Jaime Orejan, assistant professor of leisure and sport management, has had an article published in the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education titled “An Examination of Influences and Factors on the Institutional Selection Process of Freshmen Student-Athletes at Small Colleges and Universities,” Volume 16, (2) pp 105-134.
The article was written with colleagues from Missouri State University and Middle Tennessee State University.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to identify institutional selection factors most influential upon small-college student-athletes. Mean scores for 229 freshman student-athletes from six institutions were analyzed using a modified Student-Athlete College Choice Profile Scale. The sample was also stratified by gender and sports-program categories. Overall, four of the 10 most significant factors were related to sports programs. Male and female athletes appeared similarly motivated by four factors, though not identically ranked. Influences differed between revenue-sport participants, with seven sports program factors among their top 10 influences, and non-revenue sport participants, with three sports program factors among their top 10 influences.
Results imply that factors influencing small-college student-athletes’ institutional choices combine athletic, academic, and campus-related influences, and that personnel could best recruit student-athletes with strategies incorporating amenities, public relations, and academics.