First Name:
Michelle
Last Name:
Suber
Major Department:
Hospitality & Tourism Management
Thesis Director:
Dana Clark
Date of Thesis:
May 2011
This study investigates the perceptions held by the millennial generation toward team spectator sports. Furthermore, it seeks to understand fanaticism, or enthusiasm and zeal, and how this phenomenon relates to the perceptions held by college students. A survey instrument consisting of 105 questions was used to gather data. Respondents were given nine attributes on which to rate nine different team spectator sports. They were asked to rate how well each attribute embodied their perception of the specific sport on a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 506 women and 406 men responded. A majority of the respondents were from North Carolina, specifically from the Appalachian State University campus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, and the North Carolina State University campus. A sports fanaticism scale was also included within the survey instrument to determine the difference between regular sports fans and fans that experience a level of devotion to sports that can be classified as fanaticism. In comparison, the perceptions of the "All-American" group of spectator sports (college basketball, college football, and professional football) were found to be most popular, while NASCAR and wrestling were found to be least appealing to college students. The results showed no significant relationship between males and females in the areas of soccer, college football, NASCAR, and WWE wrestling. The fanaticism scale was found to be significant between males and females in the remaining sports categories. A significant relationship was also revealed between males and females and the nine spectator sports measured. Overall, results suggest that there is a positive relationship between millennials' perceptions of spectator sports, fanaticism, and gender.