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Purchase intention behind Mercer University’s inaugural football team

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the drivers of consumer intentions surrounding a new college football program and its fan base. This study relied on and extended the Theory of Reasoned Action by incorporating variables of identity and loyalty and tested their mediated effect on intention to engage with a newly-fielded college football program at Mercer University in Macon, GA. The findings suggest that attitudes and normative beliefs have the strongest effect on intentions. Further, the analysis revealed partial mediation where students’ identity as football fans in general and intentions to engage in the new football program at their university were mediated by the students’ loyalty toward their university where the football team was developing. Overall, the model tested for this study explained almost 80 % of variation in intent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Macon Campus, Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University, Macon, GA, USA

    Steven McClung &  Ania Izabela Rynarzewska

Authors
  1. Steven McClung
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  2. Ania Izabela Rynarzewska
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Correspondence to Ania Izabela Rynarzewska.

Additional information

Dr. Steven McClung is an associate dean and director of graduate studies, Macon Campus, Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University, and holds Ph.D.

Dr. Ania Izabela Rynarzewska is an assistant professor in sports business, Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University, and holds Ph.D.

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McClung, S., Rynarzewska, A.I. Purchase intention behind Mercer University’s inaugural football team. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 12, 155–167 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-015-0130-y

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