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Abstract

The present study uses a rigorous procedure to examine the applicability, validity, and reliability of the Team Brand Association Scale (TBAS) in the context of intercollegiate ice hockey. Results from a sample of 349 season ticket holders from an intercollegiate ice hockey team indicated that the TBAS instrument was indeed valid in the collegiate sport setting. Given the functionality of the TBAS in the area of intercollegiate sport, university athletic marketers should be actively assessing the associations pertaining to specific teams. Furthermore, through an understanding of team brand associations comes the ability to examine the impact of image on important revenue streams needed to offset shrinking operational budgets. Suggestions for future research include the continued purification and validation of the instrument, as well as replications among other samples.

To date there have been a number of studies addressing the importance of viewing a sport team as a brand in the professional sport setting (Gladden & Milne, 1999; Ross, 2006; Ross, James, & Vargas, 2006). Professional sport organizations in a variety of areas have begun to consider their organizations as brands to be managed. For example, the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Cleveland Cavaliers hired a branding firm in order to develop a strategy for attracting a broader fan base across the United States (“Cavs hire,” 2005). In addition to teams and leagues attempting to take hold of their brand, many independent consultants have been hired by specific athletes to oversee the image they convey. For example,

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Assessing Brand Associations for Intercollegiate Ice Hockey

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