Date

8-29-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

Eric Sobolewski

Keywords

sport science, collegiate football, advanced technology, player development, data-driven decision-making

Disciplines

Sports Sciences

Abstract

This dissertation presents the findings of a survey that identifies the sport science practices and standards utilized in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football programs. In total a fifty-two item survey instrument was administered that examines seven sections, including (i) demographics, (ii) current sport science practices, (iii) advanced technology, (iv) decision-making processes, (v) health and wellness, (vi) budget and resources, and (vii) comments. All generated numerical data was organized into a statistical analysis program, SPSS Statistics v 29.0.2.0 (© IBM Corporation). Correlations were conducted on data gathered from Likert Scale questions, using Spearman test. Additionally, comprehensive non-numerical subjective data was organized by emerging themes according to thematic analysis principles. In total twenty-six (n = 26) respondents completed the survey. All respondents obtained a bachelor’s degree, while twenty-two (84.62%) received a master’s degree and two (7.69%) reported obtaining a doctoral degree. All respondents measured muscular strength, followed by 96.15% assessing speed. Primarily, respondents reported measuring physical fitness variables on a weekly basis (n = 10; 38.46%). Nineteen (73.08%) respondents reported they do not integrate sport science tests into the strength and conditioning warm-up periods, while seven (26.92%) do. Among those respondents that incorporated sport science tests into the warm-up period, the most common method was RSI testing (n = 4; 57.14%). Majority (84.62%) of respondents noted that they implemented camera/laser-based technologies within their sport science protocols (n = 22). Overall, this research enables both practitioners and researchers the ability to understand the current state of the field to identify unique aspects of sport science.

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