Larger, better resourced institutions have spent millions on state-of-the-art facilities and programs, private chefs and gourmet meals, and full-time dieticians and nutritionists to feed, support, and educate athletes. For example, the University of Nebraska’s 2017-18 fiscal year athletics program budget included $3.3 million for high-quality foods, more than a dozen staff, and refueling stations. In contrast, the much smaller University of Akron spent less than $100,000, most of which covered food for athletes when on-­campus dining services were unavailable (Olson, 2017). While facilities and personnel require significant capital investments, mobile apps offer a financially viable opportunity with a focus on diet and nutrition guides, food recommendations and tracking, and mental health.

The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the usability of BSUathlEATS, a mobile app available for Android and iOS, created for athletes at Ball State University. The research includes a series of task-based studies, interviews, and beta testing, along with external coordinated development efforts to address user feedback after each stage. The purpose of the app is to provide athletes opportunities to improve nutrition through competition and incentives. Athletic teams will compete in a series of weekly matchups against other teams through individual and team-based challenges and activities. Gamification strategies will be used to encourage engagement and motivate athletes with leaderboards, badges, and other incentives.

Developed in conjunction with a group of graduate students, college athletes, and professional staff in Information Technology, BSUathlEATS represents a response to the growing need for nutrition education and support for college athletes at a university with a limited budget. The first goal of this research is to identify factors that affect involvement and participation with the challenges and gameplay. Specifically, whether they are reasonable and achievable based on the demands of school, practice times, and competition schedules. Second, establish a framework for competition through a review of the layout, design, and organization of the app. Third, determine ways to improve gameplay to increase engagement and encourage athletes to participate throughout the competition rounds.

Based on findings from the usability study, address areas for improvement in design, gameplay, and implementation of BSUathlEATS. From a broader perspective, demonstrate how a competitive, nutrition­-focused mobile app can benefit institutions with limited resources and funding.

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