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Abstract

As a student-athlete, there are a variety of different factors that go into choosing which University you will attend (Judson et. al., 2004; Popp et. al., 2011; Chard & Potwarka, 2017; Humi et. al., 2019; Meulemans, 2019; Nichols et. al., 2020). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reasons behind why male basketball student-athletes within a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conference made the choice to attend the University they are currently enrolled in. By gaining the personal experience of each participant, more depth to the reasons could be explored. The following areas will be discussed: (1) Background: Choosing a University and experiencing recruiting practices vary for each student and coach. By gaining the personal experience of the participants through qualitative interviews, the researcher was able to explore the various strategies used to recruit and retain male basketball student-athletes along with influential factors of choosing their undergraduate educational institution; (2) Methods: This study took a qualitative approach through personal interviews. A qualitative approach was most appropriate for this topic because it allows the opportunity to learn about first hand personal experiences about University choice and recruiting practices at the NAIA level. (3) Results: Using a General Inductive Approach (Thomas, 2006), factors influencing University decision included: (a) location, (b) coach’s impact, (c) relationship with current players, and (d) athletic scholarship. Recruiting practices were most profound when approached via social media or having a previous relationship with the head or assistant coach of the college during the students’ high school years; and (4) Conclusions: The findings indicate that student-athletes’ University decisions are shaped by a combination of institutional and relational factors including: (a) Location, (b) the influence of the coach, (c) relationships with current team members, and (d) athletic scholarship opportunities. These themes emerged as the most significant considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, recruiting practices were most impactful when communication occurred through social media or when prospective student-athletes had established prior relationships with the head or assistant coach during their high school years. Together, these results suggest that both personal connections and accessible communication channels play a critical role in shaping successful collegiate recruiting outcomes.

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