Enhancement of Non-Academic Enviornment by Intercollegiate Athletics and Its Intangible Benefit in Higher Education

IntroductionIntercollegiate athletic programs have been grown over 150 years, and the campus festivals via college sports facilitate college environment surrounding success in seasons and competition with a rival team. In addition, the circumstances have become a powerful business integrating students, alumni, family, and other fans in our society (Clopton, 2008). In this sense, there is an argument that intercollegiate athletic programs characterize the college due to the power of cultural value affiliating other identified fans (Clopton, 2008; McEvoy, 2006; Toma & Cross, 1998). Team identification is defined as psychological attachment toward a certain sport team and has been analyzed to understand social-psychological symptoms of sport fans (Koo & Hardin, 2008; Trail, Anderson, & Fink, 2000; Wann & Pierce, 2005). In higher education, Koo, Sung, and Martinez (in press) examined positive effects of the level of team identification in a college football team on students' adjustment toward college. They revealed that team identification toward a college sport team generates positive social interaction with other students, which have direct relationships with social and emotional adjustments (Koo, et al, in press). The phenomenon is consistent with socio-psychological well-being that highly identified individuals have more opportunities to integrate with other social group members and finally influence levels of depression, loneliness, and personal self-esteem (e.g., Wann, 2000, 2006; Wann, Dunham, Byrd, & Keenan, 2004; Wann & Pierce, 2005; Wann & Weaver, 2009). While they share self-concept and information through social activities, the individuals' identity for a certain group is enhanced and it facilitates strong bond with the social group (Wann, 2004). Social identity theory developed by Tajfel (1981) supports the aforementioned circumstances. For instance, Tajfel (1981) observed that an individual's perceived affiliation with a favorite group reflects identification to the preferred group and plays a major role in-group association for an individual. Active interaction with the in-group members let individuals compare with rival groups creating a significant boundary against out-group members as well as boost the level of affiliation with the in-group (Tajfe, 1981). Sharing common interests and personal self-concept, the circumstance enables them to build strong group identification (Brewer 1979; Brandscombe & Wann 1991; Wann, 2000). Along with effects of team identification supported by social identity, how the positive benefit of intercollegiate athletic programs derives to students has been paid attention to higher education. Mangold, Bean, and Adams (2002) specified that intercollegiate athletic programs create a student's affiliation and rich a sense of belonging to the school. The university is a larger community structure and heavily relied upon for a strong sense of social experiences such as campus culture and variety social clubs (Clopton, 2011). In conjunction with the sense of intercollegiate athletic identification, intercollegiate athletic programs promote campus tradition and ritual including tailgates parties, winning history and team symbols, as well as unique color representing a certain university (Clopton 2008; Smith, 1988). The relationship between intercollegiate athletic teams and the large community was also supported by Wann and Robinson (2002). They concluded students who were highly identified to a college team have more tendencies to not only identify with their university but also decrease a perception of dropping out of the educational institution. With these studies in mind, the benefit of identifying toward intercollegiate athletic programs should be considered a major goal of higher education.Along with social connection and sense of college community, non-academic environments such as social experiences in college life directly influence scholastic success, which, another major goal of higher education (Murray-Harvey & Slee, 2007). …