On September 30, 2019, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, signed the Fair Pay to Play Act which prohibited universities from taking away an athlete’s scholarship should they choose to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). This was a monumental moment in college athletics as numerous lawsuits against the NCAA had been filed by former and current athletes due to the unfair nature of “amateurism.” With California getting the ball rolling and the Supreme Court pressuring the NCAA to change their outdated ways, the NCAA withdrew their rule stating that student athletes could not monetize their NIL. While this was a massive step forward in regard to compensating athletes for the time and effort they put into their sport that in turn generates revenue for the school, it also posed many questions that needed an in-depth look into including how this will affect non-revenue generating sports. This study aims to measure the student-athlete knowledge surrounding name, image, and likeness, as well as capture the athletes, coaches, and administrators' projections of the future implications of this policy. On the surface, this is a wonderful opportunity for college athletes. However, with the variability in the popularity and profitability between revenue generating and non-revenue generating sports, this does not put student-athletes on a level playing field to profit off their name, image, and likeness. With non-revenue generating sports falling vastly behind revenue generating sports, a further divide between these two segments of collegiate sports will form. Though there is an opportunity for all collegiate athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness, the feasibility of putting these athletes on a level playing field is slim. In addition, with this new era comes a whole new set of rules for recruiting tactics and the desire to get more influential athletes. The data collected for this thesis, in conjunction with this new rule, implies that sports producing more influential athletes will be given more money as more eyes will be on the individual athletes. This will leave smaller sports behind because it will continue to create a divide between revenue generating and non-revenue generating sports. This gap will be created by increasing the publicity and recognition surrounding the revenue generating sports, while pushing less relevant sports further behind.

On September 30, 2019, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, signed the Fair Pay to Play Act which prohibited universities from taking away an athlete’s scholarship should they choose to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). This was a monumental moment in college athletics as numerous lawsuits against the NCAA had been filed by former and current athletes due to the unfair nature of “amateurism.” With California getting the ball rolling and the Supreme Court pressuring the NCAA to change their outdated ways, the NCAA withdrew their rule stating that student athletes could not monetize their NIL. While this was a massive step forward in regard to compensating athletes for the time and effort they put into their sport that in turn generates revenue for the school, it also posed many questions that needed an in-depth look into including how this will affect non-revenue generating sports. This study aims to measure the student-athlete knowledge surrounding name, image, and likeness, as well as capture the athletes, coaches, and administrators' projections of the future implications of this policy. On the surface, this is a wonderful opportunity for college athletes. However, with the variability in the popularity and profitability between revenue generating and non-revenue generating sports, this does not put student-athletes on a level playing field to profit off their name, image, and likeness. With non-revenue generating sports falling vastly behind revenue generating sports, a further divide between these two segments of collegiate sports will form. Though there is an opportunity for all collegiate athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness, the feasibility of putting these athletes on a level playing field is slim. In addition, with this new era comes a whole new set of rules for recruiting tactics and the desire to get more influential athletes. The data collected for this thesis, in conjunction with this new rule, implies that sports producing more influential athletes will be given more money as more eyes will be on the individual athletes. This will leave smaller sports behind because it will continue to create a divide between revenue generating and non-revenue generating sports. This gap will be created by increasing the publicity and recognition surrounding the revenue generating sports, while pushing less relevant sports further behind.

Soccer is considered one of the world’s most popular sports. In a 2017 Nielsen survey, 43 percent of people in 18 global markets said they were “interested” or “very interested” in the sport. However, multiple leagues across the globe allow for differences regarding fan bases.

Major League Soccer (MLS) was adopted as an official men’s soccer league on December 17, 1993, by the United States Soccer Federation. The league consists of 27 teams (24 in the US and 3 in Canada). By 2023, the league will expand to 30 teams. The season begins in March and play continues through mid-October, with a playoff bracket.

The English Premier League (EPL) was established on February 20, 1992 and is made up of 20 clubs. The season runs from mid-August to mid-May, with 380 matches across the league being played. There are no “playoffs”; instead, a winner is determined by a point system. Points add up throughout the season (three points for a win, one point for a draw, none for a loss).

The average attendance for the two leagues is fairly consistent. The most popular team in the EPL, Manchester United, averaged 57,942 spectators per game in 2019 (Statista). The most popular team in the MLS, Atlanta United, averaged 52,210 spectators per game in 2019 (Statista). Average television viewership between the two leagues is drastically different. The EPL is the most watched sports league in the world. In 2019, a Nielsen study found that the total audience delivered on NBC per match averaged 462,000 viewers (this number does not include Spanish language broadcasts or streaming data from NBC Sports Gold and Peacock Sports Group). Another Nielsen study found that the MLS’s 31-game schedule on ESPN and ESPN 2 had a total average audience of 246,000 viewers.

This website identifies the major differences in marketing and fan groups between the two leagues, and includes ideas on how to overcome these differences and make Major League Soccer have a larger presence in the United States, like the way the Premier League has a large presence in the U.K.

Website Link: https://fangapsinmlsandepl.wordpress.com

When major sporting events such as the Super Bowl occur, there is a perceived increase in the amount of sex trafficking that occurs in the host city of the event. This study sought to determine if there was a direct causal relationship between major sporting events and sex trafficking, or if the perceived spike in sex trafficking was due to increased scrutiny and attention sex trafficking receives during these events. Ultimately, after examining other studies and statistics, the conclusion was that while a direct causal relationship could not be determined between major sporting events and sex trafficking, there is a lucrative opportunity and higher risk for sex trafficking to occur at these major sporting events due to the risk factors associated with the event such as the high concentration of people in the area, the party atmosphere the event fosters, and the high amount of disposable income people at the event possess. This study also examined other aspects of sex trafficking such as the scope of the crime across the world, common characteristics among victims and offenders, and strategies used to combat the problem.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.

"Defining the Line" is an intention to clarify appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors within the athletic community. The objective of this project is to improve sexual violence prevention training to be more specifically catered to the daily interactions of a student-athlete. A new method of education has been introduced to Sun Devil Athletics and could also extend to the NCAA.