Tag Archives: NCAA

More Than Half of Americans Want Vaccine Proof, Social Distancing and Masks As Sports Venues Move to Full Capacity

Among Sports Fans 60 Percent Favor Vaccine Requirement for Event Attendance;
72 Percent Want Social Distancing Sections

South Orange, NJ, May 26, 2021 – As many states move to “reopen” and allow full capacity at sports venues, sports fans and the general public seemingly remain cautious about event attendance without proof of vaccination, the wearing of masks and/or social distancing.

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted May 21-24 geographically spread across the United States using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. The Poll surveyed 1,554 adult respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.

Social Distance Seating
A rather large number – 68 percent of the general population, 72 percent of self-described sports fans and 77 percent of avid fans – favored designated areas within venues to separate those who wished to maintain social distance seating.

Proof of Vaccination
As to a requirement by sports teams that attendees of sporting events show proof of vaccination, 53 percent of the general population agreed. The number went up to 60 percent in favor of such a requirement among sports fans and to 71 percent for avid fans.

Masks
As for wearing masks while attending sporting events, it was 52 percent of the general population in favor of this requirement, while 56 percent of sports fans and 59 percent of avid fans agreed.

The respondents who disagreed with these precautionary requirements at sporting event venues were comparatively low. For special sections, it was 18-17-15 percent (general public, sports fans, avid fans); for vaccination proof, 32-29-20 percent disagreeing, and for mask wearing, 32-33-30 percent disagreeing.

Fans Who Would Attend Sporting Events with Vaccine, PPE and Social Distancing Up 7% Continue reading →

Majority of Fans Support Removal of Baseball’s All-Star Game from Atlanta, Possible Removal of Super Bowl from Arizona Over Voting Laws

Support for Boycott of Beijing Olympic Games Over Human Rights Issues; Support for Athletes, Leagues, Unions Championing Social Change

South Orange, NJ, April 29, 2021 – By a 55-31 percent margin, a new Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that sports fans across the country support Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in the wake of Georgia’s new voting laws. Those who call themselves “avid fans” are even more supportive, agreeing with MLB by a 67-25 percent margin.

The general population was also in support of the move from MLB by a 49-31 percent margin, with 20 percent indicating “don’t know/no opinion.” The “don’t know/no opinion” choice was recited by 14 percent of sports fans and only eight percent of avid fans.

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted April 23-26 geographically spread across the United States using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. The Poll had 1,563 adult respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.

Super Bowl Removed from Arizona?

Almost exactly the same level of support was shown for the possibility of moving the 2023 Super Bowl out of Arizona should that state follow Georgia with similar voting law changes. By 55-32 percent (13 percent don’t know/no opinion), sports fans would support moving the game, with avid fans in support of a move by 64-27 percent (9 percent don’t know/no opinion). Among the general public, there is also support for moving the game by 49-30 percent with 21 percent in the “don’t know/no opinion” category.

“When I had the profound pleasure of meeting with Nelson Mandela in 1993 as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, he encouraged us to use our positions in sport to become agents of change,” said Seton Hall Professor Charles Grantham, director of the Center for Sport Management within the Stillman School of Business. “It is perhaps a long time in coming, but there would seem to be more support than ever for that proposition amongst the leagues, the players and the fans as well as the general public. But so far, the moves are largely symbolic and will require the leagues to utilize their strong political lobby to effectuate legislative and policy change.”

An Olympic Boycott for Beijing Games?

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Americans Not Yet Ready for Full Capacity Events

But ‘Comfort’ Attending Events with Social Distancing, PPE and Vaccines Continues Trend Upward

Only 35% of Public Supports Texas Rangers Decision to Open at Full Capacity

South Orange, NJ, April 28, 2021 – The Seton Hall Sports Poll asked Americans if they would be comfortable attending a full-capacity outdoor stadium event of any type, only 37 percent said yes, a number which rose to 46 percent among sports fans and 58 percent among avid fans. The same question about attending indoor events found just 33 percent of the general public saying they would be comfortable, which increased to 43 percent among sports fans and 57 percent among avid fans.

By contrast, when asked if they would attend a sporting event with personal protection equipment, social distancing measures and restricted attendance, 50 percent of the general population said “yes” to outdoor events and 42 percent said “yes” to indoor events.

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted April 23-26 geographically spread across the United States using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. The Poll had 1,563 adult respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Seton Hall Sports Poll has regularly asked the public whether they would be comfortable attending sporting events if they had access to a vaccine, personal protection equipment and social distancing measures were observed at the venue.

