The Influence Of Team Performance On Home Attendance In College Sports: A Case Study of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball

Abstract

This study aims to understand how performance of a men’s basketball team and a football team affect home attendance of a men’s basketball team in NCAA Division I schools according to the type of subdivision (FBS, FCS, and non-football institutions). A sample unit of the study was a men’s basketball team and a football team in NCAA Division I. A total of 335 men’s basketball team records and a total of 237 football team records in NCAA Division I schools were collected from university official athletic websites and official NCAA websites. After data collection, data was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression analysis. The results of the study showed 1) performance of a men’s basketball team significantly predicted home attendance of a men’s basketball, 2) home attendance of a men’s basketball team in FBS schools was more significantly affected by the performance of a men’s basketball team compared to men’s basketball teams in FCS and non-football subdivision schools, and 3) performance of a football team also predicted home attendance of a men’s basketball team. This study contributes to reconfirming the importance of team performance on home attendance of college sporting events in addition to professional sports. Despite the contribution, this study has limitations in terms of team performance measurement and sample diversity. Thus, future studies will consider more precise team performance measurement (e.g., UPS Team Performance Index) and team performance of men’s basketball teams in Division II and III schools to ensure internal validity of the study.