ProGreenSports survey indicates rising interest in green practices among sports programs

ProGreenSports just completed the second annual survey of sustainability practices among NCAA athletic departments. The survey was conducted in May among 119 FBS division schools. Results indicate an increasing emphasis on green practices.

We believe that sports organizations have a unique business opportunity to profitably implement sustainability programs that reduce costs, increase revenue, enhance the brand and lessen the impact on the environment, according to Mark McSherry, president of ProGreenSports, headquartered in Falmouth, MA.

Survey participation was exceptional: 73 out of 119 FBS schools (61%) participated.  Over 93% of survey respondents are associate or assistant athletic directors (facilities, operations or events), facilities directors or managers, or campus-wide sustainability directors, according to McSherry.

The 2010 survey results indicate NCAA FBS division athletic departments are placing a greater emphasis on environmental sustainability programs when compared to survey results from 2009. For example, athletic departments are increasingly forming green teams, developing sustainability plans and expecting the emphasis on environmental programs to increase even more in the future.

The greatest barrier to implementing green programs continues to be financial – over 50% of teams indicate that “unclear return on investment” is the largest concern among key decision makers. More than 25% of survey respondents indicated that the economic downturn is causing them to curtail at least some environmental plans or programs.  Nonetheless, NCAA athletic departments are increasingly going green.

To access the 2010 NCAA Athletic Department Sustainability Survey Report including an executive summary, year-to-year trend analysis, full survey results and a comparison to sustainability practices among professional sports teams, please click here.

ProGreenSports offers a range of sustainability-related services, including: sustainability assessment, greenhouse gas inventories, sponsorship and green advertising planning as well as fan surveys.