Education Law

Sports is losing money for universities ... why are we doing it?

Another report out today confirmed what most of us already know, college athletics is a money pit. An NCAA study done by (Lexington's own, yeah!) Transylvania University found that only 14 of the 120 FBS schools make money and those are typically the programs with the largest and most well-heeled football programs. The rest must be subsidized by other university budgets (potential academic dollars) in varying amounts. For FBS schools that must compete in power conferences but do not have strong athletic programs, the price can be very steep. And, before you go thinking I am anti-UK basketball or anything, UK athletics donates millions each year to our academic budget and on top of that I am a huge Wildcats fan. 

But, even so, why do colleges, especially those in non-power conferences, even bother with athletics? There are a myriad of legal issues that ensue once a college chooses to participate in athletics from NCAA or NAIA compliance, to Title IX compliance, to injury liability issues, to insurance issues, to managing booster clubs to handling fundraising, to contracts with sponsors, and managing all this money ... and don't even get me started on my feelings about coaches. In other words, the potential legal liability from athletics is huge. 

So, seriously, why? Yes, I understand there is some prestige that comes with the sporting scene. I recognize that sports marketing can translate into future students. I get the argument to serve the whole student, not just their brains. I absolutely love being in rural Kentucky and seeing the UK flags in the yards. I can see some of the benefits. 

But, all that aside, I don't see the case for it considering everything, including the economics of higher education. Why are we taking what little money we have from academics at most universities and pouring it into athletics ... only to see the vast majority of those teams lose year after year. What is the return on that investment and could we not generate a larger return putting that into academics? I'm not trying to be a sports hater here (I have been accused of it in the past), I would just like some feedback on what I consider a very serious question. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, there is simply no reason whatsoever for schools like my beloved SIU to be playing sports (but, Go Salukis anyway?). 

Full post as published by Edjurist on August 23, 2010 (boomark / email).