An examination of institutional characteristics, selection committees, and induction criteria for college athletic halls of fame

ABSTRACT

An intercollegiate athletic hall of fame stands as a nostalgic monument to the achievements of athletes, coaches, and other icons. These halls of fame, in addition to more traditional sport museums, draw a variety alumni, students, and tourists. While steeped in tradition, there is a dearth of research in academic literature on college halls of fame, especially within the framework of sport heritage. An exploratory research design utilizing procedural and archival data was implemented to examine institutional characteristics, selection committees, and induction criteria of 93 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions. Descriptive data of four selection committee variables and eight induction criteria variables revealed trends on how American colleges and universities decide who or what to enshrine in their halls of fame. A Multivariate Analyses of Variance illustrated no significant differences for selection committee variables based on conference; nonetheless, significant conference differences existed among induction criteria variables. These findings, combined with previous research on sport museums and other sport venues, reaffirm the need for a representative and diverse selection committee, inclusion of at-large members in the creation of induction criteria, and an accurate historical account of its hall of fame inductees. Future research endeavors regarding college athletic halls of fame are also discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• College sport
• hall of fame
• sport heritage
• intercollegiate athletics
• sport tourism

Notes on contributors

Dr James E. Johnson holds an EdD in Adult, Community, and Higher Education from Ball State University. He is an associate professor and graduate coordinator of sport administration within the School of Kinesiology at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA. Dr Johnson teaches courses on sport governance, research methods, management, intercollegiate athletics, and sport ethics. His primary research interests are intercollegiate and interscholastic athletics.

Dr Chrysostomos Giannoulakis holds a PhD in sport administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He is currently an assistant professor of sport administration within the School of Kinesiology at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA. He teaches courses on sport marketing, sport finance, and international sport management. His primary research interests include sport marketing, consumer behavior, and sport-for-development issues.

Mr Daniel Tracy earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and psychology from Iowa State University, and a master's degree in sport administration from Ball State University. Dan was a sport administration graduate assistant within the School of Kinesiology during the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 academic years. During that time, Dan taught physical fitness and wellness courses in addition to completing his thesis entitled Examining Prior Experiences and Career Attainment in FBS Football Head Coaches.

Ms Megan Ridley was a graduate assistant within the School of Kinesiology at Ball State University during the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 academic years. Megan earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in sport administration, both from Ball State University. Megan taught physical fitness and wellness courses in addition to completing her original research entitled Parental Perceptions of Their Sport Involvement with Late Adolescent Student-Athletes.