campus recreation directors. The participants had a median of 28 years in the profession, (SD = 7.4), and represented all six NIRSA regions. In describing the benefits of …

An Exploration Of Ticket Pricing In Intercollegiate Athletics, Craig A. Morehead

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Ticket sales represent a significant revenue stream for FBS athletic departments, yet little is known about how administrators determine prices for those tickets. This three-paper format dissertation is an attempt to begin filling this gap in the literature so that we may better understand ticket pricing from a managerial perspective. Paper one is conceptual in nature, and includes a review of extant ticket pricing literature and presents a research agenda for studying pricing in the unique environment of intercollegiate sport using the theoretical frameworks of stakeholder theory and institutional theory. The second and third papers are empirical examinations of ticket-pricing …

Implementation And Validation Of A Probabilistic Open Source Baseball Engine (Posbe): Modeling Hitters And Pitchers, Rhett Tracy Schaefer

Open Access Theses

This manuscript details the implementation and validation of an open source probabilistic baseball engine (POSBE) that focuses on the hitter and pitcher model of the simulation. The simulation produced outcomes that parallel those observed in actual professional Major League Baseball games. The observed data were taken from the nineteen games played between the New York Yankees (NYY) and Boston Red Sox (BOS) during the 2015 season. The potential hitter/pitcher outcomes of interest were singles, doubles, triples, homeruns, walks, hit-by-pitch, and strikeouts. The nineteen game series was simulated 1000 times, resulting in a total of 19,000 simulations. The eighteen hitters and …

The Impact Of Dual Identities Of College Student-Athletes On Academic Performance, Stephen E. Knott

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Maintaining a balance between the dual roles of being both a student and an athlete can be challenging for many college student-athletes. While research has indicated identity conflicts exist for student-athletes because of these two roles, few investigations have analyzed the impact of having dual identities on academic performance. Using identity theory as a theoretical framework, this study sought to determine if relationships exist among athlete identity, student identity, and GPA. In addition, this study examined whether these relationships varied based on gender, race, year in school, major, and sport. A survey instrument that included the Academic and Athletic Identity …

Determinants Of Nba Average Annual Attendance By Team, Kevin Joseph Mcgee

Research in the Capitol

My project explores which characteristics of NBA teams are significant determinants of average attendance for the 1990-91 to 2014-15 seasons. By determining which variables are significant and the direction and magnitude of their impact on a team’s annual attendance, the results may be used to predict future NBA attendance figures, analyze how different teams can improve attendance and revenues, and determine whether other cities, such as Des Moines, are strong candidates for attracting new NBA teams. In the exploration of which characteristics are most important to determining NBA attendance, data has been collected and sorted by each team by year. …

Penn State Scandal, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

One of the biggest shocks to hit sportsworld in the past few years came in the form of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University that led to the firing of Joe Paterno as head football coach. In addition, the University President Graham Spanier, Athletic Director Tim Curley, and VP of Business and Finance Gary Schultz were all removed from their positions on the Penn State campus and all three were indicted on various charges connected to the scandal.

Analyzing Twitter Usage Differences Between Student Season Ticket Buyers And Non-Buyers, Matthew Aloysius Kinney

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the importance of social media to college students as it relates to purchasing game tickets. More specifically, the thesis examines the role that Twitter and marketing play in purchase intentions of students that actually purchase tickets. The results demonstrate that those who have purchased a ticket membership package are more likely to follow said organization on Twitter. Results also found that no significant difference exists in Twitter Intensity based on whether or not a student has purchased a ticket membership package.

Spring Training Optimism, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The atmosphere at Spring Training is one of the special qualities of baseball in America. The optimism generated by fans and players alike tends to reach beyond reality. Rookies and career minor leaguers anticipate a breakthrough season. Veterans look forward to the dawning of a career year. Spring is the season of rebirth, hope and high expectations. The failures and disappointments of the previous season, or decade, or in one case, the previous century, are cast aside.

Super Bowl Superness, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The Rev. Norman Vincent Peale once said that if Jesus were alive today he would be at the Super Bowl. No doubt the Reverend was on to something.

Does Transition Experience Improve Newcomer Performance? Evidence From The National Basketball Association, Joseph R. Radzevick

Management Faculty Publications

A substantial body of research has highlighted the effects of experience on individual performance in groups. However, the challenges individuals confront after moving between groups require the adoption of more finely grained categorizations of experience to understand how they will help or hinder performance in novel group environments. This article develops a distinct form of experience here termed transition experience to deal specifically with insights individuals accumulate as they shift membership between different groups and contrasts its impact with that of the frequently examined component of related task experience. Player movement data from the National Basketball Association is used to …

The Rams Move On, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The City of Angels, Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, the second largest television market, the city of cars and air pollution, the city waiting for the next big earthquake, etc. etc. etc. It is a city that has not had a team in the National Football League for over twenty years. It is remarkable that the so-called New National Pastime had no presence in LA for two decades and still claimed this high position in American sport.

Rumination And Performance In Dynamic, Team Sport, Michael M. Roy, Daniel Memmert, Anastasia Frees, Joseph R. Radzevick, Jean Pretz, Benjamin Noël

Management Faculty Publications

People high in rumination are good at tasks that require persistence whereas people low in rumination is good at tasks that require flexibility. Here we examine real world implications of these differences in dynamic, team sport. In two studies, we found that professional male football (soccer) players from Germany and female field hockey players on the US national team were lower in rumination than were non-athletes. Further, low levels of rumination were associated with a longer career at a higher level in football players. Results indicate that athletes in dynamic, team sport might benefit from the flexibility associated with being …

Rebranding: The Effect Of Team Name Changes On Club Revenue, Nola Agha, Michael M. Goldman, Jess C. Dixon

Sport Management

Research question: The purpose of this study is to explore the financial effect of four types of team name changes, three of which have not been previously studied. We do so in the context of development leagues where rebranding occurs with considerable frequency, thus affecting a great number of sport managers.

