Journal of Business & Economics Research – April 2006 Volume 4, Number 4 75 Strategically Comparing Selected Major College Basketball Powerhouses Through The Resource Based View Of The Firm David P. Synowka, Robert Morris University Alan D. Smith, (Email: smitha@rmu.edu), Robert Morris University Dean R. Manna, (Email: manna@rmu.edu), Robert Morris University ABSTRACT The key to sustaining a competitive advantage through effective management is working with people. Especially dealing with sport management and marketing, concepts such as organizational culture and reputation are identifying strategic assets that are intangible resources. These concepts form the basis on the strategic theory behind the Resource-based View (RBV) of the firm. Strategic assets are intangible since they are inherently hard to duplicate, since duplication requires the inputs of how an object reacts with all the senses. Intangible assets are, by their very nature, „unknowable‟ in the purest sense and, thus, difficult to duplicate. In addition, intangible assets are rare in that the variations that will be found within will be profound from owner to owner. The organizational cultures and reputations of the Duke University and the University of Cincinnati were compared, since they have petitions for national level basketball, but radically different organizational cultures. What constitutes organizational culture in one organization will have differences not present in another‟s culture, thus allowing for some teams to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage. INTRODUCTION University Sports Programs niversity sports programs have long been an important part of the culture of many universities. In fact, for a few universities, such as Duke University (DU) and the University of Cincinnati (UC), they take it even a step further. These programs have built a sports program that actually becomes a defining characteristic of the school and surrounding area. The men‟s basketball programs at these universities are routinely nationally ranked powerhouse that are consistently ranked at the top of the NCAA standings. For example, Durham, North Carolina, home to DU, is known as one of the greatest college towns in the country. Duke Basketball defines everything in Durham. The coffee shops, the local stores, even the neighborhood restaurants all encompass everything that is great with college sports. In this paper, the emphasis will specifically focus in on how the basketball program at DU gives them a sustainable competitive advantage via the Resource-based View (RBV), over the competition. Other universities, specifically the University of Cincinnati, will be referenced to contrast and compare our findings. Resource Based View Of The Firm Michalisin, Kline, and Smith (1997, 2000) provided a literature review of contemporary articles concerning the RBV of the firm as well as empirically testing its assumptions. The authors suggested that the RBV states that the firm‟s resources are the main determinant of competitive advantage and firm profitability (1997). As such, it is U