Event
Schedule

2026 Sponsors:

2026 Schedule:

Wednesday, March 25
9:00AM
Registration Opens

10:00 - 10:30AM Academic Presentations SESSION 1
Conference RM 1A:
Aligning Sport Management Programs with the Evolving Needs of Hopeful Intercollegiate Athletic Administrators ‍ ‍‍ ‍Kelly Elliott, Coastal Carolina University / Don Rockey, Coastal Carolina University
Conference RM 1B:
Examining the Role of the General Manager in College Athletics ‍ ‍‍ ‍Meg G. Hancock, University of Louisville / Ehren R. Green, Temple University / Jackson Graber, University of Louisville / Nicholas Kopka, University of Louisville / Allyssa Edwards, University of Louisville
Conference RM 1C:
From Surveillance to Self-Governance: Embodied Regulation of International College Athletes in U.S. Higher Education Simran Kaur Sethi, University of Kentucky / Kaitlin Pericak, University of Oklahoma / Kirsten Hextrum, Oregon State University
Conference RM 2A:
Who Transfers Where? Player Profiles and Transfer Outcomes in the 2025 FBS Football Transfer Portal‍ ‍‍ ‍Megan Hunt, Temple University / Elizabeth Taylor, Temple University
Conference RM 2C:
‍ ‍Coaching at the Crossroads of Faith and NCAA Division I Athletics Cassidy Smestad, University of Tennessee / Rob Hardin, University of Tennessee

10:35AM - 11:05AM Academic Presentations SESSION 2
Conference RM 1A: The Four North Stars for Advancing Effective Change and Reform in the Future of American Intercollegiate Athletics B. David Ridpath, Ohio University
Conference RM 1B:
Logics and Constraints: A Conceptual Model of Financial Decision-Making in College Athletics During Industry Disruption‍ ‍Adam Cocco, University of Louisville / Molly Harry, University of Florida
Conference RM 2A:‍ ‍Is the Money Worth It? The impact of NIL on Black Basketball and Football Student-Athlete Mental Health, Athletic Performance, Academic Engagement, and Collegiate Experiences ‍ ‍‍ ‍Micha Gryniewicz, University of Alabama / Trevor Bopp, University of Alabama
Conference RM 2C:
Success or Failure: The impact of the transfer portal on HBCU athletes' academic persistence ‍ ‍Akilah Carter-Francique, Benedict College / Charles Crowley, Catawba College / F. Michelle Richardson, Coppin State University

11:10AM - 11:40AM Academic Presentations SESSION 3

Conference RM 1A: The Geography of Women's College Sport, A Spatial Analysis
Theodore Goudge, Northwest Missouri State University
Conference RM 1B:
Brokerage by Design: How Division I Coaches Facilitate Bridging Social Capital for their Student-Athletes ‍ ‍‍ ‍Landry Levinson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Conference RM 1C:
Built to leave: How human resource management gaps shape early-career turnover intentions in college athletics‍ ‍Izzabella Guerrero, Texas A&M University / Calvin Nite, University of Massachusetts - Amherst / Paul Batista, Texas A&M University
Conference RM 2A: The campus front porch: Athletics as higher education advertising Chris Corr, Clemson University / Marek Taškár, Clemson University / Nick Swim, Georgia State University
Conference RM 2C:
Crossing Borders, Building Connections: A Comparative Review of International Student-Athletes’ Social Connections in Division I and II‍ ‍Chloe Phillips, North Carolina State University

11:40AM - 1:00 PM
Lunch on your own

1:00PM - 1:30PM Academic Presentations SESSION 4
Conference RM 1A:
Creating Brand U: The College Athlete As a Brand in the NIL Era​ Colleen Dibble, University of South Carolina / Natasha Brison, University of South Carolina
Conference RM 1B:
Examining Athlete Supports in College Athletics to Explain the Perverse Incentives of the Academic Progress Report Regulations ‍ ‍‍ ‍Will Park, University of Massachusetts - Amherst / Calvin Nite, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Conference RM 1C:
In the In-Between: Liminal Identities of Black Male College Athletes and Player Development Personnel in Division-I NCAA Athletics in the Name, Image, and Likeness Era‍ ‍Joseph Herman II, University of South Carolina
Conference RM 2A:
Finish What You Started: College Football’s Out-of-Control Calendar Cycle ‍ ‍‍ ‍Chris Croft, University of Southern Mississippi / Alison Fridley Hubbard, University of Southern Mississippi / Daniel Feig, Spartanburg Methodist College
Conference RM 2C:
The Collegiate Voting Playbook: How Do Student-Athletes Manage Political Engagement? ‍ ‍Zoe Hill, Temple University / Samuel Gleason, Temple University / Elizabeth Taylor, Temple University / Yannick Klunch, University of Illinois

