A Comparative Analysis of the College-Choice Factors of NCAA Football Student-Athletes at a Southeastern University

It is important that collegiate athletic department personnel are aware of student-athletes' college-choice factors so they can recruit and retain student-athletes that enhance the brands of their sport programs, athletic department, and institution. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the college-choice factors of current NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football players at a southeastern university (N = 77). Using a modified version of the Student-Athlete College-Choice Profile, the research utilized relationship marketing and branding theories to identify strategies to attract student-athletes who are a great fit for their program. Overall, the analysis illustrated that athletically-related college-choice components were rated most influential by the respondents. Therefore, it is vital that administrators use these results to educate their coaches regarding techniques to enhance efficiency within the recruiting process