Entrepreneurship--A coaching strategy to sustain Division I-A Non-Revenue Sport Vitality

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2006Within the last decade, a trend of men's non-revenue sport cuts has swept the collegiate athletics landscape in the United States leaving few athletic programs unaffected. Particularly hard hit has been the sport of wrestling. Much of the blame for the program discontinuation movement has been levied at Title IX, and in particular its "proportionality" prong of the three-part compliance test, and for a good reason. A growing body of literature, however, supports the conclusion that Title IX does not in any way require or support the cutting of sports (U.S. Department of Education, 2005), and the amount of cuts are due to irresponsible spending in big-time revenue producing sports and the 'arms race' that is increasing the amount of expenditures at rapidly escalating rates (Knight Commission, 2004). Due to the Title IX phenomenon, escalating costs, and subsequent losses in major sports over the last decade (NCAA, 2005), many athletic departments have significantly pinched the budgets of their non-revenue sports. Due to this squeeze, amid the ever-looming threat of program termination, some coaches have taken the pursuit of increasing demand into their own hands. These coaches have become proactive in recognizing and exploiting value-creating opportunities for their programs by sustaining funds and additional community support to supplement athletic department budgets. The purpose of this study is to explore this phenomenon; specifically, to examine the perceptions and influences of coaches in achieving sustained viability of Division I-A wrestling programs. After empirical analysis using a multiple-embedded case study with the use of survey, and a theoretical foundation based upon Adam Smith's classic economic theory, which stands as the basis of the theory of resource allocations, the following five conclusions have been developed. 1. Financial and gender equity considerations are the chief concerns in sport discontinuation decisions 2. Coaches and athletic directors have significantly different views on discontinuation criteria 3. It is becoming more important for coaches to be entrepreneurs for their programs 4. Coaches can enhance their program's chance of vitality through "Complimentary Entre-lationship Promotion" 5. Wrestling coaches should be held moderately accountable for their fan base and revenue

Education Through Athletics: An Examination of Academic Courses Designed for NCAA Athletes

Fundamental to the union of athletics and the academy is an underlying theoretical premise of education through athletics. Despite an organizational union of varsity athletics and American higher education, athletics is commonly viewed as extracurricular, tangential, or a detractor from the educational mission of the academy, and athletics-centric curricula have historically not been viewed as worthy of academic credit despite documented educational benefits. Through survey of a stratifiedrandom sample of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III athletic academic advisors (n = 240), this exploratory study examined the prevalence, design, and institutional perceptions of classes offered exclusively for varsity athletes. Results indicate roughly 1/3 of sample schools facilitate athletecentric academic opportunities, with the majority of courses being 1st semester transition, physical education, or leadership courses. Academic opportunities for athletes were greatest in western, public, and Division I institutions

Title IX Literacy: What Coaches Don’t Know and Need to Find Out

Celebrated by many and lamented by a vocal few, Title IX holds the distinction of being one of the few pieces of legislation passed by the United States Congress that has emerged as an iconic symbol unto itself. Despite broad familiarity with the term, it remains much less clear how many Americans have more than a superficial understanding of what the law requires. This study was pursued to determine the level of Title IX literacy among a constituency directly impacted by compliance or noncompliance with the legislation, that being college coaches. Results reveal that most college coaches do not have a basic knowledge of the application and extent of the law, have not been educated about Title IX through reliable educational mediums, and possess a desire to learn more and have candid and meaningful discussions about these issues. The lack of consistent and systematic education mechanisms may explain the tensions that arise so frequently around gender equity issues within college and university athletic departments

An Examination of Administrators’ Nonrevenue, Olympic Program Values within NCAA Athletic Departments

