Abstracts Category : Other

Future Issues in the Economic, Legal, and SocioculturalSectors of the NCAA Division I FBS Intercollegiate AthleticsEnvironment

by James T Morton

This study forecasts future issues in NCAA Division IFBS intercollegiate athletics. The research design takes a mixedmethod approach, employing the Delphi technique as both the designand data collection method. Using this technique, an expert panel,consisting of 12 athletic directors and associate athleticdirectors from FBS institutions, was surveyed over three rounds toascertain what issues are likely to occur over the next five toseven years and whether or not these issues will have a significantimpact on the way intercollegiate athletics operates. The purposeof this study was to assess the environment in whichintercollegiate athletics is operating. Specifically, the economic,legal, and sociocultural sectors of the environment were examined.This assessment was then used to forecast how the granting ofautonomy to the Power 5 conferences and the recent and currentlitigation facing the NCAA and its member institutions will affectthese areas of the environment over the next five to seven years.Grounded in stakeholder theory, the aim of the study is to providea tool to assist with strategic planning of stakeholderrelationship management for athletic administrators at institutionsthat sponsor athletic programs in the National Collegiate AthleticAssociation, Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision. Results of thestudy revealed eight issues that were likely to occur over the nextfive to seven years. Four of these issues related to the economicsector of the environment, one related to the legal sector, andthree related to the sociocultural. Further, 14 of the issues wererated by the expert panel as having a significant level of impactif they were to occur. Additionally, support for the convergentapproach to stakeholder theory was found.Recommendations are madebased on the forecasts by the expert panel. The impact onstakeholder salience within intercollegiate athletics is alsoexamined. Finally, limitations and suggestions for future researchare discussed.Advisors/Committee Members: Pastore, Donna (Advisor).