Abstract
Two major societal athletics issues in the US are national anthem actions by collegiate athletes and COVID-19 protocols implemented for collegiate athletic events. Athletic donors are a major source of revenue for US colleges/universities and the above topics have proven to be divisive societal issues. This research contributes to the knowledge on collegiate athletic donor behavior by examining the impact of national anthem protocols and COVID-19 attendance limitations. Over 100 collegiate athletic donors were surveyed about their attitudes and behaviors regarding these topics. Given the increasing concern for social justice, the national anthem protocol issue has been magnified as student athletes from numerous schools engaged in acts of demonstration during the anthem, typically kneeling. In addition, athletic departments’ funding has been challenged by revenue shortfalls due to COVID-19 cancellations and limited event attendance. Thus, donor contributions have never been more important to institutions. When allowing national anthem demonstrations and limiting spectators due to COVID-19, it is imperative to understand athletic donors’ views. However, little is known regarding their impact on collegiate athletic donor attitudes and donation behaviors. Results show that donors were split on student athletes’ right to kneel during the anthem and who should make that decision. Further, donors reported that having student athletes kneeling during the national anthem at institutions they donate to would effect their donation behaviors. Regarding COVID-19, donors generally were not in favor of canceling events even when considering student athletes’ health. However, prohibition of collegiate sporting attendance typically will not effect future donation behaviors.
Presenters
Greg BroekemierDepartment Chair and Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing/Agribusiness/Supply Chain Management, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska, United States Mackenzie Puckett
Researcher, Sports Marketing, University of Nebraska, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sports Management & Commercialization
KEYWORDS
National, Anthem, Protocol, COVID-19, Collegiate, Athletics, Donors