When the question was first asked in April 2020, (combining indoor and outdoor events), only 13 percent said they would feel safe, with 12 percent saying “safe with social distancing.”  Seventy-two percent said they would not feel safe “at all,” a number which today is only 32 percent for outdoors and 38 percent for indoor events with precautions.

“In the course of one year, we’ve gone from 72 percent saying they would not feel safe or comfortable at a sporting event under pretty much any circumstances, down to 32 percent saying they would not feel safe attending an outdoor event and 38 percent feeling the same about indoor events,” said Seton Hall Marketing Professor and Poll Methodologist Daniel Ladik. “The public may not be ready yet for full capacity, but the reluctance to attend events with precautions in place has dropped considerably over the course of the last year – a 40 point drop is substantial by anyone’s measure.”
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March Madness: Isolation Bubble for Players Is Fair, One Third of Americans Say TV Sports a Positive for Mental Health in Pandemic

Comfort in Attending Games Ticks Upward; Number Who Say They Are Doing Brackets Doubles

South Orange NJ, March 18, 2021 – The start of the NCAA “March Madness” basketball tournament finds 59 percent of Americans stating that it is indeed fair for student athletes to comply with the “isolation bubble” requirement in order to play.

Of “sports fans,” that number goes to 69 percent, and of “avid fans,” 80 percent. Forty-eight percent of those who call themselves “non-fans” still think it is fair.

Sports Has Positive Effect on Mental Health Over Past Year
Perhaps to some extent that view has been tempered by a sense of need. The Poll found that sports on TV – even without fans – has had a positive effect on the American psyche over the course of the last year.  Thirty-nine percent of the general population – self-described fans and non-fans alike – say that sports on TV has had a positive effect on the mental health of most Americans, while 33 percent cite sports as being beneficial to their own mental health.

Those numbers rise, understandably, amongst sports fans. Seventy-three percent of avid fans believe that sports on TV has aided in bolstering the country’s mental health during the pandemic, with 60 percent saying it has helped their own. Among sports fans in general, 47 percent believe it has helped the nation, while more than half – 51 percent – say it has helped them personally.

“The pandemic has taken its toll on all of us,” said Professor Juan Rios, a licensed clinical social worker and director of the graduate Master of Social Work program at Seton Hall University. “Sports has offered us a much needed outlet from social isolation and has functioned in some ways as a coping mechanism, providing an extension of community through collective spectatorship and camaraderie. Sports on TV has provided us with a feeling of at least some level of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal time.”

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted among 1,538 adults geographically spread across the country March 13-15, with a margin of error of +/-3.2 percent.

Sporting Event Attendance, Indoors Ticking Upward
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By More than 2-1, American Public Says Student Athletes Should Be Allowed to Profit from Use of Name/Image/Likeness

In Dramatic Shift, Public Thinks All Student Athletes in Revenue Producing Sports Should Be Compensated Beyond Scholarships

South Orange NJ, March 16, 2021 – By more than a 2-to-1 margin, Americans believe that student athletes should be allowed to profit from the use of their name, image or likeness (NIL), according to a national poll conducted March 13-15 by the Seton Hall Sports Poll. This result is consistent with the poll’s findings from 2019.

Fifty-six percent of the general population favored compensation, with 25 percent opposed and 19 percent undecided.  Under NCAA rules, such compensation has never been permitted among colleges in the US.

The trend is relatively steady from when the question was first asked in an October 2019 Seton Hall Sports Poll, where slightly less than a 2-to-1 margin favored NIL compensation for student athletes. In that poll, however, the number in favor of compensation was larger (60 percent) ) but so was the number opposed (32 percent compared to just 25 percent in this most recent poll). In 2019 the number of undecided was just eight percent; in 2021 the undecided on the issue totaled 19 percent.

The margin of error for this week’s poll is 3.2 percent; in 2019 it was 3.8 percent. A total of 1,538 people participated in the current poll, geographically spread across the country.

Sports Fans in Favor, 10 pt. Net Shift Up
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Vaccine Changing Attitudes Towards Attending Sporting Events

South Orange NJ, January 29, 2021 – As the pandemic began to take hold in April 2020, a Seton Hall Sports Poll asked respondents if they would attend a live sporting event – 72 percent said “No.”

