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Abstract

Athletic departments in collegiate sports have increasingly focused on enhancing sport consumer interest through social media. As social media usage continues to grow in college sports, understanding audience behavior on these platforms has become essential for athletic departments. This study examines the factors influencing consumer interest in Division I football teams’ X (formerly Twitter) accounts, utilizing a panel dataset comprising 18,221 team-day observations. Key determinants of changes in X followers were identified, including teams’ social media activity, on-field performance, scheduling events, and timing effects, with a focus on fan interest across temporal patterns such as month-to-month and day-to-day variations. The analysis revealed peak periods of interest, particularly during CFP ranking announcements and other major events. Conversely, variables specific to collegiate contexts were found to have no significant effect. The findings are interpreted through the lens of economic demand theory, offering valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of consumer behavior in college sports. The implications for practitioners suggest that strategic social media use can significantly enhance fan interest, and a deeper understanding of audience behavior can inform more effective communication strategies.

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