Big opportunity: Motivations, experiences, and satisfaction of student volunteers at an NCAA division I conference basketball tournament

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the motivations, experiences, and satisfaction of 12 undergraduate sport management student volunteers at the 2018 Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, a major intercollegiate sporting event held at Madison Square Garden. Based on the contemporary nature of the phenomenon, a qualitative exploratory case study method was utilized. Data were gathered from pre-event questionnaires, site observations, and post-event semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that students were motivated to volunteer by a desire to build their resumes, to engage in networking, to gain practical experience, and due to the unique nature of the opportunity. Emergent themes related to the students’ experience referenced gaining insight into career direction, networking, and a dissatisfaction with the orientation process. Finally, analysis revealed that participants were highly satisfied with the overall experience, but they also offered suggestions to improve upon the experience.