Student-Athletes and Their Willingness to Contribute Financially in the Future to Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Abstract

The present study examines the perceptions of student-athletes at a mid-sized
Midwest public university. The study relates the athletic, academic, and social
experiences of student-athletes to their willingness to make financial contributions to
the department of Athletics in the future. By knowing the degree of association to an
athletic-department and/or sport team, predictors can be established to determine
potential donors and their preferred recipient of support. In order to study these
predictors, student-athletes were administered a survey and asked to participate in oneon-
one interviews. Survey protocols were administered via a web-based survey
instrument which received a response rate of 20%. Seven interviews were also
conducted, representing nine different sports, in order to obtain more descriptive
information regarding student-athlete experiences and perceived giving behavior.
Results showed that, on average, student-athletes considered financially
contributing based on their overall collegiate experiences. According to the studentathlete
sampled, a positive experience is directly related to the student-athletes'
relationships with coaches and peers. The findings suggest that these positive
experiences are directly relates to a heightened perception of financially contributing in
the future.

Date of Award	2011
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	James Wallace (Supervisor)