3/26: Many Fans Think College Sports Programs Break NCAA Rules…Education Should be a Priority, Say Most

March Madness is in full swing, and with all eyes on the road to the Final Four, sports fans nationwide are weighing in on the nature of college sports. Click Here for Complete March 26, 2013 USA Poll Release and Tables More than two-thirds of sports fans nationally — 67% — think it is common practice for college sports programs to break NCAA rules when recruiting and training college athletes.  26% believe the rules are not broken often, and 7% are unsure. This Marist Poll has been done in conjunction with The Marist College Center for Sports Communication. There has been an increase... 

12/27: Phelps’ Olympic Medal Record Biggest Accomplishment in Sports This Year

Months removed from the London Olympics, stories from the games top the list of 2012’s biggest accomplishments in sports.  Among sports fans nationally, 28% consider Michael Phelps breaking the Olympic medal record to be the single best sports accomplishment of the year.  The gold medal win by the U.S. women’s gymnastics team tumbled into the hearts of 23% of U.S. sports fans.  13% believe Notre Dame’s football team played like champions during their undefeated regular season while the third consecutive gold medal for the U.S. women’s soccer team is deemed the biggest sports accomplishment... 

7/23: London Olympic Games Spur Sense of Pride in Many Americans

Attention will be “across the pond” on Friday for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  80% of adults nationally say they will follow, at least, some of the Olympic Games.  This includes 19% who plan to check out a great deal of them, 23% who think they will follow a good amount of the events, and 38% who believe they will follow them a little bit.  One in five — 20% — does not plan to check out any of the events. Click Here for Complete July 23, 2012 USA Poll Release and Tables Looking at age, those under 30 — 74% — are the least likely to watch,... 

3/29: Majority Thinks Colleges Break NCAA Rules…Most Say Only Scholarships for Athletes

All eyes will be on the NCAA Final Four this weekend.  But, when it comes to recruiting and training practices, do college sports’ programs break NCAA rules?  A majority of sports fans nationally — 55% — think it is common practice to act outside of the regulations while 35% believe it is not common practice.  10% are unsure. By Reisio (Own work) (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons This Marist Poll has been done in conjunction with The Marist College Center for Sports Communication. Click Here for Complete March 29, 2012 USA Poll Release and Tables There’s been a lot of debate... 

12/15: Goal! USA Women’s Soccer Victory Best Sports Accomplishment of 2011

2011 has been a big year for sports!  And, of all the great moments, the win by USA women’s soccer over Brazil in the World Cup takes the top spot as the best single sports accomplishment of the year.  Nearly one-third of sports fans nationally — 32% — have this view.  The sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks comes in a distant second with 18% while Derek Jeter getting his 3,000th hit is perceived to be the most significant sports accomplishment of 2011 by 15%.  13% believe Butler’s second trip to the NCAA Championship rates most significant while 11% say... 

7/7: No Goal for World Cup in United States

Even with the hype surrounding the World Cup, the tournament hasn’t been able to gain a large foothold in the United States.  When this poll was conducted, while the United States was still in the tournament, 63% of residents nationally were not watching any of the matches while 37% caught some or all of the World Cup.  Included here are 27% who were watching some and 10% who were checking out most of it. ©istockphoto.com/3dbrained Interest in watching grows when looking at residents who played soccer as a child.  Among this group, 58% tuned in for at least a portion of the tournament. ... 

2/11: Let the Games Begin! 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Tomorrow night, the eyes and ears of the world will be focused on Vancouver, British Columbia for the Opening Ceremonies of the XXI Olympic Winter Games. Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/ / CC BY 2.0 The Vancouver Olympic Village Photowalk. While Canadian pride is sure to glow during the games, how engaged will Americans be?  76% of U.S. residents report they will follow at least a little of the games.  This includes 37% who plan to tune in a little, 22% who say they will watch a good deal of them, and 17% who are die-hards and report they will watch a great deal of the games.  24%... 

2/11: The Winter Games: An Interview

The Winter Olympics come around once every four years, but how popular are the games today?  Verne Lundquist is CBS Sports Play-By-Play Broadcaster who has covered the 1992, 1994, and 1998 games.  And, in a candid interview with The Marist Poll’s John Sparks, he discusses this year’s competition, addresses the issue of steroid use, and shares some of his own memories covering the games. Verne Lundquist John Sparks Verne, you worked through Winter Olympics in ’92/’94/’98, I believe, for the network and of course you followed the Winter and Summer games for years....