Articles in this issue:

• Personal Opinions and Beliefs as Determinants of Collegiate Football Consumption for Revered and Hated Teams, p. 143-153

  Jeremy J. Sierra

  Harry A. Taute

  Robert S. Heiser

  Although personal opinions and beliefs influence consumer behavior, research linking such factors to sport consumption is deficient. Hence, two studies are developed. Study 1 explores beliefs (i.e., internal locus of control for game outcomes) and opinions (i.e., personal expertise about a team, attitude toward the head coach) as determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games and purchase apparel of their favorite college football team. Study 2 examines these same determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games involving their least favorite college football team. Study 1 results...Read more

• Does Service Matter? An Examination of Donor Perceptions of Service Quality in College Athletics, p. 154-165

  Stephen L. Shapiro

  Service quality has been recognized as a strategic tool for improving organizational performance. Many non-profit organizations have taken a market-based approach to fundraising, which enhances the importance of service excellence. The purpose of this investigation was to examine donor perceptions of service quality in college athletics. First, an adapted version of Sargeant’s (2001) non-profit service quality instrument was examined to assess its appropriateness within the context of college athletic donors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and validity and reliability analyses provided...Read more

• An Investigation of Old School Values in the Arena Football League, p. 125-131

  K. Damon Aiken

  Richard M. Campbell

  Jr.

  Ajay Sukhdial

  Over the past decade or so, the study of oldschoolness has emerged as both a significant values dimension and an important fan segmentation dimension. This paper advances research in the study of old school values by administering the Old School Scale to fans at an Arena Football League (AFL) game. Interestingly, even in this proposed “new school” sport, AFL fans appear to hold some measure of old school values. In addition, the study uncovers noteworthy demographic differences. For instance, female AFL fans are significantly more Old School than male fans (especially in their attitudes...Read more

• American Needle v. National Football League and the Future of Collective Licensing Agreements in Sport, p. 166-169

  Lisa Pike Masteralexis

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in American Needle v. National Football League is not the “death knell” of collective licensing agreements in sports, but it will hold the NFL and other professional sports entities to a higher level of antitrust scrutiny than they had hoped. The issue in American Needle v. National Football League was whether the NFL’s collective licensing arm, NFL Properties, LLC (NFLP), was a single entity, and therefore, exempt from antitrust liability under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Section 1 deems “[e]very contract, combination in the form of a...Read more

• The Use of Sport Celebrities in Advertising: A Replication and Extension, p. 132-142

  Brody James Ruihley

  Rodney C. Runyan

  Karen E. Lear

  The use of sport celebrities in advertising campaigns is an important aspect in marketing to a target market of sport fans. With many star athletes becoming increasingly involved in negative off-field issues, it is questioned whether ads featuring athletes have decreased over time. This study replicates, extends, and breaks new ground on the topic of sport celebrities in advertising. Using a content analysis, the study replicates the work of Stone, Joseph, and Jones (2003). By replicating the Stone et al. content analysis, we provide validation for the earlier work, as generally called for...Read more

• NASCAR: Checkered Flags Are Not All That Are Being Waved, p. 170-179

  Jason W. Lee

  Matt Bernthal

  Warren A. Whisenant

  Susan Mullane

  The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a powerful force in the world of sport. Each year, fans flock to race tracks across the country to witness the thunderous sounds and incredible sight of cars racing at speeds often in excess of 180 miles per hour. It is a sport that has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception in 1947. While NASCAR was born in the Southeastern United States and has a uniquely Southern history, it now has tracks all across the country. However, it is a sport that for a number of reasons retains a stereotype as a “redneck,” “good ol’ boy...Read more