National Collegiate Athletic Association Corporate Sponsor Objectives: Are There Differences between Divisions I-A, I-AA, and I-AAA?

Abstract

In NCAA Division I from 1997 to 2001, sponsorship revenue increased from $766,000 to $1.38 million per institution, an increase of 79%. Growth primarily occurred in Division I-A at a rate of 91%, while Divisions I-AA and I-AAA grew by 8.3% and 34.0%, respectively. During this period, no division experienced growth rates comparable to the accelerated rate that occurred in the entire sport industry (IEG Sponsorship.com , 2003). The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge base of Division I athletic department senior marketing administrators regarding their corporate sponsors’ objectives and examine differences between Divisions I-A, I-AA, and I-AAA. Data revealed banking/financial and soft drink sponsors were the two most valuable sponsors in all divisions, and visibility/awareness, promotion/sampling opportunities, increase sales, and advertising were most often selected as primary sponsor objectives. Findings also demonstrated that administrators in Division I-A may have more confidence in their ability to accomplish market-based objectives than administrators in Divisions I-AA and I-AAA.