ARE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BETTING ON SPORTS? DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

David C. Burkitt
Andrew Blazsik
Brett Berger
Jonathan Farrell
Lourdes University

ABSTRACT
The popularity of collegiate sports has enabled many smaller schools to grow enrollment
by adding sports teams. While the purpose of this effort is to increase the financial standing of the
educational institution, the question has been raised as to the extent of the longevity of success
brought about by increasing enrollment through athletics. Does the financial gain of athletics to
enrollment outweigh the financial cost of operating an athletic department? The expected growth
in finances from student tuition and fees is often compromised by the expenses such as athletic
scholarships and competing costs. Smaller colleges and universities are building their athletic
departments to increase enrollment. However, this same set of higher education institutions has
been closing their operations on an average of 11 per year and predicting larger numbers to close
over the next few years.
Beyond adding athletes to enrollment, the power of marketing successful
athletic programs and a vibrant campus scene add to the benefit of growing enrollment. This
exploratory theoretical analysis research investigates the impact of athletics on the financial
position of institutions of higher education and may help determine the impact of adding
athletics to small schools to grow enrollment and strive for financial stability.
Keywords: Small colleges and / universities, collegiate sports, athletics, enrollment, financial gain, financial cost