International Journal of Sport Management

The Collegiate Sport Club Model: Development of a Conceptual Framework

Leeann M. Lower-Hoppe, W. Andrew Czekanski, J. Patrick Marsh, Jeffrey Petersen, Shea M. Brgoch

Abstract: Within the amateur sport system, collegiate sport clubs (CSCs) constitute a critical sport outlet across the globe. Despite their prevalence, the social structure of CSCs has yet to be empirically defined, limiting researchers’ and practitioners’ capacity to intentionally refine or reform the CSC model for the evolution and survival of collegiate clubs. The purpose of this study is to empirically define the CSC model using a logic model framework. Qualitative data were collected from 68 sport club officers, four recreational sport professional staff, and 29 university documents across three universities in the United States. Thematic analysis revealed the connections between CSC purposes and assumptions, inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and external factors influencing club operations. CSCs are compared with community sport clubs to position collegiate clubs within the broader amateur sport literature. Implications propose the utility of the CSC model, extension of research and practice, and organizational legitimacy of collegiate clubs.

Keywords: institutional theory, organizational legitimacy, collegiate sport clubs, community sport clubs, logic model

Citation: Lower-Hoppe, L. M., Czekanski, W. A., Marsh, J. P., Petersen, J., & Brgoch, S. M. (2021). The collegiate sport club model: Development of a conceptual framework. International Journal of Sport Management, 22(3), 241-271.

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