The purpose of this study is to determine the causal effect of consumption attitudes toward environmental sustainability initiatives (ESI) implemented by professional sports clubs on behavioral intentions. Specifically, we will quantitatively examine the causal effect of perceived ESI on club support intentions and spectator intentions. To achieve our objective, we attempt to verify the results using three waves of panel data. Using Ventforet Kofu, a J2 soccer team, as a case study, we analyzed data from a panel survey of 749 respondents and were unable to confirm a direct causal relationship between perceived ESI and increased club support and game-watching intentions. However, although no direct causal relationship was found, the results suggest that perceived ESI may increase club support intentions and spectator intentions, albeit temporarily, especially among consumers who have never watched a game before.

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The objective of this study is to clarify the formation process of place attachment in the comprehensive community sports club members. Specifically, data was collected from 372 comprehensive community sports club members, and a hypothetical model that assumes a relationship among membership history, satisfaction, evaluation of the community, residence years, and place attachment, were examined focused on differences in membership types using structural equation modeling.
As a result, it was observed that for members who participating sports programs and using facilities, membership history affected satisfaction, satisfaction affected evaluation of the community, and evaluation of the community affected place attachment. For facilities using members, it was observed that satisfaction affected evaluation of the community, and evaluation of the community affected place attachment. Moreover, for both type members, satisfaction had a significantly greater effect on their evaluation of the community than residence years, confirming a significant indirect effect from satisfaction to place attachment.

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This study examined the attitude of university affiliates towards a sponsoring company by using a part of the conceptual model of sports sponsorship. We focused on the relationship between the Hakone Ekiden and its official sponsor, and conducted a questionnaire survey of university students and their family, faculty, and staff. We obtained 194 valid responses, and performed the statistical analysis of 130 samples among the data to examine the impact on attitudes towards the sponsor company. Regarding the relationship between brand cohesiveness, sponsor fit, and attitude towards the sponsor company, we confirmed the effect of brand cohesiveness on attitude towards the sponsor company and the mediating effect of sponsor fit. On the other hand, the moderator effect of event identification on attitude towards the sponsor company was not confirmed. The results of this study indicate that university sporting events are also effective investment targets for corporate sponsorships.

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