Policy evolution in China’s campus football: a mixed-methods analysis of policy documents (2009–2025)

Abstract Since 2009, the Chinese government has introduced a series of policies aimed at expanding youth football participation and addressing the shortage of talent reserves. However, the rapid proliferation of policies has created a range of implementation challenges. This study adopts a three-dimensional analytical framework that integrates content analysis, social network analysis, and LDA2vec topic modeling to empirically examine 71 campus football policy documents issued by the State Council and relevant ministries. Results show that regarding policy tools, there is an overreliance on environmental tools, inadequate utilization of supply-oriented tools, and limited adoption of demand-oriented tools. Concerning policy actors, the structure of campus football policymaking has evolved from a single-actor model to a multi-actor collaborative framework. In terms of policy themes, the focus has shifted from establishing foundational frameworks to refining a distinctive developmental system. This study proposes optimization strategies for advancing the implementation of China’s campus football policies and contributing to the enrichment of theoretical perspectives on policy evolution within the domain of sports governance.