1:35PM - 2:05PM Academic Presentations SESSION 5
Conference RM 1A:
‍ ‍Evolution or tradition?: An examination of the role of athletic director in NCAA Division I athletic departments‍ ‍Meg G. Hancock, University of Louisville / Ehren R. Green, Temple University / Nicholas Kopka, University of Louisville / Allyssa Edwards, University of Louisville / Jackson Graber, University of Louisville
Conference RM 1B:
National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Athletic Department Mission Statements: An Exploratory Study‍ ‍Craig Crow, Geneva College
Conference RM 1C:
Developing and Validating the Black Female Athlete Anxiety Scale (BFAAS): A Psychometric Exploration of Intersectional Stressors ‍ ‍‍ ‍Luka Ojemaye, Stanford University / Joyce Ogunrinde, University of Houston / Billy Hawkins, University of Houston / Michael Cottingham, University of Houston / Jie Zhang, University of Houston
Conference RM 2A:
Projecting the Future from the Past: An Archival Review of Women’s Basketball and Athletic Department Staffing‍ ‍Jeffrey Petersen, Baylor University / Rachel Hickey, Kalamazoo College / Aidan Biddle, Ball State University / Lawrence Judge, Florida Gulf Coast University
Conference RM 2C:
Stacking Credentials to Serve Transfer Portal Athletes: One University's Approach to College Sport "Free Agency" ‍ ‍ Brendan O'Hallarn, Old Dominion University / Ethan Madden, Old Dominion University

2:10PM - 2:40PM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 6
Conference RM 1A:
Exploring the Job Responsibilities and Qualifications of Intercollegiate Athletics Basketball Head Coaches ‍ ‍Kelly Elliott, Coastal Carolina University / Luke Krausse, Florida State University
Conference RM 1B:
Organizational Socialization of Faculty Athletic Representatives‍ ‍Allison Smith, Independent Scholar / Jessica Siegele, UNC-Pembroke / Robin Hardin, University of Tennessee
Conference RM 1C:
Beyond the Jersey: A Study of Front and Back Stage Self-Presentation Among SEC Athletes in the NIL Era‍ ‍Denzel Robinson, University of Louisville / Laci White, University of Louisville / Alex Mcelyea, University of Louisville / Dr. Marcis Fennell, University of Louisville‍ ‍
Conference RM 2A:
Navigating NIL, the Transfer Portal, and Academic Decision-Making: A Pilot Study of Athletics Academic Support Staff at a Group of Five NCAA Program ‍ ‍Gregg Rich, Georgia Southern University / Elodie Wendling, Georgia Southern University / Dylan Williams, University of Alabama
Conference RM 2C: Case Study

3PM Presidential Dining Room
PANEL 1: Big-Time College Athlete Experiences and Perceptions
Mr. Brady Hunt, Football Player, University of South Carolina
Mr. Antoine McClain,
Former NFL Player and Executive in Residence at the University of South Carolina
Dr. Jamil Northcutt, Founder & CEO, Strategic Transitions Advisors, LLC
Mr. LaNorris Sellers,
Football Player, University of South Carolina
Moderated by: Dr. Mark Nagel, University of South Carolina


3PM Case Study Competition

Conference RM2A/RM2C

4PM-5:30PM Documentary Screening
Presidential Dining Room: Beyond Stigma: Mental Health in Women's College Sports. Episode 4, Solutions: Stigma and Beyond. The final episode of this four-part series will explore the personal, organizational, and systemic changes needed to address the growing mental health crisis in women's college sports. Dr. Rick Eckstein, Villanova University / Ellen Staurowsky, Ithaca College (retired) / B. David Ridpath, Ohio University / Kaitlin Pericak, University of Oklahoma / Simran Sethi, University of Kentucky


Thursday, March 26
7:30AM
Registration Opens / Continental Breakfast

7:30-8:30AM JIIA Editorial Board Meeting Conference Room 1A

8:00AM - 8:50AM
Ballroom 1 - Poster Presentation #1 - Poster Guidelines HERE


9:00AM - 9:45AM‍ ‍CSRI AWARDS Ballroom 2 -CSRI Research Fellow Awards
-JIIA Outstanding Article Award
-CSRI Emerging Scholar Award/Plenary Address
-Sonny & Pam Vaccaro Impact Award

10AM-10:45AM
PANEL 2: Exploring Athlete Health & Wellbeing in the Modern NCAA
Dr. Scott Lynch, former Penn State Football team doctor
Dr. Molly Harry, University of Florida Dr. Lauren Beasley, Georgia State University
Moderated by: Dr. Kait Pericak, University of Oklahoma

11AM-11:40AM
PANEL 3:  Centering Opportunity: A Conversation with the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches
Raj Kudchadkar, Executive Director, National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches
Moderated by: Dr. Chris Corr, Clemson University

