Matching Items (18)
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- All Subjects: sports
- Creators: Department of Finance
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
The sports universe has been around for over a century and yet the at home sports viewing experience has seen little change. Even though our society has seen monumental innovative, technological advances, watching sports at home has not undergone any changes and may soon find itself a thing of the past unless something changes. When the COVID-19 pandemic arose, a problem surfaced of revenue loss and decreasing fan retention leaving teams and leagues stumbling for solutions. RYZE offers a never before seen product that can revolutionize how sports fans watch and engage in sporting events. By taking the lucrative concept of “battle passes” from the video game industry and placing it in the sports industry, RYZE hopes to increase overall fan revenue, retention, and engagement. A clear market size and wide range of potential customers, RYZE looks to help fans stay engaged while also earning prizes. With competition ranging from fantasy sports to virtual reality, RYZE has competitive advantages that give it potential to become a sports fan’s go to product when thinking about their favorite team. RYZE has gone from a propelling question to a bright idea and then to a prototype along with a full pitch deck and hopes to engrain itself in college athletics, MLB, and other professional sports leagues.
ContributorsTimmermann, Justin Michael (Co-author) / Diaz, Daniel (Co-author) / Meyer, Sarah (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Kunowski, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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
This project dives into the journey of our entrepreneurial startup with the Founders Lab Thesis Program. In the global sports business industry, we knew that there was something missing. While conducting market research, there was little data and information about sustainability initiatives that engaged sports fans, especially in college sports. Not to mention, there was no sustainability information provided on any existing platforms that sporting teams use for ticketing and advertising. So, for our startup, we decided to create a website called SustainSports which gives fans the opportunity to inform themselves about sustainability initiatives at sports events (https://sustainsports.webflow.io/). These fans can also earn points and rewards for practicing sustainability activities at home. In short, SustainSports serves as an educational, interactive, and informative website that connects users to sustainability initiatives, community activities, and exciting rewards, while encouraging users to continue such environmentally-friendly practices in their daily lives. In chronological order, this thesis paper will examine the process we took to create SustainSports and demonstrate our efforts that properly allowed us to defend it one academic year later. From meetings with renowned sports enthusiasts and professors to interviews with ASU students and sports fans, we have listened to and taken in diverse perspectives to understand the perceptions of sustainability in the global sports industry. When we realized that there was a significant gap between sports and sustainability - both important elements of American society and culture - we knew a change needed to be made. Hence, SustainSports came to life, offering users a fresh opportunity to be more aware of their sustainability surroundings, while simultaneously enjoying the sports they know and love.
ContributorsThirunagari, Samay (Co-author) / Bruce, Daniel (Co-author) / Stanisic, Yelena (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Kunowski, Jeff (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The Arizona Fall League is a baseball league affiliated with Major League Baseball to provide further development to seven of each MLB team’s top minor league prospects. The games are played at the same stadiums as spring training in Arizona but historically draw a very low attendance in comparison. The marketing strategies currently used to promote and advertise the Arizona Fall League are not sufficient to meet the goal of increased attendance and increased profits as a result. The league currently markets its core product to the customer, meaning the actual baseball game itself along with the highly talented players, rather than the actual product provided to fans, meaning the social utility they gain from their experiences at an Arizona Fall League game along with the game. The league needs to focus mainly on two target markets: men and women ages 18-25 and families with children under 18. In order to shift the focus to the actual product, the league’s marketing staff should run promotions (alongside their current promotions) in association with local sports bars or restaurants and places that provide entertainment, such as Top Golf. They also should revamp their social media accounts to integrate a more fan-focused base for their posts, making fans feel like they are a greater part of the experience. These improvements would drive up attendance and generate more profits for the Arizona Fall League.
ContributorsMcCann, Matthew Donald (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to map the process by which Division I sports are added at universities and to create a blueprint for any passionate and driven individual who would like to see their sport of choice added at any college.
Methods: Information for this study was gathered through qualitative interviews with sports administrators at eleven of the twelve universities in the PAC-12 conference. This primary research was supplemented with secondary research of media sources and
PAC-12 and NCAA documents.
Results: Four key factors are involved in adding a new Division I sports program at any university. These factors are: funding, Title IX status, conference and sport status, and administrative mindset.
Conclusion: The four factors stated above are critical in the addition of any new sports program, though there will be significant variations from sport to sport and from university to university. In the case of men’s wrestling at USC, the group of advocates needs to demonstrate the significant value adding wrestling will bring to the athletic department and school. They should also follow this up with a clear plan of how they will navigate the funding, Title IX requirements and conference status.
Methods: Information for this study was gathered through qualitative interviews with sports administrators at eleven of the twelve universities in the PAC-12 conference. This primary research was supplemented with secondary research of media sources and
PAC-12 and NCAA documents.
Results: Four key factors are involved in adding a new Division I sports program at any university. These factors are: funding, Title IX status, conference and sport status, and administrative mindset.
