Team segmentation at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to identify strategies to maximize fan attendance at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships through the creation of segmented markets based on consumers' team affiliation. Design/methodology/approach – The research utilized a survey methodology to examine the motives for attendance at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The surveys were distributed at each of the three sessions in order to obtain a representative sample ( n =140). Findings – The results of the study demonstrated that fans responded most favorably to sport‐related motives. Additionally, the data also revealed that fans had varying motives for attendance based on their team affiliation. Research limitations/implications – The ability to segment markets based on team affiliation allows sport managers to create effective promotional strategies to maximize attendance at future conference tournaments. Originality/value – The results allow the Big Ten Conference to create positive team relationships with media outlets and member institutions in an effort to maximize the fan interest in their college wrestling product.