Denominational Identity and Athletic Success at Christian Colleges
Document Type
Article
Peer Reviewed
1
Publication Date
2022
Scholarship Domain(s)
Scholarship of Discovery
Abstract
Competitive pressures can dilute the denominational identity of religiously affiliated colleges as colleges shed denominational bonds in pursuit of academic prestige. We ask: What is the relationship between denominational identity and athletic success at contemporary Christian colleges? To answer, we combine data from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) Denominational Study, Learfield Directors’ Cup, and U.S. Department of Education. Controlling for school size and athletic division, denominational identity was not significantly related to athletic success. Rather, larger CCCU schools have stronger sports, regardless of athletic division. We discuss implications and suggestions for further research.
Recommended Citation
Denominational Identity and Athletic Success at Christian Colleges by Kevin D. Dougherty, Daniel M. Allen, & Ryan J. Dougherty. In Journal of Research on Christian Education Volume 31, 2022 - Issue 2 . Pages 185-199. Published online: 10 Apr 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/10656219.2022.2059126
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.