Conclusion: The four factors stated above are critical in the addition of any new sports program, though there will be significant variations from sport to sport and from university to university. In the case of men’s wrestling at USC, the group of advocates needs to demonstrate the significant value adding wrestling will bring to the athletic department and school. They should also follow this up with a clear plan of how they will navigate the funding, Title IX requirements and conference status.
ContributorsSmall, Conner (Author) / Nelson, Kelly (Thesis director) / Jones, Zeke (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The purpose of this paper is to identify if there is a relationship between the year-over-year success of a Division 1 college football team and numerous academic and financial indicators of the host university. College football has become the lifeblood of major university athletic programs as it is consistently the top revenue generator for university athletic programs across the country. The purpose of this paper is to not only identify the correlation between the success of these teams and financial indicators but to also identify if there are non-financial aspects that are affected by the football team’s success and how a university can capitalize on these.
Specifically, this paper focuses on the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team’s year-over-year results from 2006-2016 and uses this dataset as a comparison against multiple academic and financial measures from the university. This paper also attempts to define what a university's “brand” is and discuss the effect that these teams have on a student’s experience at the university. Based on these findings and results, we attempt to draw conclusions surrounding this information on if there are certain correlations between football success and university indicators and how strongly these indicators affect the university and its brand.
Specifically, this paper focuses on the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team’s year-over-year results from 2006-2016 and uses this dataset as a comparison against multiple academic and financial measures from the university. This paper also attempts to define what a university's “brand” is and discuss the effect that these teams have on a student’s experience at the university. Based on these findings and results, we attempt to draw conclusions surrounding this information on if there are certain correlations between football success and university indicators and how strongly these indicators affect the university and its brand.
ContributorsRaysik, Bailey (Co-author) / Whiteley, Andrew (Co-author) / Roberton, Sean (Co-author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The landscape of professional sporting venues within the United States is changing. From 1990-2018, within the four main American professional sports leagues, 20 new NHL arenas, 24 new NBA arenas, 22 new NFL stadiums, and 26 new MLB stadiums were built. As the industry morphs, a handful of new initiatives are being worked into the construct of these venues including increased commercial areas for shopping and restaurants and sharing of the venues between two organizations in an attempt to increase the overall utilization of the spaces. Additionally, in Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta, where new stadiums and arenas were just recently introduced, the municipalities are using the venues to catalyze further growth and development within the city. However, these trends, while innovative, are tethered to high prices.
This thesis seeks to analyze the changes in how current stadiums are being funded, the public’s reaction to and perception of those financing plans and what the future might hold. Research showed that tax dollars are increasingly unpopular and that teams are moving away from using public money to fund sports venues. Gathered for this report, survey data of 815 Arizona State University students supported anecdotal evidence that people within a community are relatively unhappy with the idea of their money being used to partially subsidize wealthy sports organizations’ infrastructure. Altogether, recent evidence suggests that multi-use facilities funded in majority by private wealth are more popular and generate greater economic impact for the municipality than earlier in history, when heavily subsidized venues allowed teams to take advantage of local government and created fan mistrust. Additionally, sporting organizations can increase value to their consumer by incorporating additional commercial properties into the venue and by collaborating with the public regarding the financing structure of the venue.
This thesis seeks to analyze the changes in how current stadiums are being funded, the public’s reaction to and perception of those financing plans and what the future might hold. Research showed that tax dollars are increasingly unpopular and that teams are moving away from using public money to fund sports venues. Gathered for this report, survey data of 815 Arizona State University students supported anecdotal evidence that people within a community are relatively unhappy with the idea of their money being used to partially subsidize wealthy sports organizations’ infrastructure. Altogether, recent evidence suggests that multi-use facilities funded in majority by private wealth are more popular and generate greater economic impact for the municipality than earlier in history, when heavily subsidized venues allowed teams to take advantage of local government and created fan mistrust. Additionally, sporting organizations can increase value to their consumer by incorporating additional commercial properties into the venue and by collaborating with the public regarding the financing structure of the venue.
ContributorsCwiakala, Alec (Co-author) / Kleen, Brendon (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Barrett Honors Thesis
Abstract
Noah Zweiback
The 21st century has brought significant changes to American consumers through technological advancements, social medias, and changing public sentiments. The sport industry in particular has been largely unable to capitalize on these changes due to the traditional nature of sports.
Keyball™ is the new 21st century sport specifically designed to have the greatest spectator appeal in this modern age. With focus on athleticism, parity, theatrical/emotional engagements, and community impact, Keyball™ aims to create a fan experience that is not achievable by other professional sports leagues. By design, there is high skillset carryover from other sports, ensuring tremendous talent will always be available, and fans of many different sports will find Keyball™ attractive to watch and follow.
The professional sports industry has been dominated by only a few players for the past century. Due to the traditional nature of sports, innovation is hard to implement in professional leagues. Tackle football is A. incredibly dangerous, causing broken bones, torn ligaments and tendons, and serious brain damage (concussions, CTE) at high rates. B. Football is low scoring and C. the pace of play is very slow. Basketball by nature A. overwhelmingly rewards height or verticality. It also B. lacks physicality and C. parity (NBA level). D. The foul system is flawed and easily exploited, dampening the end of games.
