An Analysis of the Relationship between College Football Fans and their Rival Teams

Author

Morgan Young

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Lee, Younghan

Committee Member

Love, Adam

Committee Member

Ponder, Nicole

Date of Degree

12-9-2016

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Sports Administration

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Kinesiology

Abstract

The current study explored how fan identification and negative rival perception affect the decision to blast or support the rival in indirect competition in college football. 258 participants (M age=24.15, 51.16% female) responded after being targeted via social media, email, and in person. Fans higher in identification had a more negative rival perception, were more likely to blast the rival, and were less likely to support the rival in indirect competition. A negative rival perception increased blasting and decreased rival support. The results contribute to current literature on rivalry and fan identification and aid marketers in marketing segmentation and targeting new segments to increase viewership and attendance.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/19921

Recommended Citation

Young, Morgan, "An Analysis of the Relationship between College Football Fans and their Rival Teams" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 465.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/465