Intercollegiate athletics in the United States have continuously become more commercialized, pressuring athletics departments and coaches to produce winning teams. The commanding expectations for successful programs have been thought to take away from the academic mission of colleges and universities, focusing efforts on athletics over academics. This phenomenon has been examined, but the role head coaches play in support of student-athlete academics has yet to be explored. The purpose of this study is to measure student-athlete perception of academic support from Division I head coaches. Current literature demonstrates the strong influence of coaches on student-athletes, but the effect in the area of academics is unknown. Therefore, the research presented aims to evaluate the connection between student-athletes and the academic support of head coaches.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1980. / Title from title page screen, viewed Feb. 21, 2005. Dissertation Committee: John McCarthy, John Brickell (co-chairs), Clayton Thomas, Laurene Mabry, Donna Jo Workman. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-162) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1987. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-160). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

abstract: College sports in America represent a multibillion dollar industry. Recruiting collegiate student-athletes not only is costly for university teams, but is integral for their long-term success. Universities spend substantial amounts of money to recruit student-athletes, yet relatively little academic work has focused on understanding the athletic recruiting process. While NCAA policy regulates when communication is allowed between coaches and student-athletes, there is a lack of literature investigating what the communicative aspects of athletic recruiting entail. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to unpack the student-athlete experience of collegiate athletic recruitment. It builds on theoretical work from organizational and interpersonal communication, as well as management and marketing, to extend existing knowledge of student-athletes’ college choice. Specifically, a conceptual model is presented that includes how student-athletes’ expectations and relationships during athletic recruitment contribute to an overall affinity for the university that, in turn, influences choice. Thirty Division I student-athletes from six different sports participated in focus groups to discuss their recruitment experiences. Taking a grounded theory approach to the focus group transcripts, thematic analysis illuminated what was most memorable for student-athletes about their recruitment, what expectations they had for the process, and what relational benefits they sought when making their college choice decision. Findings reinforced the prominence of communication in the recruitment process, and indicated the importance of interpersonal relationships, authentic communication, and a customized recruiting experience. This work represents the start of a scholarly trajectory which will further conceptualize and test the relational elements of athletic recruiting. Future directions, as well as theoretical and practical implications, are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2019

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This study presents a systematic literature review of research evaluating components of athletic identity in participating NCAA Division I, II, and III athletes. Publications were gathered from six databases: APA PsycINFO, APA PsycARTICLES, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus. 26 records met the criteria for inclusion. Four themes were analyzed in the research: academic factors, demographic factors, sport-specific factors, and psychological factors. Study limitations and recommendations for future research are assessed, such as challenges associated with self-report instruments and benefits of employing a longitudinal research design. Recommendations for practitioners and staff are also discussed.

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Thesis advisor: Angela Boatman / In this dissertation, I critically examine the intersection of Title IX compliance in athletics and college admissions. In my first paper, I use descriptive statistics to show a pattern of noncompliance with Title IX at institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2002 to 2022. By analyzing cross-sectional data from 2002, 2012, and 2022, I demonstrate that institutions with higher admission rates for men compared to women are more likely to achieve compliance with Title IX athletic regulations. This suggests that admission practices may serve as a strategic tool for meeting Title IX requirements, a perspective that has not been thoroughly examined in existing research on Title IX compliance. In my second paper, I extend these findings by analyzing panel data from NCAA institutions between 2003 and 2022. The results indicate that as the proportion of female applicants increase for an institution, the institution is more likely to be non-compliant with Title IX athletic regulations. This suggests that the composition of the applicant pool and the choices of prospective students influence institutional adherence with Title IX. I also find that an institution is more likely to achieve Title IX compliance when it increases its admission rate for men compared to women. This demonstrates that admission strategies can be leveraged to meet Title IX requirements, further strengthening the conclusions drawn in the first paper. In the third paper, I utilize the same panel data as in the second paper and apply a fixed effects model to identify predictors of the difference between male and female admission rates. My findings suggest that an institution is more inclined to provide an admission advantage to men as the proportion of female applicants increases, an association that is compounded as an institution becomes more selective in admissions. However, my analysis also suggests that as female enrollment increases, an institution is likely to reduce the advantage for men. This indicates a potential inflection point where an institution that becomes more selective can offer an admission advantage to men, possibly motivated to achieve Title IX compliance. Conversely, as an institution becomes less selective, it focuses on meeting enrollment goals and is less concerned with Title IX compliance, resulting in its enrollment mirroring the composition of its applicant pool, which for many schools is increasingly female dominated. By bringing together the results of these three papers, my dissertation offers valuable insights into the strategic decision-making processes within college admission offices. It appears that admission practices can be useful tools to achieving Title IX compliance by adjusting the admission rate of women compared to men, especially as the share of female applicants increase. These findings have important implications for both Title IX athletic compliance and sex-conscious admission practices. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.