Use of Social Media by University Athletics to Improve the In-Venue Sports Experience

Abstract

This qualitative study looked at how athletic department professionals see the relationship between social media engagement, in-venue experiences, and attendance in college basketball. Using the Heuristic-Systematic Model, Elaboration Likelihood Model, Social Identity Theory, and Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study looked at how communication strategies move fans from low-effort digital engagement to higher-effort behavioral commitment. Nine interviews were conducted with members of the social media, marketing, sales, and in-venue staff inside a "Power 4" athletic department. The findings suggest that professionals see fan attendance coming from a cyclical engagement system rather than a cause-and-effect process. Social media generated awareness, emotional arousal, and identity reinforcement, while the in-venue experiences were considered necessary for increasing satisfaction and generating repeat attendance. Cross-department collaboration came out as a main piece linking the organization. Results also showed that fans are seen to rely heavily on heuristic processing when viewing and engaging with social content, and then they shift more toward systematic decision-making when they evaluate attendance. The study contributes to sports communication literature by portraying attendance as a multi-stage cognitive and emotional process shaped by identity and emotion. There is a strong need for communication strategies that keep live event production, digital storytelling, and post-event engagement together to sustain fan relationships long-term.