Abstract
Despite the recent growth of social media as a communication and marketing tool, very little research has been conducted on college athletics audiences and their usage of online tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Data from a survey conducted on an FBS school's football fans were statistically analyzed, with demographic and other data utilized in examination of traditional and online media usage. The study discovered significant differences in traditional and social media use in relation to demographic factors such as age, income, and alumni status. Media such as Twitter and podcasts tended to be generally unpopular among fans, while a negative relationship existed between Facebook usage and age. Analysis of these and other findings focused on the reasons why certain media might be more popular among certain groups than others, including consideration of the application of Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior to future studies of social media in sport.
Recommended Citation
Clavio, Galen
(2011)
"Social Media and the College Football Audience,"
Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics: Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 17.
Available at:
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/jiia/vol4/iss1/17