11:40AM - 12:55 PM
Lunch on your own
*Student Social Lunch at Mellow Mushroom! Open to all students attending CSRI*
-Sponsored by Hiram College

1:00PM-1:45PM
PANEL 4: Revisiting Calls for a Division “X” in College Athletics‍ ‍Jerry Fisk, Athletic Director, Greensboro College ‍ ‍Dr. Craig Crow, Geneva College‍ ‍‍ ‍Moderated by: Dr. Steve Dittmore


2:00-2:30PM
‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 7
Conference RM 1A:
The Morality in the Motives: An Exploration of Ethical Reasoning of Division I College Athlete Serving Professionals Kayla Martinez, University of Louisville / Marcis Fennell, University of Louisville
Conference RM 1B:
Adapting to Change: The Evolution of NIL Professionals and Strategic HR Responses in the Post-House Era‍ ‍Anton Schulz, University of Tennessee, Knoxville / Adam Cocco, University of Louisville / David Ridpath, Ohio University / Jeffrey Graham, Texas A&M University
Conference RM 1C:
The Growing Concern of Private Equity Involvement: Both In and Beyond College Athletics ‍ ‍Christian Collins, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Conference RM 2A:
The Role of Identity in Uncertainty: Fandom and Attendance Behavior‍ ‍Alison Fridley, The University of Southern Mississippi / Chris Croft, The University of Southern Mississippi
Conference RM 2C:
The Transfer Epidemic part Duex: Learning what Coaches Think through Interviews with NCAA Hockey Coaches Patrick Tutka, Purdue University / Claire Wanzer, University of Delaware

2:35PM-3:05PM
‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 8
Conference RM 1A:
Unintended Consequences of Collegiate Athletics Reform: Athletic Trainers’ Experiences with NIL, Revenue Sharing, and the Transfer Portal ‍ ‍Corbit Franks, The University of Mississippi / Brennan Berg, The University of Mississippi / Andre Simmond, The University of Mississippi / Heather Shirley, The University of Mississippi / Leslie Oglesby, The University of Southern Mississippi
Conference RM 1B:
Understanding the Broader Impacts of the Transfer Portal: The Experiences of Support Staff Jessica Brougham, Texas Tech University / Alexis Piquero, University of Miami / Elizabeth Taylor, Temple University
Conference RM 1C:
Oh, the places you’ll go! (And, the money you’ll spend!): A case study of IU football fan post-season game consumption‍ ‍Craig Morehead, Indiana State University / Matt Blaszka, Indiana State University / Chad Witkemper, Indiana State University / Galen Clavio, Indiana University
Conference RM 2A:
A Conceptual Model of Community-Perceived Social Impacts in College Sport Events‍ ‍Jonathan R. Oliveira, James Madison University
Conference RM 2C:
What is Black Joy? Establishing a Framework for Studying the Racialized Experiences of Black College Sport StakeholdersJonathan Howe, Temple University

3:10PM-3:40PM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 9
Conference RM 1A:
Impact of Playing an FBS Opponent on the Short-Term Success of FCS Programs‍ ‍Fionn O'Rahilly, Nichols College / David Hodge, Nichols College
Conference RM 1B:
International Recruiting and Roster Composition in Women’s NCAA Basketball Following NIL ‍ ‍Georgy Shukaylo, University of Michigan
Conference RM 1C:
Inside the Playbook: Student-Athlete Insights on the Design, Facilitation, and Influence of a Multi-Year Leadership Development Program‍ ‍Jake Simms, Lincoln Memorial University / Christopher Woodside, St. Joseph's College
Conference RM 2A:
Athletic Identity Foreclosure as an Organizational Failure in College Sport Deverin Muff, Eastern Kentucky University
Conference RM 2C:
First Amendment and Due Process Concerns Raised by Congressional Responses to the NCAA’s Crisis of Control: Why Pending Federal Legislation Endorsing NCAA Restrictions on Student-Athlete Transfers Between Educational Institutions Is Vulnerable to Constitutional Challenges ‍ ‍Clare Maness, University of Alabama / Michael Carroll, Troy University

3:45PM-4:15PM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 10
Conference RM 1A:
A competitive edge in collectives? A comparison of Power 5 NIL Collectives Kayla Martinez, University of Louisville / Darby Copeland, University of Louisville / Laci White, University of Louisville
Conference RM 1B:
All Things Considered: College Recruiting Experiences and Inequity in Modern Junior Golf ‍ ‍Ryan King-White, Towson University / Matthew Hawzen, Fairleigh Dickinson University / Marty Clark, Mount Royal University / Jessica Minkove, Towson University
Conference RM 1C:
Cultivating Embodied Athletic Capital: How Student-Athletes Internalize Institutional Control Atalanta Copeman-Papas, University of California, Irvine / Rocío Rosales, University of California, Irvine
Conference RM 2A:
Technology-Driven Marketization and Institutional Fragility in Collegiate Sport Kemardo Tyrell, Temple University
Conference RM 2C:
Booze It or Lose It: The Dilemma Small Institutions Face Selling Alcohol To Generate Revenue ‍ ‍Nick Davidson, Tusculum University / Tim Wilson, Middle Tennessee State University / Sabrina Reed, University of Southern Mississippi


