Investigating the Impact of Conference Realignment on Rivalry in Intercollegiate Athletics

The current study quantitatively investigated how fan perceptions and willingness to consider committing anonymous acts of aggression toward participants of the rival teams differed between a rival in a current conference and an anticipated one in a new conference. A sample of 168 online fans of teams affected by conference realignment were administered a survey containing the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS: Havard, Gray, Gould, Sharp, & Schaffer, 2013 ) and questions regarding willingness to consider committing anonymous acts of aggression ( Wann, Haynes, McLean, & Pullen, 2003 ; Wann, Petersen, Cothran, & Dykes, 1999; Wann & Waddill, in press). Two-way MANOVA revealed significant differences existed regarding one SRFPS subscale, and ANOVA indicated that fans were more likely to consider committing anonymous acts of aggression toward participants of the current than anticipated rival team. Discussion centers on academic and sport marketing implications of the findings and potential areas for future research.