In the Sports Poll completed this week, only 41 percent said “No” to attending an outdoor sporting event while 49 percent said “No” to indoors.

Although both questions posited social distancing and PPE as a condition of attending, the most recent poll asked respondents if they would attend if they also had received a coronavirus vaccine.

“Now that the vaccine is no longer an abstraction but a reality, people are beginning to seek some form of normalcy,” said Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within the Stillman School of Business, which oversees the Seton Hall Sports Poll. “This is certainly encouraging for sports leagues and their players, who last March could see no end in sight.”

The poll was conducted January 22-25 among 1,522 adults, geographically spread across the country. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.
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61% Agree with Athletes’ Right to Speak Out for Social Justice; But More than a Third Say It Hinders Desire To Watch Games, Ruins Sports as ‘Escape’

South Orange NJ, November 23, 2020  — While 61 percent of Americans say that athletes have a right to free speech and it is their decision to speak out for social justice, 35 percent call sports their “escape” and don’t want to see any commentary other than sports. In addition, 36 percent say that athletes speaking out hinders their desire to watch games.

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted November 13-16 among 1,506 American adults, geographically spread across the country. The Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.

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67 Percent of Americans Say No To Indoor Sporting Events Without Vaccine

67 Percent of Americans Say No To Indoor Sporting Events Without Vaccine

South Orange NJ, November 18, 2020  —  Even masked, wearing personal protective equipment and socially distanced, 67 percent of Americans surveyed said they would not attend an indoor sporting event without the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19. Fifty-eight percent said they would not attend an outdoor event under the same circumstances.

Only 21 percent said they would attend an indoor sporting event, with 12 percent saying they did not know or had no opinion; for outdoor events the number of those who said they would attend with PPE and social distancing rose to 28 percent with 14 percent saying they did not know or had no opinion.

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted November 13-16 among 1,506 American adults, geographically spread across the country. The Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent. Continue reading →

Nearly 3 of 4 Americans Say They Won’t Attend Games Without Coronavirus Vaccine Developed

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South Orange NJ, April 9, 2020  — While sports commissioners, governments and medical experts debate when to reopen sports leagues, a huge majority of Americans including a substantial majority of sports fans are prepared to stay home until the development of a vaccine for Coronavirus.

Asked what they would do if the leagues resumed play before the development of a vaccine, 72 percent of Americans said they would not attend games, with 12 percent saying they would if social distancing could be maintained.  Only 13 percent said they would feel safe attending as in the past.  Among sports fans the number drops to a still significant 61 percent.

Medical experts have repeatedly put the timeline for approval of a vaccine into 2021, although they have not ruled out an existing drug proving effective for treatment this year.  Seventy-four percent of Americans thought it was possible, likely or very likely that sports would be cancelled for the rest of this year.

If the Policy of Social Distancing Continues into the Fall, Should NFL Start Up?
And if social distancing continues into the fall, 70 percent thinks the NFL should not start up to insure the players safety, with 20 percent saying the league should resume but allow the players to choose not to play, and only six percent saying the league should start up as planned.

These were the results of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week among 762 Americans across the country on both landlines and cellphones.  The Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percent.

“This virus has the attention and respect of the nation,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business.  “Those who identify as sports fans, at all levels of interest, line up closely with the general population in regard to their own safety and that of the players.”

Play Games without Fans Present?
As for the possibility of playing games with no fans present, a similar number – 76 percent – said they would watch broadcasts of the games with the same interest as before, with only 16 percent saying they would be less interested and 7 percent saying they would be more interested.

Did Leagues Shut Down at the Right Time?
Make no mistake – sports fans miss their sports…but also respect the devastating power of the virus.  Seventy-six percent said sports shut down at the right time, with 16 percent saying not quickly enough and six percent saying too quickly.

Olympics?
Eighty-four percent felt the IOC acted appropriately in postponing this year’s Olympic Games to 2021, with only 14 percent saying they acted too quickly.

Should Teams Pay Stadium Workers?
And asked whether teams have an obligation to pay daily arena and stadium workers for time missed because of the virus, 59 percent said yes and 33 percent said no.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted by telephone April 6-8 with 762 respondents, 348 from a landline frame and 414 from a cell frame by Braun Research Incorporated with remote live telephone interviewers being monitored by an all at-home staff. .

. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones.  The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

Media: Media: Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com;
Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034

The results:

  1. Do you think the US professional sports leagues acted too quickly in closing down their schedules, not quickly enough or acted at the right time?

