The importance of good behavior in college football teams in the USA

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on two internal organizational factors in college football teams (team powerfulness and team reputation) and their combined relationship on game attendance. Authors aim to validate new data published by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and NCAA websites; and to develop a new conceptual model to examine the interaction effect of team powerfulness and team reputation on game attendance. Design/methodology/approach This study relies on secondary data collected from the WSJ’s “College Football’s Grid of Shame” publication and the NCAA official website. Data for 123 US college football teams are collected representing 13 conferences for seasons 2010–2014. Multi-level regressions are utilized for statistical analyses. Findings Results reveal that not only team’s powerfulness is required for more public attendance to games, but also team reputation strengthens this relationship. In other words, team reputation plays an important role in increasing games’ attendance. Team reputation alone does not bring more attendees to games. Originality/value This paper studies the relevance of team reputation in the field of sports management. This paper argues that in order to achieve superior financial benefits in college football games, it is important to properly manage team powerfulness and its legal and ethical behavior. In this way, a positive reputation can leverage game attendance to a larger extent.

Stadium Attendance Demand Research: A Scoping Review

“… 6. As such, our comprehensive data set does not only exclude those studies using annual/seasonal attendance data (e.g., Alvarado-Vargas & Zou, 2019; Lee, 2018; Mills & Fort, 2018), sometimes also expressed as average stadium attendances per match (e.g., Feddersen & Maenning, 2009), but also most studies analyzing cricket attendances (e.g., Sacheti et al, 2014). Although cricket matches are often played for several consecutive days with varying interest, it seems customary in the field to proxy stadium attendance demand using average daily attendances or aggregate match attendance which, for us, would complicate the comparability to the remaining studies in the data set.…”

The challenge of renewing a varsity sport brand: a mixed-methods approach

“…Undoubtedly, robust brand associations can help establish fan identification to a team, especially when the latter is a new one (Wear and Heere, 2020). A team reputation fortifies the bond of trust between the organization and its fans, as well as the identification to the team, apart from the lone performance of the club (Alvarado-Vargas and Zou, 2019). This is not to mention Boyle and Magnusson (2007) who enunciated a model which expresses that service-oriented dimensions (stadium, team history, rituals and social groups) improve a person's social identity, identification and sense of belonging to a team.…”

“…In line with the elements that were featured in this section, a study showcases that strong brand associations are conducive to developing fan identification to a team, especially when the latter is a new one (Wear and Heere, 2020). Moreover, the results of a research conducted by Alvarado-Vargas and Zou (2019) bring to light that team reputation reinforces the bond of trust between the institution and its supporters, as well as fan identification, beyond the sole performance of the team; and how these different factors can increase game attendance. In that spirit, Takamatsu (2021) highlights the importance of a holistic approach to a team reputation, fan identification and community attachment among sport fans, residents and sponsors in articulating a compelling sport brand strategy.…”

College football attendance in the long run: The Football Championship Subdivision

“…Other studies examining issues related to stadium attendance have used season or season average attendance figures: college football (Alvarado‐Vargas & Zou, 2019); Major League Baseball (Clapp & Hakes, 2005; Lee, 2018; Mills & Fort, 2018); German professional football, (Feddersen & Maennig, 2009); National Basketball Association, (Leadley & Zygmount, 2005; Mills & Fort, 2018); National Hockey League, (Mills & Fort, 2018).…”