<p> Little to no research has been conducted examining the factors contributing to athletic department competitive success in NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics. Several studies have linked student-athlete institutional choice factors to academic factors, while Division III student-athletes have indicated that both athletic and academic programs are important in their college choice (Goss, Jubenville, & Oregan, 2006; Konnert & Giese, 1987; National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2008; National Collegiate Athletic Association Research, 2011; National Collegiate Athletic Association Research, 2016). The NCAA Division III philosophy states that student-athletes should be integrated into the whole of the institution, not treated differently than non-student-athletes, and that admissions standards should be the same for student-athletes as they are for non-student-athletes (Stubbeman & Cooper, 2015). This research examined the relationship between institutional academic profile and athletic department competitive success. Academic profile was measured through institutional selectivity (acceptance rates), caliber of incoming students (ACT/SAT scores), four-year graduation rates, and retention rates (first to second year of enrollment). Athletic department competitive success was measured by the institution’s placement in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup (LSDC). Spearman rank correlation was used to examine each independent variable against the institution’s points earned in the LSDC. Positive relationships were found between each independent variable and points earned in the LSDC – ranging from -.306 to .563. These positive relationships present various implications and considerations for institutional administration and coaches to consider in recruiting student-athletes and setting expectations for competitive success.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10284490 |
| Date | 09 June 2017 |
| Creators | Fennern, Nicole |
| Publisher | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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