Research methods: The effect of rebranding on club revenue was derived by combining the results of two analyses. The first used an economic demand equation to examine the attendance variations of 475 Minor League Baseball teams in 244 cities in the United States and Canada between 1980 …

An Investigation Of Highly Identified Fans Who Bet Against Their Favorite Teams, Nola Agha, B. David Tyler

Sport Management

Using a mixed-method exploratory approach we describe and explain the seemingly nonnormative behaviors of highly identified fans who Bet Against their Favorite Teams (BAFT). Axial coding of qualitative data from 190 survey respondents and two focus groups indicates the emergence of common themes allowing a typology to unfold that explains the motives for and against BAFTing. Results reveal that Gamblers BAFT for reasons un-related to fandom. Hedgers, on the other hand, BAFT precisely because they are fans; they offset a perceived impending emotional loss with a financial gain, a behavior we identify as Hedging Against Future Failure (HAFFing). This research …

I Am Distinctive When I Belong: Meeting The Need For Optimal Distinctiveness Through Team Identification, Michael M. Goldman, S. Chadwick, D. C. Funk, A. Wocke

Sport Management

The development of stronger team identity has previously been explained through the social identity aspect of belonging. Although this has contributed much to our understanding of sport fans, it has neglected an alternative explanation for team identity, specifically the search for distinctiveness. How then do fans develop stronger team identity by 'standing out' as opposed to 'fitting in'? This paper provides evidence of seven identity management strategies used by fans with a strong psychological connection to their chosen team. Saturation sampling was employed to interview 29 South African rugby union fans via semi-structured interviews, followed by a directed approach to …

2016 Nsu Sharks Women's Soccer Schedule, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Athletics Sports Programs and Media Guides

No abstract provided.

2016 Nsu Sharks Women's Volleyball Game Program, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Athletics Sports Programs and Media Guides

No abstract provided.

Determining The Value Of Birthrank And Parent Age In Thoroughbred Racehorses, Xiurui Cui

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Thoroughbred racing is referred to as “the sport of Kings”, because historically it was a leisure activity of the upper-class. Thoroughbred breeding on the other hand has transformed from a hobby of the upper-class to a worldwide agricultural industry. With the deep involvement of the royal and rich in the Thoroughbred industry, the auction prices of horses are raised significantly at the top end of the market.

Research in the biological sciences suggests there exits correlations between dam age, foal birthrank, and the racing performance of Thoroughbred horses. This study first investigates how the market values these biological factors and …

Ua19/16/1 Wku 2016-17 Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

2016-17 men's basketball media guide produced by WKU Athletic Media Relations, includes athletic records and statistics, photographs, schedule and information regarding opponents.

Ua19/16/1 2016-17 Wku Track & Field Cross Country Record Book, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU track and field media guide for 2016-17 season.

Examination Of Women’S Sports Fans’ Attitudes And Consumption Intentions, Ceyda Mumcu, Nancy Lough, John C. Barnes

Sport Management Faculty Publications

To date, few studies have focused on understanding fans of women’s sport, which is especially true with regard to consumption intentions. This study was undertaken to 1) examine fans’ attitudes toward women’s sports, including both cognitive and affective evaluations as related to consumption intentions; 2) identify salient product attributes of women’s sports related to fans’ consumption intentions; and 3) examine group differences on attitudes. Multiple regression analysis and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted to address the research questions. Results of the study revealed that both cognitive and affective aspects of attitude were predictive of women’s sport fans’ consumption intentions. …

Examining Consumer Perceptions Of Demand-Based Ticket Pricing In Sport, Stephen L. Shapiro, Joris Drayer, Brendan Dwyer

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Dynamic ticket pricing (DTP), a new revenue management (RM) strategy in sport, has grown in popularity in response to the demand-based ticket resale market. Previous research has examined the relationship between the primary and secondary ticket market and determinants of price in a DTP environment. However, research has not focused on consumer perceptions of DTP or resale prices. The purpose of this study was to examine consumer perceptions of demand-based pricing over time, to assess the influence of attitudes on perceived value and purchase intentions. Results indicated that time, team performance expectations, fairness perceptions, seat location, and ticket market influenced …

Examining The Role Of Price Fairness In Sport Consumer Ticket Purchase Decisions, Stephen L. Shapiro, Brendan Dwyer, Joris Drayer

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Ticket pricing in professional sports is transitioning from a cost-based to demand-based approach. It has been argued that consumer perceptions of fairness regarding demand-based ticket pricing could influence purchase decisions. Perceptions of unfair pricing practices can lead to dissatisfaction and negatively affect purchase behavior. However, familiarity with demand-based pricing strategies could mitigate perceptions that real-time price fluctuations are unfair to the consumer. Guided by transaction utility theory, the current study examined the relationship between various ticket offers, consumer perceptions of fairness, familiarity, and intentions to purchase professional sports tickets. The findings support previous theory suggesting perceptions of fairness and purchase …

Aau Basketball - Participants' Perceptions Of Their Aau Experience, Hakeem R. Willis

Masters Theses

In the United States, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has become the focal point for college recruiters in searching for top talent amongst middle and high school basketball athletes. Financially, AAU basketball can be expensive, making it difficult for families to allow their children to compete. However, players feel that AAU participation is worth the investment because of the benefits, which includes collegiate exposure. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of former AAU basketball players' experience. The research question used to guide this study was: what are former AAU basketball players' perceptions of academic requirements, time/money, …