Operative goals of intercollegiate athletics: perceptions of athletic administrators

Ninety intercollegiate athletic administrators from across Canada participated in the study which investigated their perceptions of the operative goals of intercollegiate athletics. The operative goals included in the study were 1) Entertainment, 2) National Sport Development, 3) Financial, 4) Transmission of Culture, 5) Career Opportunities, 6) Public Relations, 7) Athlete's Personal Growth, 8) Prestige, and 9) Achieved Excellence. The rankings of these nine objectives were analyzed by subgroups based on sex of the respondents, size of the university, and the conference membership. In addition, the relationships between respondents' ratings of these objectives, and their attitudes toward athletic scholarships, recruitment practices and eligibility were also examined. The results showed that the various subgroups of athletic administrators were relatively homogeneous in ranking Transmission of Culture, Athlete's Personal Growth, Public Relations, and Prestige as the most important set of operative goals. It was also found that the administrators from the Non-central region (Maritime and Western Provinces) were more in favor of athletic scholarships than the administrators from the Central region (Ontario and Quebec). Also, higher ratings of Public Relations, Prestige, Entertainment, and Financial Objectives were associated with stronger support for athletic scholarships, and unrestrained recruitment. It was noted that administrators' goal orientations, while congruent with those of students from selected universities, were contrary to the prescriptions and proscriptions of prominent educators.