 

1 – Too quickly                           6
2 – Not quickly enough             16
3 – Right time                              76
4 – Don’t know/No opinion                    2

 

  1. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled to take place from late July to early August of this year but has been rescheduled to the same time period in 2021. Do you think the International Olympic Committee acted too quickly moving an event scheduled so far in advance?

 

1 – Yes                                                  14

2 – No                                        84

3 – Don’t know/No opinion      3

 

  1. If some form of social distancing is continuing in the fall do you think the NFL should:

1 – Start up as planned                                                                     6

2 – Start up but allow players to choose not to play                   20
3 – Not start up to ensure players safety                                      70
4 – Don’t know/No opinion                                                                4

  1. It has been suggested that sports be cancelled through the end of 2020. How likely do you think this is a possibility?

 

1 – Very likely                                      12

2 – Likely                                              16

3 – Possible                                           46

4 – Won’t happen                                 24

5 – Don’t know/No opinion                    2

  1. If sports were to resume play later this year but before a vaccine for coronavirus is developed would you feel safe attending a game, only if there was restricted attendance and social distancing or not at all?

1 – Safe                                     13

2 – Safe but only if social distancing      12

3 – Not at all                                         72

4 – Don’t know/No opinion                    3

  1. Do you think professional teams have an obligation to pay daily arena/stadium workers for time missed because of the coronavirus?

1 – Yes                                                  59

2 – No                                                   33

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                    7

  1. For the remainder of 2020, do you think sports should eventually be played with fans present, played with restricted attendance practicing social distancing, played but with no fans present or sports should not be played at all

1 – Fans present                                    12

2 – Restricted attendance                      23

3 – No fans present                               21

4 – Not at all                                         40

5 – Don’t know/No opinion                    5

 

  1. If sports are played without fans will you be more interested, less interested or have the same interest in watching a broadcast of the game?

1 – More interested                                 7

2 – Less interested                                 16

3 – Same interest                                   76

4 – Don’t know/No opinion                    2

 

  1. How much would you say you miss having the opportunity to watch live sports, very much, some, not much or not at all?

1 – Very much                                      29

2 – Some                                               24

3 – Not at all                                         18

4 – Don’t know/No opinion                  29

  1. How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

1 – Very closely                                    17

2 – Closely                                            37

3 – Not closely                                      26

4 – Not at all                                         20

 

MLB Perceived as Having Best Officiating Among Major Spectator Sports, Beating NFL by 64-48% Margin

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62 percent said legalized sports betting influences people’s reaction to officiating of NFL games; Democrats and Republicans Can agree on something: the quality of officiating.

 

South Orange NJ, October 29, 2019  — Despite seeing nearly half of all disputed calls reversed by video replay, Americans perceive the officiating of Major League Baseball better than any other major sport.

And what’s truly remarkable in this day and age of polarization, is that Democrats and Republicans are in agreement on whether officiating is good or terrible on a sport-by-sport basis.

“At last, something they can agree on,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business.  “The differences were negligible in almost every case.”

These are the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted last week among 703 adult Americans across the country on both landlines and cellphones.  The Poll has a margin of error of +/-3.8 percent.  (The margin of error for the smaller sample of Democrats and Republicans, 176 of each, is +/- 7.5 percent.)

Major League Baseball scored a 64 percent approval rating for umpiring, with only 3 percent saying it was terrible.  And here we find 65 percent of Democrats saying it is good, and 67 percent of Republicans.

For the NFL, 48 percent rated the officiating as good (57 percent Democrats; 54 percent Republicans), but 27 percent called it terrible. A separate question, the suggestion of using replay on every call, found the public equally divided – 41 percent approving, and 42 percent disapproving, with 17 percent having no opinion.  (While the parties can agree on officiating, they don’t agree on how to improve it. On this there was division by party, with 51 percent of Democrats approving of replay on every play, but only 27 percent of Republicans approving.)

The NBA had a 49 percent rating of “good” for its officiating; the NHL 44 percent; college basketball 48 percent, and college football 53 percent, all very close along party lines (see breakdown by party at the end of this release).

Percent saying that each sport has “good officiating.”

