The Economic Model of Intercollegiate Athletics and Its Effects on the College Athlete Educational Experience

The financial growth and popularity of intercollegiate athletics presents unique and challenging opportunities to institutions of higher education. Intercollegiate athletics, specifically men’s basketball and football, elicit considerable media attention and publicity for these institutions. Yet, the current economic model of intercollegiate athletics engenders challenges to the academic welfare of athletes in both revenue and nonrevenue sports. This paper examines the challenges athletes incur as a result of the current economic model of intercollegiate athletics, and it poses several thought provoking questions to continue the debate on athletic reform

An Examination of Sport Fans’ Perceptions of the Impact of the Legalization of Sport Wagering on Their Fan Experience

Over the years, professional and collegiate organizations have fought attempts to increase the legalization of sport wagering. One argument presented by those in opposition is that increased legalization would negatively alter the manner in which fans and spectators follow, consume, and react to sporting events (Tuohy, 2013). The current research was designed to examine possible changes in fandom by investigating fans’ perceptions of the impact of increasing legalized sport wagering on their fan experience, interest in sport, and sport consumption. Participants (N = 580) completed a questionnaire packet assessing demographics, economic fan motivation, fandom, and perceptions of the impact of increased access to legalized sport gambling. Data and analyses indicated that expected impacts were small and generally positive (e.g., a modest increase in interest in sport and consumption) and that these effects were greatest among groups historically active in sport gambling (e.g., persons higher in economic motivation and sport fandom)

“But it’s Joe Pa!” The Effects of Social Identification on Sport Fan Perceptions of the Penn State Case

This study examined the attitudes of football fans towards the recent events at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). The child sexual abuse allegations at Penn State led to the firing of the long-time head football coach and resignation of the university president. Using a snowball sampling technique, participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed their identification with the Penn State football team and their attitudes towards Penn State, and the coach and president. The fans who were high-identified with the football team were expected to demonstrate more support for the actions of, and less perceived responsibility and blame for the coach and president than the low-identified fans. Furthermore, this greater support and decreased responsibility and blame was expected to be enhanced for the coach compared to the president because the coach was more directly linked to the football program. The results supported three of the four hypotheses and demonstrate how identification with a sports team influences perceptions about a scandal in intercollegiate athletics