The importance of sports development within higher education institutions cannot be overstated. Universities are recognized as centers of education that not only aim to provide academic learning but also seek to enrich the experiences of their academic communities in various aspects of life, including sports and physical activity.
Sports play a significant role in the physical, mental, and social development of individuals. Furthermore, sports activities within universities contribute to building healthy communities and fostering a sense of unity among students, faculty members, and administrative staff.
However, ensuring the successful development of sports within higher education requires effective tools to measure and evaluate its progress. Currently, there is a lack of specific and comprehensive instruments capable of providing a holistic assessment of sports development in universities.
In response to this need, SPORTTRIC (Sport and Physical Activity University Ranking Criteria) was developed as an instrument to assess sports and physical activity development within higher education institutions. The framework encompasses four major domains: Policy and Governance, Infrastructure and Facilities, Participation and Programs, and Research and Community Engagement related to sports and physical activity within universities.
Within the SPORTTRIC framework, Policy and Governance reflects institutional commitment through strategic policies, regulations, and resource allocation that support sports and physical activity. Infrastructure and Facilities include sports venues and physical activity spaces such as sports halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, fitness centers, and other facilities that support active lifestyles. Participation and Programs cover sports activities, events, structured programs, and institutional initiatives that encourage engagement in sports and physical activity. Finally, Research and Community Engagement encompass sports-related research, publications, innovation, and community service programs that promote active and healthy living beyond the university environment.
Previous studies have explored the concept of “sport cities” as one of the latest manifestations of global sport development, providing valuable insights for the advancement of SPORTTRIC. This concept has often been used to justify investments in sports infrastructure and to extend the economic benefits of major sporting events. However, relatively little research has critically examined the social dimensions of sport cities, including the social benefits generated through sport-oriented planning and development (1). Sport possesses the capacity to generate both positive and negative outcomes for society. At one end of the continuum, substantial evidence suggests that sport can produce a wide range of social benefits. Previous studies have identified psychological well-being, social inclusion, social capital, social advancement, health improvement, benefits for youth, older adults, and persons with disabilities, as well as increased civic engagement, as important outcomes associated with sport participation. Research has also demonstrated that sport contributes significantly to both social and economic well-being.
In this context, SPORTTRIC adopts conceptual frameworks from urban planning and sport development literature as references for constructing its assessment model. These frameworks enable an exploration of the extent to which social dimensions are considered in measuring and evaluating sports development within higher education institutions. By examining underexplored areas of research and integrating relevant concepts, SPORTTRIC aims to provide a deeper understanding of the social contributions and positive impacts of sport and physical activity on university communities.
From a policy perspective, previous research highlights that the primary purpose of sport within higher education has increasingly shifted toward enhancing the overall student experience. Sport contributes to student recruitment, retention, satisfaction, mental health, and graduate employability skills. Nevertheless, differing perspectives remain regarding the extent to which university leaders recognize the strategic value of sport in achieving these objectives. Public policy analyses indicate that the primary drivers of sports development in higher education tend to be internal rather than external. At the same time, universities acknowledge the importance of establishing symbiotic relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Consequently, recommendations have been made for university leaders and sport policymakers to more effectively leverage sport as a strategic tool for achieving higher education goals (2).
Another important contribution of sports and physical activity is their role in strengthening human resources, particularly among academic staff, by helping to prevent burnout syndrome. Burnout syndrome is a chronic stress condition resulting from excessive and prolonged work demands, particularly in occupations that require high levels of emotional engagement. It is characterized by three main dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Burnout may lead to persistent fatigue, decreased productivity, feelings of ineffectiveness, and serious physical and mental health problems. Research has demonstrated that sports participation, physical activity, and recreational engagement provide significant protective effects against burnout syndrome among university teaching staff (3).
The benefits of sports and physical activity for university students have also been widely documented. Previous studies have reported social, intellectual, and fitness-related benefits, as well as improvements in student recruitment and retention, holistic well-being, personal and social development, and leadership skill acquisition (4–6). At the institutional level, sport serves as a mechanism for fostering a sense of belonging and strengthening institutional values within higher education institutions (7).
More broadly, research indicates that participation in organized sports offers unique and additional well-being benefits beyond those associated with other forms of recreational physical activity, particularly among active adolescents and young adults. Positive experiences derived from organized sports participation appear to generate added value for well-being beyond what is typically achieved through other recreational physical activities (8). These findings further reinforce the importance of prioritizing sport and physical activity in the development of a healthy and sustainable university ecosystem.
SPORTTRIC was developed to assist higher education institutions in obtaining meaningful and accurate information regarding the relationship between sports development and positive institutional outcomes. A growing body of research has demonstrated that sport provides substantial benefits not only for individuals within the academic community but also for universities as organizations. Through SPORTTRIC, institutions are provided with a clear and structured framework for assessing the level of sports and physical activity development within their campuses. The instrument enables universities to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement that can guide future strategic planning and resource allocation.
Ultimately, SPORTTRIC is expected to support higher education institutions in creating environments that enable their academic communities to thrive through sport and physical activity, both in terms of individual achievement and meaningful contributions to the broader university community.