Corporate sponsorships at NCAA division I-A independent colleges

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine what the most frequently used methods were in obtaining corporate sponsors for athletic departments. A questionnaire was sent to all NCAA division Iâ A independent colleges (N = 24) in the United States. Twenty-one athletic departments returned the questionnaire for a response rate of 88%. The questionnaire investigated several areas of corporate sponsorship programs in the athletic departments: (a) staff size, (b) types of solicitation used to attract corporate sponsors (c) the athletic department's association with corporate sponsor, (d) the location of corporate sponsor, and (e) the benefits received by both corporate sponsor and the athletic department. Two important findings were made because of the study. First, 80% of the corporate sponsors used were either vendors or sponsors who employed alumni. Seventy-four percent of the corporate sponsors were located between zero and one hundred and fifty miles from the university.