Carbon intensity in collegiate team travel: structural and discretionary travel under conference governance

Research question Organizational travel represents a substantial but underexamined source of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in sport. This study examines how travel-related carbon intensity (CI) differs between conference-mandated and non-conference travel and how conference governance shapes institutional travel patterns.Research methods This study uses complete archival travel records from a single NCAA Division I athletic department during the 2018–2019 competitive season. Trips were classified as conference-mandated (structural) or non-conference (discretionary). Carbon intensity (CI) was quantified using two metrics, CI per mile and CI per person, and compared across groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Spatial analyses were conducted to examine destination dispersion and concentration.Results and findings Season-long travel generated approximately 436,295 kg CO2e across 117,645 miles, with air travel accounting for 99% of total emissions. Conference trips exhibited significantly higher carbon intensity per mile than non-conference trips, and conference destinations were substantially more geographically concentrated. Carbon intensity metrics further revealed that small-roster sports incurred disproportionately higher per-person carbon intensity despite producing lower total emissions than large-roster sports.Implications These findings demonstrate that collegiate team travel is shaped not simply by geographic distance but also by conference governance. By distinguishing conference-mandated and non-conference travel, the study shows that a substantial portion of travel-related emissions is structurally embedded in competition organization rather than determined solely by institutional choice. These findings provide an empirical basis for incorporating sustainability into scheduling and travel policy.