Examining rivalry and outgroup derogation among underrepresented college students

Abstract

As little is known about how fans other than European American males react to rivalry, the current study investigated rivalry among college students who identified as African American, Latinx or Asian American. To analyse how these three underrepresented groups reacted to rival teams and schools, the study authors identified both male and female students from Power Five or Group of Five institutions in attendance at various National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition events who self-identified as meeting this demographic. The results show that male African American and Asian American students reported significantly higher identification and more negativity toward their rival schools than did their female counterparts. Additionally, attending a Power Five school influenced identification and reactions to rival schools for all three underrepresented groups. The paper goes on to discuss the implications of the study and potential avenues for future research.