A Study of Psychological Support from Local Residents for Hosting Mega-Sporting Events: A Case of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to assess local residents' psychological support prior to hosting a mega-sporting event and to report preliminary results as to which factors of support affect local residents' attitudes toward hosting future mega-sporting events, using the case of the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. This study provides a theoretical model to examine local residents' psychological support factors using structural equation modeling, which helps the understanding of local residents in the process of supporting the hosting of mega-sporting events in the future. The results of this study indicate that the perceptions of positive outcomes from the event have the strongest relationship to feelings toward hosting future events. Therefore, governing bodies of the host community and the event should rely most heavily on the positive outcomes. While the negative factors were not as strongly related, they were still significant indicators of feelings toward future events. The part of the plans pertaining to growing community support should include ways that the negative impacts might be mitigated.