Keyball™ is positioned to A. be much more violent than basketball/soccer/baseball, while being significantly safer than tackle football. In addition, B. the speed of play is much faster than football, similar to a soccer/basketball live play style. C. Keyball™ is high scoring (like basketball, unlike football and soccer) and features much more dynamic/exciting scoring opportunities than traditional team sports. Keyball™ D. unifies the highly entertaining skillsets of soccer players (foot skill) with basketball/football players (explosiveness & hand coordination). E. Keyball™ has inherent double meaning that alludes to gambling (Keyball™ Wager) yet still promotes charity, selflessness, and American values (capitalism, sportsmanship, teamwork).
Abstract
Noah Zweiback
The 21st century has brought significant changes to American consumers through technological advancements, social medias, and changing public sentiments. The sport industry in particular has been largely unable to capitalize on these changes due to the traditional nature of sports.
Keyball™ is the new 21st century sport specifically designed to have the greatest spectator appeal in this modern age. With focus on athleticism, parity, theatrical/emotional engagements, and community impact, Keyball™ aims to create a fan experience that is not achievable by other professional sports leagues. By design, there is high skillset carryover from other sports, ensuring tremendous talent will always be available, and fans of many different sports will find Keyball™ attractive to watch and follow.
The professional sports industry has been dominated by only a few players for the past century. Due to the traditional nature of sports, innovation is hard to implement in professional leagues. Tackle football is A. incredibly dangerous, causing broken bones, torn ligaments and tendons, and serious brain damage (concussions, CTE) at high rates. B. Football is low scoring and C. the pace of play is very slow. Basketball by nature A. overwhelmingly rewards height or verticality. It also B. lacks physicality and C. parity (NBA level). D. The foul system is flawed and easily exploited, dampening the end of games.
Keyball™ is positioned to A. be much more violent than basketball/soccer/baseball, while being significantly safer than tackle football. In addition, B. the speed of play is much faster than football, similar to a soccer/basketball live play style. C. Keyball™ is high scoring (like basketball, unlike football and soccer) and features much more dynamic/exciting scoring opportunities than traditional team sports. Keyball™ D. unifies the highly entertaining skillsets of soccer players (foot skill) with basketball/football players (explosiveness & hand coordination). E. Keyball™ has inherent double meaning that alludes to gambling (Keyball™ Wager) yet still promotes charity, selflessness, and American values (capitalism, sportsmanship, teamwork).
ContributorsZweiback, Noah B (Writer of accompanying material) / Denning, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
It's the last Friday before break, everyone is excited and rush to put on their uniform. The class eagerly lines up for morning stretches and the P.E. Instructor announces, "Today we're playing... DODGEBALL!" Half the class cheers eyeing their friends with a competitive smirk, while the other half tremble in their sneakers mentally reliving their last terrifying red rubber ball experience. Dodgeball's polarizing popularity has created an uproar in the public-school system with many claiming that the traditional sport is beneficial while others assert it's dangerous and lobby for its prohibition citing recent damages and lawsuits. Dodgeball is a sport that far most often elicits vivid memories of gym class; however, there is a rich and active history of competitive dodgeball worldwide. Dodgeball's resurgence since the popular film of the same name in 2004 has sparked a competitive flair for the game and quickly gained the attention of sports media which has highlighted the team-focused competitive aspect of the beloved sport. The sport of dodgeball was originally developed in Africa over 200 years ago and first observed by a missionary named Dr. James Carlisle (History of Dodgeball)1. The concept of the sport was exceptionally crude, as the African tribes used large rocks and putrefied matter to continuously pelt the opposing players. The defending team would gather around their downed player to deflect projectiles and allow their teammate to recover. Dr. Carlisle recognized that the tribesmen used the sport as a means to build trust and demonstrated remarkable athleticism amongst their warriors. Dr. Carlisle introduced this innovative team-based sport to his colleagues in England instead utilizing leather balls; however, the doctor quickly recognized that his colleagues didn't possess the necessary strength, agility, nor teamwork to compete in the game at its current state. The sport was updated and played on an open field with no set area restrictions. The game was similar to a large-scale chess match in which opposing teams aim to strategically trap and aggressively target players in order to remove them from play. The sport was played this way for a century until in 1884 when Phillip Ferguson from Yale University brought the competition to America with a new set of guidelines. The reformed sport included a definite number of players, dodgeballs, and predetermined space for the competition leading to widespread adoption by the American school system. Today, dodgeball has emerged as a competitive sport with multiple regional competitive leagues around the country and even two distinct professional dodgeball leagues in which teams can earn prize money, sponsorships, and for elite teams, world championship glory. Dodgeball is often recognized as a popular activity in the public school physical education system and has been a cornerstone of the course exemplifying sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic skills through coordinated team play since inception; however, in recent years, the sport has come into scrutiny as lawsuits resulting from damages and concerned parents voice against the activity.
ContributorsHorton, John Joseph (Author) / Sadusky, Brian (Thesis director) / Carter, Phillip (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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