Social and digital media has dramatically shaped how consumers interact and engage with companies. Using Keller's brand knowledge theory and brand association framework, and Aaker's brand equity theory to guide our research, we found that number of times per week accessing team-related social and digital media (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Website) explained 19.2% of the variance in consumption intentions (attendance, purchasing merchandise, watching, supporting the team, tracking news about the team, and team-related social media consumption) and number of hours per week accessing team-related social and digital media explained 15.9% of intentions. A Cluster Analysis revealed four consumer segments (Loyals, Casuals/Non-Fans, NFL Fans, CORFers) differed on (1) the amount of social media that they saw, (2) the number of times that they accessed each of the platforms, (3) the number of hours per week that they spent on each platform and (4) the relationships between platform consumption and sport consumption intentions. Sport marketers should create and place content on social and digital media based on what segments are present on each channel and why they are using a particular channel to engage with the team.

Purpose There remains a critical issue in sport management scholarship in that the field lacks a well-defined framework for delineating practical implications in research. This research aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What types of practical implications can be identified in sport management research? (2) How can sport management research frame the practical implications of the study in a way that is both theoretically sound and useful for practitioners? Design/methodology/approach Through a scoping review and within the lens of Jaworski (2011)'s framework for managerial relevance, the study examined 427 articles from European Sport Management Quarterly , Journal of Sport Management and Sport Management Review published between 2000 and 2020. Findings This study presents a five-pronged framework that identifies target managers, organizational tasks, time horizons, philosophical impact and desired outcomes. Furthermore, the current research offers suggestions for how to present managerial implications in sport management research. Originality/value The findings shed light on the managerial relevance of the recent sport management body of work, developing an important framework for practical implications for the field to reflect and incorporate into future studies. With a theoretical understanding of how to frame the practical implications of sport management research, the gap between academia and industry can continue to narrow, and the relevance to the industry may be more pertinent than ever before.

OBJECTIVES:Before the Fall 2020 semester, college presidents and the NCAA made decisions about playing college football. The current study aims to examine the association between college football games and COVID-19 infections at universities.PARTICIPANTS:More than 1,800 college campuses nationwide from The New York Times database on COVID-19 cases on college campuses.METHODS:Random effects negative binomial regression is used to analyze the association between college football games, membership to college football organizations, and COVID-19 cases at the universities studied.RESULTS:The number of football games played was significantly associated with higher COVID-19 cases at the universities studied. Membership to certain college football organizations was also significantly associated with higher COVID-19 cases, particularly FBS and Power Five conferences.CONCLUSIONS:These findings provide a baseline for subsequent analyses across other sports and advocates for continued assessment of protocols that ensure the safety and well-being of student-athletes, fans, and university communities.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare four different consumer pathway models based on identity theory, attitude/loyalty theory, lifestyle theory and hierarchy of effects theory, each with associated instruments measuring connection to the team. Design/methodology/approach The authors did a two-study analysis, first collecting data from people aware of an NFL team ( N = 218) and then an MLS team ( N = 209) to determine which connection item performed better. Findings The authors found that the Consumer Pathway for Sport Fandom based on the hierarchy of effects theory and its associated interest measurement item performed better than the other three frameworks and items. The Interest item shared the most variance with games attended, games intending to attend, games watched via media and games intending to watch via media. Originality/value The Consumer Pathway for Sport Fandom represents the entire consumer spectrum from non-aware consumers all the way up to die-hard sports fans. This pathway will allow sport marketers to track their consumers from initial awareness of the product or service all the way through the brand relationship to ultimate loyalty.

On July 1st, 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved an interim policy that would allow college athletes in every state to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This meant student-athletes could accept money for sponsorships and endorsements and maintain their eligibility, which was previously prohibited by the intercollegiate sports governing body (The Athletic Staff, 2021). The change is positive for student-athletes and the brands looking to market through them and their active social media platforms, but it does not come without issues or challenges. The purpose of this study is to, (a) review the theory behind effective sponsorship and endorsement relative to NIL, (b) discuss issues or challenges that may arise from the new legislation, and (c) conclude with possible projections for the future of NIL and sponsorship in college athletics.

