Fan Ties and Friendships: A Longitudinal Network Study of Division III Sports on Campus

Abstract

The purpose of this longitudinal actor-based network study is to examine the evolution of sport fan ties and friendship ties on Division III campuses. Using two years of network data from a cohort of new students at a Division III institution, a SIENA model is developed to empirically test the co-evolution of fan ties and friendship ties. Grounded in student development, sport consumer behavior, and network theories, the overarching goal of this study is to explore the causal effect of fan ties on friendship ties among new students. To ascertain the value of Division III sports on campus, the authors explore the role of sports on campus in promoting friendships for new students based on the strong theoretical tradition from student development highlighting the salience of peer relationship in student success and retention. Accordingly, theoretical implications related to sport fan networks are considered within practical discussion of Division III sports and retention.

What It Means to “Win” in Small College Athletics: Strategic Contingency Theory and Alternative Success

“…Division III athletics departments, in general, have fewer coaches, smaller budgets, less commercial attention, and lack of traditional sport-related revenue streams (e.g., broadcasting rights deals, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales) than higher levels of NCAA athletics and professionalized sport and wins and losses do not necessarily have the same financial impact (Covell at el., 2013;Katz et al, 2021;Nichols et al, 2020;Schaeperkoetter et al, 2015;Paule-Koba & Farr, 2013;Zvosec et al, 2021a;Zvosec et al, 2021b;Zullo, 2021).…”

“…The on-campus experience as it relates to the role of athletics on Division III campuses is likely far different for both student-athletes and the general student body relative to Division I institutions (Katz et al, 2021). Even though the athletics experience at Division III institutions may not generate as much fan interest or revenue streams as Division I institutions, Division III athletics can still add institutional value in a variety of ways (e.g., Covell et al, 2013;Katz et al, 2021;Nichols et al, 2020;Schaeperkoetter et al, 2015;Zvosec et al, 2021a;Zvosec et al, 2021b). Understanding how "value added" manifests itself is particularly important as insti-tutions work to develop their own definitions of athletics success (Katz et al, 2015;Katz et al, 2021;Nichols et al, 2020;Nixon et al, 2021;Zvosec et al, 2021a;Zvosec et al, 2021b).…”

“…Even though the athletics experience at Division III institutions may not generate as much fan interest or revenue streams as Division I institutions, Division III athletics can still add institutional value in a variety of ways (e.g., Covell et al, 2013;Katz et al, 2021;Nichols et al, 2020;Schaeperkoetter et al, 2015;Zvosec et al, 2021a;Zvosec et al, 2021b). Understanding how "value added" manifests itself is particularly important as insti-tutions work to develop their own definitions of athletics success (Katz et al, 2015;Katz et al, 2021;Nichols et al, 2020;Nixon et al, 2021;Zvosec et al, 2021a;Zvosec et al, 2021b).…”

“…Hendricks and Johnson (2016) shared similar sentiments in that Division III student-athletes, despite not receiving athletics scholarships, still may have an "athletics first" mentality as they structure their commitments in college. While Division III student-athletes are not as "big-time" as their Division I counterparts (Katz et al, 2021), Division III student-athletes may feel that important stakeholders on campus (namely, faculty) underappreciate the level of commitment involved in being a student-athlete (Williams et al, 2010).…”

“…In examining Division III athletics administrators' organizational values, Cooper and Weight (2012) found administrators emphasized providing quality student-athlete experiences as a leading measure of athletics department success. Katz et al (2021) highlighted that Division III athletics can add institutional value by building and maintaining relationships not just for student-athletes, but for the general student body as well since there are typically lower barriers of entry (e.g., free tickets, convenient locations) for students to socialize at Division III sporting events in comparison to large-scale Division I football and basketball games.…”