SPORT DEM REP
Major League Baseball 65 67
National Football League 57 54
National Basketball Assoc. 55 57
National Hockey League 43 45
College Basketball 55 60
College Football 65 67

Asked if legalized sports betting influences people’s reaction to officiating of NFL games, 62 percent said yes, 20 percent no and 18 percent don’t know – again, fairly equal along party lines.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone October 21-23 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones.  The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

Media: Media: Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com;
Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034

The results:

  1. The NFL has been criticized recently for a series of questionable calls by officials. One suggestion is to have a referee overseeing every call made or not made on video and confirming or overruling the call on the field. Do you approve or disapprove?

Dem      Rep          Ind      Other

1 – Approve                                                                               41          51              27          43

2 – Disapprove                                                                          42          40              56          39

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                                     17            9              17          18

 

I’m going to read you a few sports.  Tell me if you think the officiating is good or terrible:

  1. Major League Baseball

1 – Good                                                                       64          65              67          63

2 – Terrible                                                                      3            2                7            3

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                        33          33              27          33

 

  1. National Football League

1 – Good                                                                       48          57              54          41

2 – Terrible                                                                   27          19              29          31

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                       25          24              17          28

 

  1. National Basketball Association

 

1 – Good                                                                       49          55              57          42

2 – Terrible                                                                   13          19              29          17

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                       38          24              17          41

 

  1. National Hockey League

 

1 – Good                                                                       44          43              45          45

2 – Terrible                                                                     6            6                6            5

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                        51          52              49          50

 

  1. College Basketball

1 – Good                                                                       48          55              60          38

2 – Terrible                                                                     9            8                3          13

3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                        44          37              37          49

 

  1. College Football

1 – Good                                                                       53          65              67          41
2 – Terrible                                                                   12            8              13          14
3 – Don’t know/No opinion                                        34          26              20          45

 

  1. Is sports betting, which has been legalized in many states, influencing people’s reaction to officiating of NFL games?

 

1 – Yes                                                                                        62          64              62          60

2 – No                                                                                        20          19              26          18

3 – Don’t know                                                                         18          18              13          22

 

  1. Would you describe yourself as a Democrat, Republican, Independent or something else?

 

1 – Democrat                                                                            25

2 – Republican                                                                          25

3 – Independent                                                                       30

4 – Other                                                                                    15

5 – Don’t know/No Opinion                                                      4

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

Nat’l Poll: 80% of Americans Support Legalized Sports Betting

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80% of Americans Support Legalized Sports Betting
And Disagree with Loophole Excluding “Home State” College Teams

South Orange, NJ, October 10, 2019 — Americans have embraced legalized betting on sports, bolstered by a Supreme Court ruling that okayed a state-by-state determination.

Fifty-five percent of the public supports the state-by-state process, with an additional 25 percent saying it should be legal in all states. The breakdown by age was dramatic for those saying it should be legal in all states, with 37 percent of ages 18-29 saying yes, but only 14 percent of those 60 and over agreeing.

The 55 percent approval of state-by-state marks a significant leap in less than a year, when a November 2018 Seton Hall Sports Poll found that only 40 percent of the nation felt it should be left to the individual states.

The combined “state-by-state” and the “legal in all states” adds up to an 80% approval for legalized sports betting.  Only 16 percent say it should not be legal.  In February 2017, only 46 percent of respondents said that betting on sports should be allowed (without including a differentiation between state-by-state and national).

The findings appear in a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted last week among 714 adult Americans on both landlines and mobile phones.  The poll has a +/-3.8 percent margin of error.
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American Public Supports College Athletes Receiving Endorsement Money for ‘Image and Likeness,’ as Approved in California this Week

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American Public Supports College Athletes Receiving ‘Image and Likeness’ Endorsement Money, as Approved in California this Week

But Feels NCAA, not States, Should Oversee the Process 

South Orange NJ, October 3, 2019  — The American public, by an almost 2-1 margin, believes that student athletes should be allowed to profit from the use of their name, likeness or image such as in the endorsement of a product.

Such was the finding of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, where 60% endorsed the idea with 32% rejecting it.  Eight percent said they did not know, or had no opinion.

The Poll was conducted among 714 adult Americans across the country, either on landline or cellphone.  The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percent.

The timing of the Poll coincided with California Governor Gavin Newsom signing a bill that allows college athletes to hire agents and earn endorsement money.
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Poll: Equal Pay for Women’s Soccer; Women’s Tennis has More Followers than Men’s Tennis; More Men Follow Women’s Golf than Women.

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In a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted nationally last week, 83 percent of Americans said the women’s national soccer team should receive pay equal to the men’s team.

