University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2017 Perceptions Of Ice Hockey Season Ticket Holders On The Implementation Of A Donor-Based Seating Model At Miami University, A Public Midwestern Mid-Major Institution David Coleman Barnes Jr. University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Barnes Jr., David Coleman, "Perceptions Of Ice Hockey Season Ticket Holders On The Implementation Of A Donor-Based Seating Model At Miami University, A Public Midwestern Mid-Major Institution" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 624. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/624 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PERCEPTIONS OF ICE HOCKEY SEASON TICKET HOLDERS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DONOR-BASED SEATING MODEL AT MIAMI UNIVERSITY, A PUBLIC MIDWESTERN MID-MAJOR INSTITUTION Doctor of Philosophy Higher Education The University of Mississippi DAVID COLEMAN BARNES JR. DECEMBER 2017 Copyright © 2017 David Coleman Barnes Jr. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT Intercollegiate athletics is a $10 billion marketplace (Suggs, 2012), with some Division I athletics operating budgets approaching $200 million. College athletics programs are charged with maximizing revenues in an effort to support and enhance the student-athlete experience. This study provides an examination of the perceptions of ice hockey season ticket holders on the implementation of a donor-based seating model at Miami University. Miami ice hockey consistently fills its venue and generates crucial revenues for the athletics department. As the cost to compete for championships continues to increase, schools like Miami must be creative in identifying ways to maximize revenues. The need for expanded revenue streams coupled with high demand for tickets led Miami Athletics to introduce a donor- based seating model for ice hockey prior to the 2014-2015 season. This qualitative case study grounded in phenomenology utilized Tajfel and Turner’s (1979) social identity theory. Collective research and standardized open-ended interviews were conducted with 16 randomly selected ice hockey season ticket holders from the 2013-2014 season. A majority of participants in this study were not in favor of Miami Athletics implementing a donor-based seating model for ice hockey. Despite all the criticisms, most interview participants recognized the need for the athletics department to generate revenue to better position Miami ice hockey for success. College athletics is constantly evolving and revenue generation is so critical to compete at the highest level. To maximize revenues, though, understanding the perceptions of season ticket holders on the implementation of a donor-based seating model is extremely ii important. Nine major themes emerged from this study, with the most prevalent being that people express undesirable feelings toward donor-based seating. Miami Athletics administrators will be able to utilize the results of this study and learn more about their ice hockey season ticket holders’ willingness to support and enhance the student-athlete experience through donor-based seating. Effective communication, relationship building, and student-athlete integration should reduce the backlash that naturally comes from fans having to pay more and ultimately lead to increased funds to support and enhance the student-athlete experience. iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family. To my wife, the former Mary Beth Justice, whom I met in the Student Services in Higher Education class the first semester I was enrolled at Ole Miss. Her support and patience throughout this journey was truly amazing. You are an amazing wife and mother and I appreciate your willingness to embrace and follow my career goals. To my parents, David and Cookie Barnes, as they have preached the importance of education my whole life. They never hesitated to provide educational opportunities for me and my sister, Brooke, and were gracious enough to fund our undergraduate education. To Brooke, thanks for being a great aunt. To Mazie Elder, my granny, you are trulay an amazing woman. Lastly, to my children, Caroline and William. I encourage you to embrace education and pursue lifelong learning. I love you all very much! iv ABBREVIATIONS BCS Bowl Championship Series CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association CSU California State University FBS Football Bowl Subdivision FCS Football Championship Subdivision NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association NCHC National Collegiate Hockey Conference UAB University of Alabama at Birmingham v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS So many people helped me throughout the process of completing this dissertation. I first want to thank the chair of my committee, Dr. Amy Wells Dolan, for sticking with me from the moment I started writing. I appreciate your advising, patience, and motivation over the years. I also want to thank others on my dissertation committee, Dr. John Holleman, Dr. Susan McClelland, and Dr. K.B. Melear. I could not have asked for a more supportive and compassionate group. I must also thank Dr. Tim Letzring, who admitted me to the program. Pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education provided me the opportunity to meet my now wife, the former Mary Beth Justice. We are now both Ole Miss graduates! To Jude Killy, thank you for granting me permission to conduct this study at Miami University and for participating in an interview to assist with the research. I want to thank David Sayler, who also sat down for an interview and contributed to the research. Special thanks to Dr. Kiernan Gordon for his willingness to serve as my research debriefer. I appreciate your support and encouragement to complete the dissertation and look forward to co-authoring research articles with you. To the 16 Miami University ice hockey season ticket holders who participated in the interviews, thank you very much for your contributions to the study. Your candor was greatly appreciated and will help shape future studies and decisions made by athletics administrators in regards to donor-based seating models. There are so many other people who have helped shape my philosophies on fundraising throughout my career. Lastly, many thanks to my bosses, co- vi workers, colleagues, and friends in the business that I have engaged with since entering the profession in 2003. It is a privilege to work in college athletics! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………... ii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………... iv ABBREVIATIONS……..…………………………………………………………………. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………………………………………………………………. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………….. viii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………. xi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………... 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 1 A Symbiotic Relationship………………………………………………………...... 3 The Rise of Big-Time Intercollegiate Athletics…………………………………..... 5 Two-Part Pricing…………………………………………………………………… 8 Pressures for Reform………………………………………………………………..11 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..... 12 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………... 13 Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………………... 14 Purpose Statement………………………………………………………………………….. 17 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………… 17 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………….. ……………... 18 Overview of the Methods………………………………………………………………….. 20 Delimitations……………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Limitations…………………………………………………………………………………. 21 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………………21 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 25 Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………….. 26 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE…………………………………. 27 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 27 Social Identity Theory and Group Membership.……………………………………………27 Donor Motivation and Alumni Engagement………………………………………….......... 31 Athletics Success and Donations ………………………………………………………….. 41 Critical Perspectives on Increased Donations for Intercollegiate Athletics………………. 49 Coaches’ Salaries…………………………………………………………………... 52 Institutional Subsidies ……………………………………………………………....61 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 71 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………... 73 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 73 viii Research Design………………………………………………………………………….... 74 Qualitative Research Design……………………………………………………...... 74 Descriptive Case Study as Research Design………………………………………. 76 Individual Interview Design……………………………………………………….. 77 Role of the Researcher……………………………………………………………………... 78 Professional Background………………………………………………………….. 79 Researcher Assumptions…………………………………………………………… 82 Researcher Bias…………………………………………………………………….. 83 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………….. 85 Setting ……………………………………………………………………………... 85 Participants…………………………………………………………………………. 86 Instrument………………………………………………………………………….. 89 Gaining Access…………………………………………………………………….. 90 Procedure…………………………………………………………………………... 90 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………… 92 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………. 92 Interview Analysis…………………………………………………………………. 93 Coding ……………………………………………………………………………... 93 Triangulation……………………………………………………………………….. 94 Peer Briefing……………………………………………………………………….. 94 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 94 CHAPTER