Motives for corporations to enter sponsorship agreements with NCAA Division I-A athletic programs

The following study elucidates the motives for corporations to enter sport sponsorship agreements with NCAA Division I-A athletic programs, the athletic properties' perception of what motivates corporations to enter sponsorship agreements, and suggests that there is a disconnect between actual corporate motives and the motives perceived by athletic properties. An adaptation of Howard's (1994) Consumer Decision Model was used to examine the process by which information from evaluative criteria and relationships with the athletic properties develop corporations' attitudes toward sport sponsorships that may then yield purchase intention and actual sport sponsorship purchases. Participants in the study included current corporate sponsors and athletic administrators responsible for sponsorship sales at NCAA Division I-A athletic programs. Findings indicated that although athletic administrators do perceive marketing and corporate objectives of importance to corporations, athletic administrators overestimate the importance corporations place on personal objectives and the relationships with the athletic property.