The Rational Behind the Student Athlete

[Japher]

NCAA is all in the dumps because the recesion is hurting their profitability and they aren't sure how long they can sustain the reach of their sports programs. At the same time college football coaches are getting paid in the 7-figures, and this is considered "reasonible". In these hard economic times, or anytime for that matter, can one justify sports offerings at educational institutions?

In CA if you offer the program to one student you have to make it available to all. Thus, you can charge club fees and the cost is spread across the organizations and not on the program. What do you think about this?

Can teammenship and whatever else sports teach you be learned in other, cheaper situations? Would this not be better?

[Ecofarm]

At UF, football pays for all of the other sports and their stuff, stadiums, scholarships, roads, maitenance, sports hospital and staff, etc, etc, etc

[DirtyMartini]

*rationale

[DaShi]

Cancel all sports programs and promote the Arts!

[giblets]

In these hard economic times, or anytime for that matter, can one justify sports offerings at educational institutions?

If it makes money.

[Japher]

*rationale

If I ever start a thread without a typo in the title it will be a good day...

[Ecofarm]

That's 80k seats, every homegame; with RVs in the parking lot, bowl games and national championships. Our "Bull Gators" donate plenty. We sell gear.

[Asher]

The problem is simple: Not enough NCAA hockey.

[Patroklos]

If your sports team is financially solvent, and better yet providing funds for none sports initiatives, then whats the harm?

That being said, the real harm is not the existance of sports themselves, but when the program is elevated above the primary mission of the institution by lowering academic standards to bring in athletes and generally encouraging sports accomplishments as an alternative to education accomplishment. Whats the point of being financially sound if you are not accomplishing your mission?

[Ecofarm]

I think you will find all top NCAA football schools to be fine academic institutions, ranking in the top100 in multiple departments and likely major research institutions.

When you are world/national ranked, not only football is making money.

[Japher]

The NCAA reports that in 2008 (the most recent year analyzed) only 25 of 333 Division I athletic programs realized positive net generated revenues. Further, 72 percent of all revenue was so-called “allocated revenue” received from student fees, university transfers and government sources. Far from contributing financially to academics, in over 90 percent of cases, athletics are heavily subsidized by the university.

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2010/04/07/the-bottom-line/

[Ecofarm]

I'm sure the "report" ignores gear revenue, national advertisement and other indirect incomes such as student choice of school, brand value and donor connections.

What about employment (all those jobs) for maitenance and stuff.

That's all a product, partially, of a top sports department.

[DirtyMartini]

In general, men's football and men's basketball make money. The end.

[DirtyMartini]

Also, where can I learn me some teammenship -- it sounds very interesting.

[Japher]

if google doesn't correct me, it's a word