Front Porch, Small House

A Longitudinal Study of Team and University Identification Among Incoming Students at a Division III University

Authors

  • Matthew Katz University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Marlene A. Dixon Texas A&M University
  • Bob Heere University of South Carolina
  • Jordan R. Bass University of Kansas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1123/jis.2016-0043

Keywords:

team identification, university identification, Division III Athletics, longitudinal research, incoming students

Abstract

In this longitudinal study, the authors examined the relationship between team identification and university identification for 37 incoming college first year students at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III institution. After collecting four waves of data from the same participants over the course of two years, the authors utilized growth curve analysis to examine the development and trajectories of the students’ levels of identification with both the university and the intercollegiate sport teams. Furthermore, the authors empirically measured if identifying with the athletic teams on campus explained any variance in one’s identification with the larger university. Finally, this study was explicitly conducted within the context of a Division III institution to increase understanding of the social value of Division III athletics for students not directly participating as student-athletes. The presented findings provide a longitudinal account of the psychological and social value of Division III sport teams in terms of building a stronger connection between new students and the larger university.

Author Biographies

Matthew Katz, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Katz is with the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Dixon is with the Division of Sport Management, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. Heere is with the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Bass is with the Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Marlene A. Dixon, Texas A&M University

Katz is with the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Dixon is with the Division of Sport Management, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. Heere is with the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Bass is with the Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Bob Heere, University of South Carolina

Katz is with the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Dixon is with the Division of Sport Management, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. Heere is with the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Bass is with the Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Jordan R. Bass, University of Kansas

Katz is with the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Dixon is with the Division of Sport Management, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. Heere is with the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Bass is with the Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

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Published

2017-06-01

How to Cite

Katz, M., Dixon, M. A., Heere, B., & Bass, J. R. (2017). Front Porch, Small House: A Longitudinal Study of Team and University Identification Among Incoming Students at a Division III University. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 10(1), 103–125. https://doi.org/10.1123/jis.2016-0043

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2017): Journal of Intercollegiate Sport

Section

Articles

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