Background/Purpose The Social Anchor Theory (SAT, Clopton & Finch, 2011) suggests that effective communities are constructed upon social networks (i.e. social capital) that are actually grounded – or anchored – by community institutions. The premise of SAT built upon the two tenets of social capital and community identity. This study sought to position NCAA Division III athletics as a potential social anchor in their community.
Method For the current study, data were collected from students and community members in five Division III communities in the Northeast and Midwest regions. 672 subjects responded to the questionnaires for an overall response rate of nearly 46%. A linear model was constructed through SEM, utilizing the social anchor tenets of social capital and community identity, along with team identity and overall university identity. It was predicted that team identity would operate through the existing social anchor of the local college/university.
Analysis/Results Results suggested a potential fit of the data into the hypothesized model (Χ2 =4.03; p=.134; RMSEA=.045, NFI= .99; CFI=.99). The initial finding confirms the relationship that is typically found between Division III institutions and their communities, with university identity predicting community identity and social capital. Furthermore, team identity impacted this “social anchoring” suggesting that, while on a smaller stage than Division I athletics, the role of Division III athletics does possess social anchoring potential within the community.
Conclusions Results from this study suggest additional follow-up research is necessary to explore the community-building potential of athletics outside of the NCAA Division I level.
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