NFL Fanatics Communication of Identity through Apparel and Merchandise: A Gender Comparison
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The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
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Abstract
The female fan represents a significant percentage of the NFL fan base. Many believe that the female market is the last untapped demographic for the NFL. Given the increasingly important role of female fans in NFL fandom, this study attempts to answer the research question, are gender differences observed in NFL fans' supportive behavior of teams; do male and female NFL fans demonstrate different purchasing behaviors. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen participants who self-identified as fans of one or more NFL team(s). Three supportive behaviors of being an NFL fan were identified: Loyalty, knowledge, and wearing team apparel. Females and males showed different supportive behavior in terms of emotional connections, frequency of watching games, and types of licensed apparel/merchandise purchased. Wearing team apparel is an important aspect of being a fan and is associated with team loyalty for both genders, as indicated by social identity theory.