4:20PM-4:50PM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 11
Conference RM 1A
: Making (Green) Waves in the Crescent City: A Case Study of Tulane University Athletics’ Uptown Collection‍ ‍‍ ‍Jason Lee, University of North Florida / Jeffrey Salyers, Tulane University
Conference RM 1C:
Framing, Marxism, and Objections to House v. NCAA‍ ‍Hannah Kloetzer, University of Florida / Molly Harry, University of Florida / Natalie Bunch, University of Cincinnati
Conference RM 2A:
“I try to leave work at work”: An Examination of Institutional and Role-Related Stress and Coping among Collegiate Athletic Department Personnel Sarah Hatteberg, The College of Charleston
Conference RM 2C:
Once an Athlete, Always an Athlete?: Former Collegiate Athletes' Post-Sport Transitions on TikTok Misael Castaneda, Georgia State University / Lauren Beasley, Georgia State University

7:00PM - 9:00PM
SOCIAL RECEPTION at Colonial Life Arena


Friday, March 27

7:00AM
Registration Opens / Continental Breakfast

8:00AM - 8:45AM
Conference RM 1A: Case Study Winners Present

9:00AM - 9:40AM
Ballroom 1 - Poster Presentation #2 -Poster Guidelines HERE

9:45AM - 10:15AM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 12
Conference RM 1A:
The Myth of Equal Opportunity and Graduation Success: Critical Perspectives on Race and Graduation in Power-4 College Sport‍ ‍Richard M. Southall, University of South Carolina / Christopher Atwater, Troy University / Marek Taškár, Clemson University / Mark S. Nagel, University of South Carolina / Chris Corr, Clemson University / Crystal Southall, Western Colorado University
Conference RM 1B:
Organizational Separation as Financial Innovation: The Service Academy Model for Contemporary College AthleticsTiffany Demiris, St. Bonaventure University / Dylan Williams, The University of Alabama
Conference RM 1C:
Navigating the Playbook: Career Experiences of Women in Sport Leadership at Historically Black Colleges & Universities‍ ‍Shantaris Brown, University of Cincinnati / Dr. Wayne Black, University of Cincinnati / Dr. Natalie Bunch, University of Cincinnati

10:20AM - 10:50AM
‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 13
Conference RM 1A:
The Waves of Commercialization of Collegiate Athletics: From Chaos to Coherence ‍ ‍Billy Hawkins, University of Houston
Conference RM 1B:
Manning's Patience, Sanders' Spectacle: Racialized Narratives in NIL-Era Quarterback Coverage‍ ‍‍ ‍Kevin Wilson, Benedict College
Conference RM 1C:
Employee Wellbeing in Sport: A Sport Social Work Approach Talia Robinson, Georgia State University / Lauren Beasley, Georgia State University / Joycelyn Kennedy, Georgia State University

10:55AM - 11:25AM
‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 14
Conference RM 1A:
Professionalization by Design: Institutional Theory and the Rise of LLCs in College Athletics‍ ‍James Morton, Utah State University / Chris Hanna, Georgia Southern University
Conference RM 1B:
From the Athlete’s Standpoint: Equity and Differences in FCS Non-Revenue Sports‍ ‍Sydney Loutit, Southern Methodist University / Sondra Barringer, Southern Methodist University
Conference RM 1C:
Framing the Game: An AI-Based Topic Modeling Analysis of 2025 College Football Media Coverage‍ ‍Susmit Gulavani, University of South Carolina / Spencer Berlepsch, University of South Carolina / Natasha Brison, University of South Carolina

11:30AM - 12:00PM‍ ‍Academic Presentations SESSION 15
Conference RM 1A:
From Amateurism to Professionalism: Institutional Framing in the Hiring of College Sports Executives‍ ‍‍ ‍James Morton, Utah State University / Chris Hanna, Georgia Southern University
Conference RM 1B:
Transition in Crisis: Athlete Decision-Making After Career-Ending Injuries ‍ ‍Grace Kazmierski-Davie, Kennesaw State University / Khalid Ballouli, University of South Carolina / Amanda Paule-Koba, Bowling Green State University
Conference RM 1C:
From Pop Warner to Power Four: A Lifecycle Model of Structural Inequality in U.S. Football Development ‍ ‍‍ ‍Derichard McCoy, Benedict College