The presence of the arms race in intercollegiate athletics has led to extensive spending on major, revenue-producing sports (Knight Commission, 2004). Despite the fact that only a handful of men’s basketball and football programs produce profits (NCAA, 2009), administrators continue to embrace a commercial model that has coincided with the elimination of nonrevenue, Olympic sports in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic departments. With this in mind, the purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the nonrevenue, Olympic program elements that were most highly valued by NCAA Division I, II, and III athletic administrators (N = 435) to facilitate an effort to develop strategic measures to counter program discontinuation. Despite small differences in divisional responses, the results supported the existence of institutional isomorphism when unified program values (e.g., academics, conduct, community involvement) were consistent across all NCAA divisions

Corporate Motives for Sport Sponsorship at Mid-Major Collegiate Athletic Departments

Sport sponsorship has become an increasingly important part of intercollegiate athletic revenue generation as universities have been forced to seek new and creative ways to fund their programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits, criteria, and company factors that lead local corporations to embark upon sport sponsorship agreements within a specific region of mid-major sized universities. Respondents were corporate decision-makers who had forged sponsorships with three mid-major schools. Results reveal that sponsors have clear motives and preferences when agreeing to sponsor sport. On-site signage and cost were identified as being the most important information listed. Additionally, it was found that sponsorship evaluation was measured by only 55% of those surveyed

Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness: NCAA Division III Administrator Core Values and Departmental Culturization

The purpose of this study was to explore Division III athletic administrator perceptions of organizational values through a lens of core value culturalization literature. Survey methodology was utilized to garner responses from 192 Division III head athletic directors [n = 75] and lower level (senior, associate, or assistant) athletic directors [n = 117]. Cumulative administrator emphasis on the “student-athlete experience” and “academic excellence” as top priorities demonstrates support that the mission of these Division III departments is to provide student-athletes with a high quality educational experience both in the classroom and in athletic competition (NCAA Division III, 2011). Analysis of lower-level administrator responses and open-ended responses, however, reveal insight into the lack of value-culturalization within the departments in this sample. The significant differences between athletic directors and lower- level administrators on all but four of the core values point toward an internal disparity in shared values. In order to fully maximize the educational potential of intercollegiate athletics, further concentrated efforts need to be made to imbed these values into the daily processes of these Division III organizations

Evolving the core product: Stakeholder’s perceptions of the NCAA wrestling season

During the past 25 years, athletics directors have made the decision to eliminate more than 130 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) wrestling programs (NCAA Sports Sponsorship, 2008). While many advocates of college wrestling in the United States have blamed Title IX for program eliminations, several scholars have illustrated that the attrition of men’s nonrevenue teams is instead due to the outlandish spending on men’s basketball and men’s football within athletic departments (Marburger & Hogshead-Makar, 2003, Zimbalist, 2003). With the economic challenges and the “arms race” occurring at the Division I level, it is imperative for college wrestling to develop strategies to ensure that each of its programs are self-sustainable in future years. The purpose of the study was to survey stakeholders of intercollegiate wrestling (coaches [N = 77], consumers [N = 954], officials [N =29], and student-athletes [N = 279]) to identify potential strategies to enhance the quality of the college wrestling product. In addition to several critical suggestions discussed in the article, stakeholders unanimously supported an adjustment in the college wrestling post-season to avoid March Madness (M = 4.95; SD = 1.23) and the high school wrestling state championships (M = 4.43; SD = 1.41)

In Pursuit of Sport Sustainability: Fund-Raising and the NCAA Division I Track and Field Core Product

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I track and field programs have been a target of elimination in recent decades (Irick, 2011) as funds are often allocated to sports that provide the largest perceived potential return on investment (Marburger & Hogshead-Makar, 2003). Building on research that documents the influential role coaches can play in sport sustainability efforts (Cooper, 2012; Weight, 2010; Weight & Cooper, 2011), this study examines fund raising and fortification strategies of 111 Division I coaches through survey methodology. Important fund raising strategies emerged including communication with donors, maintaining an up-to-date contact database, and providing thank-you notes and/ or gifts to donors. Fortification strategies to enhance demand for collegiate track and field included decreasing the length of competitions and scoring regular season meets