Brand awareness is frequently cited as a main objective for firms engaging in sponsorship and is often used as a measurement of sponsorship effectiveness. Meanwhile, sport sponsorship has evolved from static signage and one-way messaging to include an exhaustive list of assets and intangible rights, along with extensive on-site activation, each with a specific incremental cost. Yet, it is unknown whether the mix of assets and rights firms may choose to purchase, along with an investment in activation, impacts their ability to generate greater sponsorship effectiveness in the form of brand awareness. While controlling for duration as a sponsor, results indicate that the selection of videoboard and LED in-stadium advertising, as well as on-site activation, led to increased brand awareness for sponsors. Moreover, category exclusivity and official status designation were also statistically significant predictors of brand recognition, with exclusivity doubling the probability that a sponsor is recognized by consumers.

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the coverage devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) and its most recognizable promotional company, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in the popular sport publication ESPN The Magazine. This study – which employed a content analysis methodology – examined the quantity and prominence of various media components of the coverage devoted to MMA and the UFC fighters, promoters, fans, and stakeholders. Elite, agenda-set, and hegemonic theoretical frameworks were used to guide this investigation of the magazine’s first 13 years (i.e., 1998-2010). Overall, MMA and the UFC received significantly less coverage on the pages of the prominent sport publication when compared to two sport leagues under contract with the Walt DisneyCompany.

This study applied three dimensions of organizational justice - distributive justice, procedural justice, and interpersonal justice – to high school athletics to determine if the fairness perceptions held by head coaches towards their athletic director differed based upon the sex of the athletic director or sex of the coach, after controlling for the level of ambivalent sexism of the coach. If fairness perceptions did differ significantly, the findings would support the notion that attitudes towards women in leadership roles were less positive than attitudes towards men even after controlling for sexist attitudes, thus supporting role congruity theory of prejudice toward women in leadership roles. The results indicated the fairness perceptions held by the coaches differed depending upon the sex of the coach and sex of the athletic director. After controlling for the coaches’ sexist attitudes, male coaches’ perceptions of distributive justice of female athletic directors was significantly lower than female coaches’ perceptions.

Sibling relationships are often regarded as among the longest lasting connections in a person’s life (Conger & Kramer, 2010). Sibling research has addressed topics such as socialization, support, and similarities and differences of siblings (e.g., Eaton, Chipperfield, & Singbeil, 1989; Horn & Horn, 2007; Whiteman, McHale, & Crouter, 2007). Scant attention has been given to how a younger sibling may be influenced by an older sibling’s sport involvement. The current study explored the lived experience of an older sibling’s sport achievement from the perspective of a younger sibling. An open-ended phenomenological approach (Kvale, 1983) was used to gain a description of the experience of sibling achievements in sport. Participant interviews revealed an overall thematic structure consisting of both positive and negative experiences: family influence, social influence, fondness, identity, abandonment, and jealousy. These findings broaden both sibling and sport literature, while providing valuable information for researchers and practitioners.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the level of consultancy currently taking place between Sport Management faculty and their respective athletic departments. The subjects of the study were Directors of Marketing of athletic departments within universities that offer Sport Management programs (N=201). A list of universities offering Sport Management programs in the United States was retrieved from the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) website. A link to an online survey was distributed to the Directors of Marketing via email. Fifty-four useable responses were received for a response rate of 27%. Results of the pilot study, discussion, and future research on Sport Management consultancy are provided.

While scholars have concluded that concession sales were impacted by various quality measures including customer service factors (Bigelow, 2004; Nagel, 2010), a key measure in determining a successful concessions operation was to focus on increased per-capita spending. While a few studies had also focused on team performance with attendance and concessions spending (DeSchriver & Jensen; Kelley, 2011; Trail & Lee, 2008), this study focused on the effects of team performance at halftime and novelty effect on per-capita concessions spending. The results indicated that per-capita spending was significantly influenced by both the halftime performance of the home team and novelty effect.

