Extending Home Advantage Theory and Four Factor Theory to Men's Collegiate Basketball

In sporting events, the home team has been found to win a disproportionate amount of games. Research into this home advantage phenomenon resulted in Courneya and Carron's framework of home advantage theory. In collegiate athletics, administrators face a competitive environment and a goal of enhancing revenues. The problem is that home advantage theory has not yet been applied to one of the largest sources of collegiate sports revenue, men's basketball. Oliver's Four Factor theory describes the areas of performance needed for success in basketball games and was used to explore relationships with the home advantage variables of density, distance traveled, rest, and player experience. This study was quantitative, non-experimental, and examined data from non-conference home games (n = 305) played by men's Atlantic Coast Conference basketball teams over the 2009-10 to 2011-12 seasons. The existence of possible significant relationships were analyzed with four multiple regression models using fixed effects. Player experience was found to be significantly related to net turnover percentage (t = -3.29, p < .001). Density was found to be significantly related to net free-throw ratio (t = -2.25, p < .025). No other home advantage variables were found to be significantly related to the Four Factor outcome measurements. The control variable of team strength was found to be significant in all four models, and the presence of a new arena was found to be significant in two models. ACC Athletic administrators may be able to use the home advantage variables of player experience and density to improve the likelihood of team success. By improving home performance, schools can generate additional revenues. This study is limited to ACC men's basketball and is not generalizable to men's collegiate basketball without further research. Other future research recommendations include studying the variables of sound, referee bias, and the presence of a new arena, with the Four Factors in collegiate basketball. Additional study concerning the affect players leaving college early to begin professional basketball careers may have upon net turnover percentage is also needed.