Motivations to Switch: Refuting the Public Discourse on Athletic Conference Realignment

Over the past decade the growing popularity of intercollegiate athletics has incentivized institutions to realign with new athletic conferences. The public discourse on realignment centers on athletic financial gain. However, institutional and athletic administrators have long discussed the complexities of athletic conference realignment and its primary motivators. Using organizational theories to frame the discussion, results demonstrate the inherent connections between athletics and academics. Interviews and public documents offer specific insights into mechanisms and key factors by which campus leaders make decisions regarding athletic conference membership. Some possible influencers of realignment decisions are student demographics, academic and athletic finances, institutional prestige, and the impact of key actors within university decision-making. The ways in which institutions and athletics departments decided to engage in broad affiliation changes, facilitate new conference rivalries, and seek additional athletics-based revenue streams offer an unambiguous view of the priorities athletic and academic leaders set.