Valid Reasoning For An Athletic Fee. Please Read.

[Cr1028]

I posted the following in January and I think it is even more important to note today. I urge you guys to bring these articles and studies to the attention of the opponents because whether they like it or not, they are really hurting themselves. It is simple economics and social science for crying out loud!

Here is the abstract from an article in the Dec. 2006 issue of Social Science Quarterly:

QUOTE

This article examines the extent to which the public connects athletic success with academic quality, whether these connections are stronger during a year in which a state university wins a national championship, the type of respondents most likely to make such connections, and whether these connections make a difference in terms of public evaluations and support for higher education. Embedded within the 2004 survey instrument, we also consider whether respondents primed with specific question wording identifying the national championship are more likely to make the connection than respondents given more generic language referring to success in college athletics. Data for the study are based on two statewide, randomly selected samples of Louisiana voting-age residents, with the first survey conducted in February 2004 in the wake of LSU's BCS National Championship and the second survey conducted in January 2005 in the wake of a 9-3 season. We find that a substantial proportion of the population believes that athletic success and academic quality are connected, that less-educated respondents are more likely to make such connections, and that these connections affect evaluations of colleges and universities. Athletic success may or may not directly affect academic quality, but the public largely believes such a link exists and those beliefs have important implications for higher education.

From the article:

NO LONGER LITTLE ORPHAN COWBOYS - PICKENS HAS DONATION WELL OVER $200 MILLION TO OKLAHOMA STATE'S ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Savannah Morning News (GA) - August 31, 2007

QUOTE

Pickens' high-profile donations to the athletic department have not been by accident. Big gifts lead to success in athletics, which buys attention for the university.

"That's where I wanted to put my money and that's the quickest way to build a program," Pickens said. "Sports is where you get the publicity. If you do well in sports, then the rest of it follows."

An abstract from the article:

Touchdowns and Test Scores: Exploring the Relationship between Athletics and Academics

Applied Economics Letters, June 2004, v. 11, iss. 7, pp. 421-24

QUOTE

This article examines the relationship between college football success and SAT scores using an updated data series on football winning percentages. The finding here of a positive and significant relationship supports the idea that collegiate athletics, namely football, serves the institution's admissions process. Selective institutions are able to enhance the quality of their student populations. The spinoff benefit of winning teams is such a well-known phenomenon among university administrators that they even have a name for it--"the Flutie factor," for the 33 percent increase in applications that Doug Flutie helped bring Boston College when he was a football star there in the early 1980s.

An abstract from the article:

A Reexamination of the Effect of Big-Time Football and Basketball Success on Graduation Rates and Alumni Giving Rates

Economics of Education Review, Special Issue December 2004, v. 23, iss. 6, pp. 655-61

QUOTE

To determine the impact on the academic mission, the models in this study test whether there is statistical evidence that student graduation rates or alumni giving rates are influenced by pigskin or hoop success for major universities after adjustment for key academic variables. Using a sample of big-time sports universities and models comparable to other research, the evidence presented in this article indicates that having a highly successful football team has a positive impact on both the overall graduation rate and the alumni giving rate. In contrast, a successful basketball team has no significant effect on either of these key measures of academic success

[ADLER]

Thank you for posting the articles.

[Smitty]

Excellent research. A single quote from that information might be good on flyers being distributed around campus. Something like:

WHY VOTE YES?

"Athletic success may or may not directly affect academic quality, but the public largely believes such a link exists and those beliefs have important implications for higher education."

- Social Science Quarterly, December 2006*

VOTE YES FOR A NEW STADIUM!

* - Data derived from two statewide samples of Louisiana voting-age residents conducted

in February 2004 in the wake of LSU's BCS National Championship and in January 2005 following a 9-3 season.

Then run the full story on the Facebook website in favor of the new stadium. That also would have been good in an op-ed piece in the Daily.

Maybe UNTflyer is already using some of that in his presentations to student groups.

[Green Mean]

Good stuff. I am not sure why it is hard for many people to understand these concepts. Even people that I know that are not into sports one bit know the positive things that come from athletics not just from a university but any sort of sports team.

[Cerebus]

This is exactly what the campaign should have been based on.

[Cr1028]

To the top for election week.

Why is homecoming held during football season?

Is there any other university event that can draw 100k people like at UM?

Is there any event besides class that can get 20K+ people to show up to the North Texas campus?

Does the University of Texas upgrading their football stadium every year hurt the funding of their business school? No, it HELPS funding because their team instills a sense of PRIDE in their UNIVERSITY and alumni actually care to follow their alma mater and become DONORS.

Why don't we try and break away from the 4yr community college/commuter school stereotype for a change?!!

[Cr1028]

I live in Austin and work with a girl, who is also a NT alum. She has the typical "Coffeehouse University" view. I debated her for 30 minutes on the stadium issue and she wouldn't budge from the no side. I gave examples of Economic and Social Science research studies, I gave the example of Rice having their highest amount of donations post-NO Bowl, and I even gave the "you never heard of George Mason U and Boise State U til a few years ago". She said she still hasn't heard of Boise and that people don't go to UNT for the football, they go because it is artsy and they shouldn't put the money to the staduim, they should put it to research. I told her there wasn't a vote for increased funding to arts programs, it was for athletics and that very few go to UNT because it is artsy and probably over fifty percent go because they either couldn't get into or got kicked out of UT, OU, or ATM, she disagreed. It was like banging my head against the wall. She refuses to want to increase the quality of her university because she thinks it would change the culture, I got mad but I had to bottle it because I was at work.

[FanofUNT]

You know what? Austin has a very artsy feel while carrying athletics. The #1 FB team with a very liberal scene - it works there in Austin- it will work in Denton.