This research is significant, as change within a collegiate athletic department offers an opportunity to examine the
process and its cascading influence at each organizational level. Understanding the process is essential in effectively
initiating change for future institutions charged with such a task. Successfully enacting change may be especially
important for athletic departments affected by a scandal, as leaders work to reform earlier culture and organizational
structures to be better aligned with the mission of their institutions. Therefore, it is essential to understand how
change affects entities within athletic departments and how, in turn, these entities may influence the effectiveness of
implementing change (Welty Peachey & Bruening, 2012). Doing so can assist athletic department leadership in
overcoming negative events, establishing a new productive culture within the department, and placing the
department on the path toward increased performance.