When push comes to shove: How coach versus student athlete misconduct affects event attendance intentions

Though on: and off-the-field misconduct is common among U.S. college athletic programs, little is known regarding the ramifications that may result. Drawing on social learning theory, the current research suggests consumers intentions (e.g., likelihood of attending a game) differ depending on violator\u27s team role. Across one qualitative and five experimental studies, we demonstrate that consumers\u27 intentions are influenced by violator\u27s team role, such that likelihood of attending a game is lower when a coach (vs. student athlete) misbehaves, an effect driven by evaluation of the academic institution. This effect is robust across both winning and losing records and moderated by perceived fairness of the university\u27s actions toward the violator