▼ This study utilized the sociological imagination to examine the academic performance of Division I men's basketball. Division I men's basketball has consistently fallen behind all other collegiate sports in all academic measures. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the academic performance of Division I male basketball players from the people who work most closely with men's basketball players' academic performance, the academic advisors for athletics. Their insights were used to help understand why basketball teams compile the academic records that they do, what can be done to change that trend, and what kind of impact the new NBA age limit rule will have on the academic performance of college basketball players. Eight academic advisors for athletics were interviewed for this study. Each advisor worked with a men's basketball team that had been in the Associated Press (AP) top 25 during the 2007-2008 season. The academic advisors shared information about their job, general athletics, the academic success of men's basketball, the NBA age-limit rule, solutions to the academic issues with men's basketball, and challenges/traps in the advising career. The advisors proposed many reasons for why men's basketball has the lowest academic records of any collegiate sport. They also expressed their opinions about the NBA age-limit rule and how it has impacted Division I basketball. Many of the issues with the academic performance of men's basketball stems from the culture of the sport. This culture that does not stress academics starts at the youth sports level, and it continues through college. Coaches have a great impact on the culture and the academic performance of their athletes. This culture makes the role of the academic advisor more difficult because it often forces them to work to keep players eligible instead of helping them to get their degree. The culture of men's basketball has to change before any improvement in the academic performance of men's basketball will be seen. This change has to start at the top with the NBA and filter down to youth basketball. Advisors/Committee Members: Spencer, Nancy.

▼ Problematic behaviors such as alcohol abuse, illegal drugs and personal issues are prevalent among college students across the country. The rate of occurrence, particularly for alcohol consumption, is even higher among student-athletes at the Division I level compared to both non-athlete students and lower division athletes. After surveying 118 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors, 52 (44 percent) responses from athletic directors and other high ranking athletic department personnel showed that alcohol abuse, illegal drugs “primarily marijuana“ and personal problems (academics, time management, etc.) were thought to be the most severe issues plaguing student-athletes, far exceeding issues such as agents, gambling, hazing and performance enhancing drugs. A number of athletic departments responded with information on the programs in place to reduce the prevalence of said problems. The NCAA's CHAMPS/Life Skills program was referred to most often, while other, original programs were submitted from a number of institutions. Although research points to the idea that Division I student-athletes are exposed to the most preventative programming they remain the biggest offenders when it comes to alcohol and drug use. A number of programs highlighted within this study addressed personal problems, an issue that was in the same realm as alcohol abuse and drug use according to athletic department responses. Also, while programs combating agents, alcohol, gambling, hazing, illegal drugs and performance enhancing drugs may not be effective on their own, combined with others they may be found to be extremely effective. Advisors/Committee Members: Weight, Erianne.

▼ Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences demographics with regards to perceived importance (PI) and frequency (F) of practice of professional behaviors in athletic training. The difference in perceived importance and frequency of practice of the professional behaviors was also investigated. There was minimal research in athletic training on the perceptions and practice of professional behaviors as defined in the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice. Methods and Procedures. Two instruments were developed, using the behaviors listed in the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice of the NATA’s Educational Competencies and from the Code of Professional Responsibility in the BOC’s Standards of Professional Practice. Surveys were distributed to students, young professionals and program directors. Data analysis included one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post-hoc analysis as well as independent-sample t-tests and paired-sample t-tests. Validity and reliability were established through Pearson r correlations and Cronbach alphas. Results. The overall mean for F of practice of behaviors was higher than that of PI, with fewer differences being noted in PI for individual demographics. Significant differences were seen between males and female for several behavior categories. Students reported significantly lower scores for F and PI than any other demographic group. Conclusions. Fewer differences for PI indicate a consistent knowledge of athletic training professionals of the demographic behaviors. The lower scores in students require further investigation to determine whether differences were due to the educational background or lack of athletic training experience and practice. Advisors/Committee Members: Kutz, Matt.