As has been reported, the U.S. women’s soccer team (winners of three World Cups and four Olympic Gold Medals) has sued the U.S. Soccer Federation over equal pay and comparable working conditions with the U.S. men’s team, who have not won any World Cups or Gold Medals. After being made aware of this, and then asked to choose a statement that comes closest to their view, 70 percent of the respondents said women should get equal pay to men in professional sports; 13 percent said women should get equal pay in soccer because of their greater success and seven percent said women should not get equal pay to men in professional sports. Ten percent had no opinion.
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Nearly 40 Percent of NCAA Tournament Viewers Will Watch Online; Twenty-two Percent of Those Who Watch Will Do so at Work

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South Orange NJ, March 21, 2019 – As Americans increasingly turn to online devices to follow news and sports, a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week reveals that 38 percent of those who will be watching the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament will do so either entirely or partially online.

The poll was asked of 606 adult Americans on both landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of +/- 4.1%.

Of the men’s tournament, 38 percent of all Americans said they would be watching at least part of the coverage. Split by gender, 49 percent of men said they would be watching the tournament, and 29 percent of women said they would be watching.

Twenty-two percent of all respondents who will be watching also said they will watch the tournament while at work; among males that number rises to 29 percent.
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Many Think Settlement with Kaepernick is Admission of Collusion by NFL

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Many Think Settlement with Kaepernick is Admission of Collusion by NFL

45 percent of those polled across the nation said they believed the settlement with Colin Kaepernick was an admission of collusion by the NFL.

By 3-to-1, public thinks Kaepernick’s chance of a new contract in the NFL has now decreased.

South Orange NJ, March 4, 2019 – In a national poll, 45 percent of the public said that they believe the confidential settlement of Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL for collusion was essentially an admission of guilt on the part of the NFL. On the other side, 40 said it was not an admission. Of those polled, 15 percent said they did not know or had no opinion.

White people were evenly divided on whether the settlement amounted to an admission of collusion by the NFL, but African-Americans said they believe it is by a 3 to 1 margin.

Kaepernick is credited with beginning the “anthem protests” in the NFL which drew ire and even boycotts from many football fans as well as President Trump. Although a past poll had shown 32 percent of Americans supported Kaepernick’s protests, which were intended to draw attention to racism in America, roughly 44 percent disapproved, with the rest (24 percent) either having no opinion or not knowing.

In the same poll (September 28, 2017), when asked whether or not NFL players should be ordered to stand for the national anthem or be fired from the team as President Trump had suggested, only 18 percent responded “yes.”

Kaepernick became a free agent in early 2017 and was not hired by any NFL team. He brought suit against the NFL for collusion in keeping him out of the league. He was not hired for the 2018 season either.
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Did Zion’s Sneaker Explosion Hurt the Nike Brand? Nearly One in Five Say ‘Yes’

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Did Zion’s Sneaker Explosion Hurt the Nike Brand? Nearly One in Five Say ‘Yes’

Majority feels student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for wearing their brands; less support for them receiving pay for playing revenue producing sports

South Orange NJ, March 1, 2019 — It was the sneaker explosion heard round the world, when Duke’s Zion Williamson’s Nike went poof last week in a game against North Carolina. Did all the publicity hurt the Nike brand?

According to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, nearly 1-in-5 respondents said it was the indicator of the quality of the brand. More than two thirds, 67%, felt it was a one-time fluke.

“That’s a good percentage favoring the one-time mishap,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “But 18% (those who felt it represented the brand’s quality), is not a small number. Nike has some rebuilding work ahead – of its image, not just its sneakers.”

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, with questions asked of 794 adult Americans on landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

Compensation for Student Athletes

Meanwhile, a majority of Americans believe that student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for the use of their brands in collegiate athletics if they are required to wear the brand, and that students in revenue producing sports – like football and basketball – should receive compensation on top of scholarships and cost of attendance stipends.

On the question of financial compensation for student athletes from sneaker companies – like Nike and Adidas – , the public says “yes” by a margin of 57-36%.

On the question of compensation for participation in revenue generating sports, the margin was closer, with 49% saying “yes” and 46% saying “no.” And while white respondents are in favor of “sneaker compensation” by a 54-41% margin, African-Americans are in favor by 3-1.
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Despite NFL Settlement, Nation Evenly Divided on Kaepernick Impact

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Despite NFL Settlement, Nation Evenly Divided on Kaepernick Impact

But by 3-to-1, public thinks his chance of a new contract in the NFL has decreased

South Orange NJ, February 28, 2019 — The confidential settlement of Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL finds the nation evenly divided on its impact on his protests.

