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Abstract

This paper examines the motivations of NCAA Division I athletes of the need and usefulness of specialized academic support services in the era of the Academic Progress Rate (APR). Specifically, an evaluation of the historical context of these services and how they came to be so prevalent and deemed as a necessity for academic success of NCAA Division I college athletes is discussed, along with many of the unintended consequences and potential affront to academic integrity due to the competitive nature of NCAA Division I athletics and the perceived pressure on academic centers to keep athletes eligible to compete. The purpose of this study is to examine the motivations of athletes to use these services, using the theoretical construct of Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, (1964). The study attempts to determine through research based conclusions if the athletes believe these services are needed to enhance academic persistence and potential for graduation and the motivations for using or not using them. This is a mixed method study taken from a stratified proportional sample of athletics in a mid-major athletic conference during the development of the APR rules and regulations. Conclusions are mixed as to motivations of athletes toward the need and viability of these services even in the face of changing academic requirements. The results are also influenced by ethnicity, gender, sport played in college, current grade point average, and high school college preparatory course GPA. The contribution to the literature is that little empirical research exists on athlete motivational perceptions of the need and adequacy of these services considering the extra layer of academic requirements via the APR.

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