Revenue generation capacity of college football programs during the 2008 global financial crisis

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of first-mover advantage (FMA) on revenue generation capacity (RGC) of US college football programmes during the 2008 global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach The study used archival data analysed quantitatively using non-parametric regression in the form of binary logistic regression. The study was then framed and interpreted by the resource-dependence theory. Findings FMA was positively and statistically associated with donations, branding, media rights and ticket revenues, but not win–loss records. The binary logistic regression model was correctly classified at 82.1 per cent of the variance and indicated that branding and ticket revenues were mostly associated with FMA. Research limitations/implications The study was delimited to public college football programmes in the USA during the 2008 global financial crisis. Practical implications The findings indicated that despite the 2008 global financial crisis, FMA was positively associated with RGC but not win–loss records. Originality/value The study was pioneering in evaluating the effects of FMA as a source of competitive advantage in college football programmes during the challenging time of the 2008 global financial crisis.