In a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, by a margin of 44-42%, the public says the settlement has not diminished the impact of his protest.

By 45-40%, the public believes the settlement is an admission by the NFL that collusion by NFL teams against him took place.

When the question of approval for Kaepernick was asked in September 2017, his support was only 32%, with disapproval at 44%.

While white respondents are evenly divided on whether the settlement diminished the impact of the protests, by 2 to 1 African-Americans believe that it does. Whites are also evenly divided on whether it the settlement is an admission of collusion by the NFL, but African-Americans believe it is by 3 to 1.

794 adult Americans were polled on both landlines and cellphones, a margin of +/- 3.5%.

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Poll: 70 Percent More Likely to Watch Game If They Wager on It

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As leagues move towards embrace of gambling, 70% say they’re more likely to watch a game if they wager, but 61% say it will lead to cheating or fixed games.

South Orange, NJ, November 30, 2018 — If you bet that wagering on a game leads to greater viewership – you’d be right. A survey by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 70% of Americans say they would be more likely to watch a game they bet on.

In a week in which Major League Baseball announced a marketing partnership with MGM Resorts, the era of “No Betting Permitted” signs at ballparks is over, and the fans seem to love it.

But it is a double edge sword – 61% say they believe that legal betting on sports events leads to cheating or the fixing of games.

But oh that 70% of heightened interested in watching games is music to a sports league’s ears. Within that, the poll found that 88% of those age 18-29, the coveted demographic loved by sponsors and hardest to reach – would be more likely to watch if they placed a bet.

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Only 11% Like Way DH Rule Employed in World Series, 35% of Americans Watched

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South Orange, NJ, November 1, 2018 — The just concluded World Series was the 45th since the designated hitter rule was adopted in 1973 – but the American public is still not happy with the way it is employed.

Only 11% of people surveyed in this week’s Seton Hall Sports Poll opted to keep it as it is — employed only when games are played in American League parks.  47% were divided almost equally on whether they prefer the DH in all games (25%) or in no games (22%).  41% saidthey did not know or had no opinion.

The poll was conduced October 29-31 among 839 adults across the country on landline and cellphone, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4%.

The poll also asked the 65% who said they did not watch the World Series why they did not watch, and while 46% said they had no interest in baseball, only 11% cited no interest in the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers in particular.  (The margin of error for this group was +/- 4.3%).

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Roughly Half the Nation Feels Legalized Sports Betting Calls Integrity of Games into Question

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South Orange, NJ, May 16, 2018 — Concern over the integrity of sports results has gone hand in hand with the question of legalized gambling over the years, and Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which ended the federal ban on sports wagering, has intensified the discussion even further.

The most recent Seton Hall Sports Poll (conducted April 23-25 among 736 adults in the U.S. with a +/- 3.7% margin of error), found that 48% feel legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events.

This was consistent with a poll taken by the SHSP in 2014, when 49% answered affirmatively to the same question. When the question was posed in 2012, 53% said the sports integrity would be negatively impacted.

“People tend to be in favor of gambling on games, but a large number – nearly half the population, believes the outcome of games could be subject to questioning,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Stillman School of Business and its Sharkey Institute. “ Whether the games are fixed or not isn’t the question so much as whether public confidence is eroded. That’s a big problem for sports leagues.”

The Official Seton Hall Sports Poll podcast discussing this topic with Seth Everett and Rick Gentile can be found at https://itunes.apple.com/mt/podcast/seton-hall-sports-poll/id1053266467.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone April 23-25 among 736 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute, with cell phone interviewing provided by Braun Research.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

Media: Media: Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com;
Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034

The results of Seton Hall’s April poll:

  1. Would you be in favor of legalized betting on sports events?

Yes       55%

No       35

Don’t know/No opinion       10

(IF NO TO ABOVE SKIP TO QUESTION 3)

Would you be in favor of betting on just professional events or should betting on collegiate events be legal as well?

Just professional       36

Both professional and collegiate       49

Don’t know/No opinion       15

  1. Do you think legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events?

Yes       48

No       42

Don’t know/No opinion       10

 

  1. The US Supreme Court is about to rule on whether states should be allowed to legalize betting on sports events or whether it should be up to the federal government to decide. Do you think sports betting should be under state control or federal control?

State control       62

Federal control       27

Don’t know/No opinion       12