Reflections of residents in a rural Midwestern community on the impacts of a successful university football program, their tendency to bask in reflected glory, and their social identity

Abstract

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Intercollegiate athletics are embedded in the fabric of American culture and provide a source of unity and pride for the students, universities, and communities they represent (Beyer and Hannah, 2000; Duderstadt, 2003; Gumprecht, 2003; Vanover and DeBowes, 2013). This qualitative study sought to understand, within the conceptual framework of basking in reflected glory (BIRG) established by Cialdini et al. (1976) and social identity theory (SIT) established by Tajfel and Turner (1979), the perceptions and lived experiences of residents in a rural Midwestern community and the impacts of a successful university football program that inhabits their community. While the study sought to contribute to the existing literature connected to BIRG and SIT, it also fills a gap in the scholarly research where qualitative methods studying an NCAA Division II environment is scarce. Supported by the previously published literature, themes emerged that showed residents' BIRG tendencies as well as evidence of team identification and social anchors among the residents who associate with the football program. Recommendations for practitioners and scholars include using the findings to better understand the value of intercollegiate athletics in enhancing the identities of broader campus communities and studying an urban setting where a successful NCAA Division II athletics program exists.