Matching Items (9)
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- All Subjects: sports
- Creators: Mokwa, Michael
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Description
We were driven by the question: what is happening to the popularity of Major League Baseball? In order to answer this question we compared the league structure of Major League Baseball with that of the National Football League. We were able to speak with five former or current members of the respective leagues in order to gain some insight into how the two leagues operate. The main focus of our research was around the payroll structures of the two leagues as well as their revenue sharing policies. In the end, we discovered that Major League Baseball is becoming highly regionalized. The sport is still growing in popularity in terms of revenue and fan involvement, but it is becoming less popular on a national stage. The league is benefitting greatly from factors like the increasing importance of "TiVo proof programming" and a lack of competition. Each league is very different in its own right. While the NFL promotes a perception of competitive balance, Major League Baseball can be plagued by the negative perception it creates surrounding some of its smaller market teams.
ContributorsHeath, Cameron (Co-author) / Linamen, John (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Las Vegas, Nevada has been considered the "Entertainment Capital of the World" bolstering what seems like endless possibilities and attractions for those who come looking to have a good time. From the many storied casinos that line The Strip, to replicas of wonders of the world, and the countless attractions the city hosts such as the world-renowned shows and other blockbuster events, Vegas seems to have it all. However, one thing seems to be missing \u2014 professional sports. This project highlights the introduction of Las Vegas' first ever professional sports franchise, the Golden Knights, along with the journey it took to get there. Beginning with origins of professional hockey and the foundation of the NHL in 1927, the League has grown substantially in size that spans over 19 states, from coast to coast, across the country. From the NHL's first expansion in 1967, the league has witnessed immense growth through the influence of broadcasting rights and seen through increased television ratings, in-game attendance numbers, and youth hockey registration numbers in markets throughout the United States. The growth and promotion of hockey culture in regions outside the North and Northeastern part of the nation have led to the recent expansion of hockey into Las Vegas. This thesis covers the steps in which the new Vegas franchise was formed, in addition to the key factors that led to the team's incredible inaugural season success which has marked them the most successful expansion team ALL North American sports history. Finally, after displaying the contributions the Golden Knights have had on the ice, this thesis illustrates the impact the team has made off the ice both for the Las Vegas economy and the local community. Through the construction of Vegas' state of the art arena, the franchise's ticket and merchandise sales, the media value and attention the team has brought to Las Vegas, and the increase in jobs created for the city, the Golden Knights have been generating hundreds of millions of dollars for Las Vegas. As the city's first professional sports franchise, the Golden Knights have truly become a successful addition to the "Entertainment Capital of the World," and to the NHL itself.
ContributorsDickson Darr, Gage (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Incidents relating to professional/collegiate athletes and their use of social media have been a prominent topic in the news for the last several years. For collegiate athletes, a distasteful, offensive post can have a substantial impact on the rest of their lives, as he/she can have scholarships revoked, legal action taken upon them, and professional offers cut. An athlete's poor actions will affect their brand image and that of the school whose uniform they wear. Outcry over these incidents have caused teams, themselves, to compensate in a variety of ways. The following thesis is a narrative representation of these incidents, resulting outcry, and desperate compensation. The narrative touches upon the impact social media can have on a team, athletic department, and university. It explores the rules/restrictions of social media, marketing concepts such as branding, the right to free speech, and the impact/consequences of bad choices. The narrative is preceded and followed by analysis of real-world examples to provide sound rationale for the actions taken in the narrative.
ContributorsBornhoft, Holly Marie (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The goal of my thesis is to discover what fans, specifically students, want to see at the games and what different marketing efforts will encourage them to attend these games more frequently. I will also be analyzing what different factors of the game impact attendance the most to minimize these obstacles for consumers. I look at past research and trends when it comes to attendance, determining which factors and attributes of the game influence the students the most. Students are a portion of the target audience for the Diamondbacks which is the audience I will be focusing on. I conduct research to find the overall interest in sports and find out what influences students to attend games. The student ticket program with the Arizona Diamondbacks is available to all students over the age of 18, and I will find out how knowledgeable students are about this program along with their level of interest. I will then determine what steps the Diamondbacks should take next to combat the decreasing attendance levels.
ContributorsKenny, Carsen (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-05
ContributorsKenny, Carsen (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-05
ContributorsKenny, Carsen (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
The FIFA Men’s World Cup is returning to the United States for the first time since 1994 and will be the very first edition to host 48 teams, 80 total games, and have three host countries. The bid process for this edition of the World Cup is extremely complicated, and the final host cities for the United States are not yet known. What follows is a recommendation to FIFA on who the ten host cities from the United States should be in 2026. Based on the FIFA Bid Book that the bid from the United States, Canada, and Mexico sent to FIFA, along with additional research and surveys sent to fans, the final ten host cities from the United States should be Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Baltimore/Washington DC. Further, it is shocking that the City of Phoenix did not submit a bid to host games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following the recommendation of the final ten host cities, a potential bid for Phoenix to host the games is created that likely would have won the city the rights to host matches because of Phoenix’s high potential revenue, new stadium, and city location. Ultimately, if Phoenix would have sent this bid to FIFA, they would have an extremely strong case for hosting games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
ContributorsGaspari, Kyle (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Accurately assessing Major League Baseball player value is at the core of consistent success for any MLB organization. Effectively targeting players in trades and strategically spending available funds in the free agent market are of increasing importance as MLB salaries rise. In a sport where it takes 162 games to separate contenders, any advantage in identifying talent can be the difference between winning and losing. This paper draws team batting data from the past seven MLB seasons and runs a multi-variable regression to measure the run value of each individual batting outcome. If teams can more accurately measure the offensive value a player produces, they can more optimally spend their finances. Our regression results suggest that previously used statistics such as wOBA and OPS neglect outcome that have significant effects: baserunning ability and out type. Further contract analysis on four free-agent signing from 2018-2019 free agent class illustrate that teams often over and underestimate player value and could benefit greatly with more accurate player evaluation.
ContributorsGildea, Matthew E (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis explores data-driven engagement strategies for the ASU Baseball team to implement in order to increase student attendance at their home games, held at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, given that all general students have a financial buy-in to their collegiate athletic programs. Developing a loyal fan base is essential to a team’s overall success, leading to an increased sense of pride and passion for on-field heroism. Our research team's focus was on analyzing the brand positioning of the Sun Devil Baseball program to determine what opportunities exist within the program. Our methods included collecting secondary data and conducting primary research via a Qualtrics survey administered to undergraduate students on ASU’s campus. The survey results were then used to propose data-driven engagement strategies covering various aspects of campus life in order to provide a well-designed value proposition. Additionally, we used findings from our secondary data to evolve our recommendations past student attendance and into overall presence as well. Through conducting research of different histories, examining the current situation, then identifying an opportunity to grow along with a plan of action, this creative project will cover multiple key areas of a student brand report.
ContributorsPersonale, Caitlin (Author) / Berge, Nicole (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2022-05