▼ Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began enforcing major rules infractions in 1953, there has been concern over the causes and implications of the violations. Past research has explored the causes for many of the violations with a focus on the cartel theory of college athletics. Researchers have also studied the significance of self-imposing sanctions effecting the punishment imposed by the Committee on Infractions (COI). Though numerous studies have attempted to explain the phenomenon of NCAA major rules infractions, none have attempted to statistically calculate the consistency of sanctions enforced against every level of competition. This study uses multivariate statistics to predict the outcome of NCAA rules violations. All major rules infraction cases since 1994 were examined with each charged violation and imposed sanction given a weight. An aggregate weighted score was determined for the overall violations and sanctions of 262 cases. A regression analysis shows the aggregate score of violations can significantly predict the severity of sanctions. Also, each case was analyzed to determine other key variables which could impact the Committee’s decision. Among them included the division or level of competition, whether the institution was considered a repeat violator, whether the institution self-reported or self-discovered the violations and whether the institution imposed its own penalties. The significance of each independent variable was determined through a logistical regression analysis and descriptive statistical analysis. These multivariate models revealed the division of competition, repeat violator status and self-reporting do not have a significant impact on the severity of sanctions issued by the COI. An institution’s decision to self-impose penalties does affect the overall sanctions imposed. The statistical analysis indicates being a repeat violator has no significant impact on the severity of sanctions. This finding along with the determination that self-reporting your own violations does not help to mitigate the severity of sanctions demonstrates a flaw in the Committee’s decision-making. The results from this study are important to industry insiders. Compliance officers will be able to utilize the information to formulate a plan when dealing with their own major infraction case. Also, with the NCAA creating a working group to explore the possibility of an enhanced enforcement and penalty structure, this study has the ability to shape the opinions of institutions when the comment period begins. Advisors/Committee Members: Cho, Sungho.

▼ The purpose of this study was to ascertain the high school sports experiences of female athletes. In an attempt to obtain a better understanding of these experiences, focus group and individual interview sessions were conducted with twelve intercollegiate athletes who were members of Division I soccer and volleyball teams at a mid-sized Midwestern University in the United States. This study examined the role that socializing agents such as parents, coaches, teammates/peers, and the media play in both positively and negatively influencing the sports experiences of these female athletes. Results revealed overwhelming support for the value that agents play in introducing athletes to sports and providing continued support throughout their sports careers. Results also showed that negative interaction with certain socializing agents sometimes led athletes to sacrifice other aspects of their social lives and at times led them to consider quitting sports. In some instances, athletes did quit their sports teams due to negative interactions. Additionally, sports participation allowed athletes to formulate their identities around sports. Based on the results of this study, I suggest that more educational opportunities need to be provided for various socializing influences such as parents, coaches, teammates/peers, and the media, all of whom impact the participation experiences of girls and women in sport. Advisors/Committee Members: Spencer, Nancy E.

▼ The commercial enticements of national exposure and lucrative television contracts in intercollegiate athletics have led to an increase in spending amongst National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs. This phenomenon has been referred to as the arms race of expenditures wherein athletic administrators outbid one another in an effort to gain a competitive advantage (DeBarros, Dougherty, Evans, Newman, & Palmer, 2009; Knight Commission, 2010; Luebchow, 2008). Intercollegiate conference commissioners fill integral roles as administrators that seek to preserve athletics within their conferences and can offer a unique perspective on the arms race phenomenon (Big Ten, 2011; Covell & Barr, 2010; “The 10 most powerful people,” 2007). The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of conference commissioners on the arms race within NCAA Division I (FBS) intercollegiate athletics in order to gain a deeper understanding of current practices and to supplement this void in the arms race literature. Therefore, four FBS conference commissioners, 17 associate commissioners, and four assistant commissioners (n=25) were surveyed. The inquiry was informed by institutional theory, which enabled an examination of the conferences as orbits of competition (Washington & Patterson, 2011). Results indicated that a majority of commissioners believed the arms race was having a negative effect on their conference, and they had a lack of faith in any suggested policy changes. A general discontent with the current BCS model was also expressed, especially from the commissioners of non-automatic qualifying conferences. Finally, the commissioners indicated feeling a lack of power toward curtailing spending, even if they united with conferences on a national level. Advisors/Committee Members: Schneider, Ray.