Sponsorship of Intercollegiate Athletics: The Importance of Image Matching

Abstract

Given the importance of image matching as a rationale for sponsorship investment, this paper examines the extent to which image matching occurs in U.S. intercollegiate athletics. Utilizing student-athlete education and athletic program ethics as image dimensions, while controlling for winning, the authors find that individual corporations tend to sponsor athletic programs that project very different images. The authors then prescribe an approach that prospective sponsors could use to determine appropriate image matches.

Citation

Gladden, J.M. and Wolfe, R. (2001), "Sponsorship of Intercollegiate Athletics: The Importance of Image Matching", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 29-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-03-01-2001-B005