Experiential learning (EL) is a pedagogical approach in which students are given the opportunity to apply conceptual knowledge to practical situations (Muir & van der Linden, 2009; Rogers, 1969). Experiential learning opportunities are one way that sport management programs are preparing graduates for employment in the industry. Southall et al. (2003) suggest the creation of a metadiscrete EL model in which sport management programs provide out-of-classroom learning opportunities under the guidance of faculty mentors, which are offered throughout the entire college experience. Grand Slam Marketing (GSM) at Georgia Southern University is a prime example of the metadiscrete EL model prescribed by Southall. GSM is a faculty-guided, student organization at Georgia Southern University (GSU) that is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of majors including sport management. A plethora of implications for professors and students can be formulated from evaluating the GSM model and are discussed in the manuscript.

In 2009, the Savannah Sports Council hosted its 11th annual Savannah Hockey Classic. In order to assist the future marketing of this event, a study was undertaken to assist the Savannah Sports Council in 3 major ways: (1) To obtain a consumer profile of spectators, (2) to explore the economic impact of the event on the city of Savannah, and (3) to discover the perceived personality of the event (assist in sponsor recruitment). To reach the objectives of the study, a survey was conducted with 267 spectators of the Savannah Hockey Classic. The survey consisted of four sections: (1) Economic impact (2) Consumer behavior & preferences, (3) Attitude and image perceptions of the event and organizing body, and (4) Consumer demographic characteristics. The majority of respondents were male (62%) and Caucasian (95%). While their average age was 36, 78% of respondents were between the ages of 25 to 59. Spectators tended to be educated (61% with a college degree of some sort) and affluent (63% earn > $50,000). Just over half (56%) of the spectators traveled to Savannah to attend the event. Eighty-one of the eighty-three out-of-town respondents reported spending at least 1 night in Savannah. However, 50% of out-of-town respondents said they would have come to Savannah even if the Hockey Classic was not taking place. Eighty-two percent said they would be visiting Savannah at some point in the following 3 months. This suggests that while the Hockey Classic is a popular event, most of the visitors would travel to Savannah even if the event did not take place. Spectators appear to have developed very positive feelings about the Savannah Hockey Classic. On a 7-point scale, respondents reported the following scores on a variety of items: Gratitude toward the Savannah Sports Council for organizing the event was very high 6.5, attitude regarding the success and quality of the hockey event itself was 6.4, and fan identification with the event was reported at 6.1. With regard to the image/brand of the event, respondents perceive the Hockey Classic to be: An exciting event (6.4 out of 7), a sincere/wholesome event (6.3 out of 7), and a competent and successful event (6.3 out of 7).

With rights fees increasing and leverage costs far exceeding initial sponsorship investments, companies need to find alternative ways to reach their target market and communicate effectively and efficiently. Corporate sponsors often implement and utilise new media and technology in order to engage consumers, develop brand awareness, and provide unique content opportunities. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to provide a review of exchange theory as it relates to activational leverage of corporate sponsorship. Second, the article will highlight three categories of new media and technology corporate sponsors can utilise when conducting activational leverage of their brands: The article will focus on how in-venue devices and smartphone applications, social media, and stadium technology can be used from an exchange perspective to actively leverage corporate sponsorships and enhance relationship marketing in sport.

The purpose of this study was to determine if personality fit between NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) drivers and their major sponsors affects the sponsorship outcomes of consumer attitudes toward the sponsor, attitudes toward the brand, and purchase intentions. Fan identification and product involvement were examined as moderators between personality fit and the sponsorship outcomes. The respondents (N=347) in this study were attendees at the NASCAR Samsung 500. Data analyses included a factor analysis, descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and hierarchical moderated regression analyses. Results indicated that the sample was predominantly male (58%), Caucasian (82%), and married (62%). Three personality fit dimensions were present including: (1) Excitement/Ruggedness, (2) Competence/Sophistication, and (3) Sincerity. Personality fit on all dimensions had a positive effect on the dependent variables. Fan identification and product involvement had significant direct effects on the dependent variables, but had only a slight moderating effect on personality fit and attitude toward the sponsor.