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Place Matters: Rivalry, Rival Perceptions, and the Influence of Exposure and Proximity

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Rivalry in Sport

Abstract

This chapter uses two studies to illustrate the use of the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS) by investigating differences in rival perceptions based on exposure and relative proximity to the out-group. Specifically, Study 1 examined how having visited the city where the rival team plays outside of sport consumption influenced perceptions of the rival team, and Study 2 compared how college students at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Wyoming viewed their rival schools. Results showed that both out-group exposure and relative proximity influenced participant rival perceptions. Taken together, the studies added further support for using the SRFPS and added to the literature on rivalry and group behavior. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Maass, Salvi, Arcuri, & Semin (1989) found that people tended to stereotype positive behaviors to in-groups and negative behaviors to out-groups.

  2. 2.

    The two schools are scheduled to play their 2020 matchup in Fort Collins, after which the schools may not play on a regular basis (Keeler, 2019).

  3. 3.

    Residing in the same state, fans of Colorado and Colorado State often use their athletics contests as ways to indicate which group reigns supreme in the state, which is common among intrastate rivals.

  4. 4.

    In the data used in Study 2, 62 fans of Colorado and 172 fans of Wyoming considered Colorado State to be their primary rival. In turn, 49 Colorado State fans considered Colorado their primary rival, whereas 3 assigned that title to Wyoming.

  5. 5.

    In many states, the flagship school receives more animosity than other schools because of their stature as The University of. In turn, fans of flagship schools typically view state or agricultural schools as though they are not as prominent (Havard & Eddy, 2013).

  6. 6.

    Students reported more negative perceptions of the University of Iowa (303 miles from Lincoln and bordering state) than the University Wisconsin (480 miles from Lincoln). Among other factors, proximity seemed to play a role in their perceptions of relevant rival schools.

  7. 7.

    Had Colorado still competed in the Big 12 Conference, or if they had competed in the Pac 12 for a longer period of time, many students may have not identified Colorado State as a primary rival.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bureau of Sport and Leisure Commerce, Kemmons Wilson School, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA

    Cody T. Havard, Timothy D. Ryan & Michael Hutchinson

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  1. Cody T. Havard
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  2. Timothy D. Ryan
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Correspondence to Cody T. Havard .

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Havard, C.T., Ryan, T.D., Hutchinson, M. (2020). Place Matters: Rivalry, Rival Perceptions, and the Influence of Exposure and Proximity. In: Rivalry in Sport. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47455-3_3

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