PublicMind Polling, Surveys, Market Analysis

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For Immediate Release … Monday, October 13, 2014                        4 pgs

Contact:  Peter Woolley, 973-670-3239

Pay college athletes?

No, say majority of Garden Staters

A recent federal court ruling says that college athletes in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Division I basketball may now be compensated with part of the revenues that come from the use of their names, images, and likenesses. But Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind finds that, by a five-to-four margin, New Jersey residents say the current system is fair.

Half say student athletes are paid enough through their education and the exposure some receive to secure a professional contract, with 39 percent who believe student athletes are entitled to further compensation.

“Athletic programs can bring in considerable revenue for the school, but Garden State residents aren’t convinced their participation entitles them to a cut of those profits,” said Peter Woolley,

Not everyone comes down against compensation, however. Younger residents are decidedly more supportive of compensating student athletes with half (50%) of those between the ages of 18 and 34 saying compensation is the right thing to do, and 38 percent who are opposed. “The generational difference in views about paying athletes suggests that the tide of public opinion may turn over time,” said Woolley.

Non-whites are also more supportive of the federal ruling. A plurality (49%) of non-white respondents support compensation, compared with just over a third (34%) of whites. “Non-whites are disproportionately represented in college sports, so perhaps the racial differences we’re seeing here are reflective of greater stakes among some than others,” said Woolley.

Turning to those who identify themselves as fans of collegiate sports, opinion is decidedly mixed, with about equal numbers who say college athletes are already paid enough (47%) or should receive compensation above what they’re getting already (43%). “The fact that collegiate sports fans are divided on the issue means this debate is going to persist and possibly shift,” said Woolley. “A generation ago, the question of compensating athletes with more than scholarships was rarely considered.”

Finally, few are paying that much attention to the issue. By about a two-to-one ratio, those who say they’ve heard a little or nothing at all (65%) trump those who are following the news more closely (35%). “Because many are not paying close attention to this issue, there is a lot of room for opinion to change. This suggests the message colleges send about the care of athletes will be of some importance moving forward,” said Woolley.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 801 New Jersey residents was conducted by telephone with both landline and cell phones from September 1 through September 7, 2014, and has a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points.

Methodology, questions, and tables on the web at: http://publicmind.fdu.edu

Radio actualities at 201.692.2846                For more information, please call 201.692.7032

Methodology

The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind was conducted by telephone from September 1 through September 7, 2014 using a randomly selected sample of 801 New Jersey residents. One can be 95 percent confident that the error attributable to sampling has a range of +/- 3.6 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups is larger and varies by the size of that subgroup. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers.

PublicMind interviews are conducted by Opinion America of Cedar Knolls, NJ, with professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a landline phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected.

Landline households are supplemented with a separate, randomly selected sample of cell-phone respondents interviewed in the same time frame. The total combined sample is mathematically weighted to match known demographics of age, race and gender.

The following tables are based on all registered voters in the sample.

Tables

How much have you heard or read about the recent decision by a federal judge to allow some college athletes to be paid for the use of their names and likenesses in products that feature them?

 

 

Education

PID

Gender

Race

College Sports fan

Age

 

All

HS/

Some coll

Coll grad

Dem

Ind

Rep

Male

Female

White

Non-white

Yes

No

18-34

35-59

60+

A lot

15%

11

18

13

18

15

20

9

16

14

21

8

10

16

16

Some

20%

19

21

23

15

21

21

19

21

17

22

19

18

21

21

Just a little

22%

19

25

22

25

23

24

21

25

18

22

23

22

24

22

Nothing at all

43%

49

35

41

40

41

33

49

37

50

34

48

48

39

38

DK/Ref (vol)

*

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

4

 

 

In general, which of the following statements best describes how you feel, even if neither is a perfect statement? Student athletes are not amateurs, and should be entitled to some of the profits that arise from their efforts OR Student athletes are already compensated through their education and exposure they receive to win a major professional contract

 

 

Education

PID

Gender

Race

College Sports fan

Age

 

All

HS/

Some coll

Coll grad

Dem

Ind

Rep

Male

Female

White

Non-white

Yes

No

18-34

35-59

60+

Should be comp.

39%

36

41

51

39

27

40

38

34

49

43

35

50

38

29

Should NOT be comp.

50%

55

51

39

50

64

47

53

56

41

47

55

38

55

56

Neither

4%

5

3

5

3

2

6

2

3

5

4

4

4

3

6

DK/Ref (vol)

6%

4

5

5

8

7

7

7

6

5

6

7

8

4

11

 

Exact Question Wording and Order

US1 and US2 released September 10, 2014

NJ1 and NJ2 released September 9, 2014

NJ3 through NJ5 released September 10, 2014

BAIL released September 10, 2014

NJ6 through NJ 8 released September 9, 2014

 

NCAA1 How much have you heard or read about the recent decision by a federal judge to allow some college athletes to be paid for the use of their names and likenesses in products that feature them?

1          A lot

2          Some

3          Just a little

4          Nothing at all

8          DK/Refused (vol)

NCAA2 In general, which of the following statements best describes how you feel, even if neither is a perfect statement: Student athletes are not amateurs, and should be entitled to some of the profits that arise from their efforts OR Student athletes are already compensated through their education and exposure they receive to win a major professional contract [Rotate]

1          Should be compensated

2          Should NOT  be compensated

3          Neither/both (vol)

8          DK/Refused (vol)

 

Sample Characteristics

 

 

N = 801; MoE = +/- 3.6

Gender

Male

49%

 

Female

51%

Age

18-34

27%

 

35-59

44%

 

60+

26%

 

Refused

2%

Race

White

62%

 

African American

12%

 

Hispanic

14%

 

Asian

6%

 

Other/Refused

6%

Education

HS/Some college

46%

 

College grad +

53%

 

Refused

1%

Party (with leaners)

Dem

41%

 

Ind/DK/Refused

24%

 

Repub

36%