To Name it or not Name it: Consumer Perspectives on Facility Naming Rights Sponsorship in Collegiate Athletics
Collegiate athletics have become increasingly attractive for sponsorship investments, a trend that has also created some potentially negative side effects. How university stakeholders, such as students, perceive and respond to stadium naming rights sponsorship is a major concern to administrators of both athletic programs and business corporations. This study investigates students’ beliefs about naming rights sponsorship, their attitudes toward commercialization, team and stadium identification, and perception of financial status, as well as how these factors affect naming rights sponsorship outcomes regarding attitude toward sponsor, purchase intention of sponsor’s product, and willingness to attend sporting events. A theoretical model was proposed and tested, where the hierarchical paradigm of belief-attitude-behavior intention was confirmed to be relevant and applicable. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed significant (p < .05) influences of beliefs about naming rights, attitude toward commercialization, stadium identification, and perception of financial status on attitudes toward sponsor; attitudes toward sponsor and team identification on purchase intention of sponsor’s product; and team identification, stadium identification, attitudes toward sponsor, and beliefs about naming rights sponsorships on willingness to attend sporting events. Stadium identification was identified as playing an important role in evaluating the effectiveness of a naming rights sponsorship. The study provides preliminary insight into the potential viability of naming rights sponsorships for intercollegiate athletics.