it was amazing how people just ignored it was not the universities money.
I am just curious if the donor had previously given similar money to the university?
When I was in college the dean of engineering told us a story about how a major donor wanting to give money to the Engineering Dept/reup what he was previously given annually. During this time, the donor asked the dean of engineering what type of football seats they could hook him up with. At the end of the day, the donor ended up giving the money directly to the football department and was given a suite.
While not the engineering schools money, but for the athletic department, the engineering school would have got the money.
And that’s the rub. What value does even a highly successful team bring to the university? I don’t see any. College football might arguably be broken; I’d argue more stridently that higher ed is far more more broken.
Paraphrasing the story, and I am not sure if it is 100% true.
This subject came up at “The Ohio State” with Woody Hayes in the 70’s, and a professor complaining to school administration about his salary.
The School Administrator took the professor to the Football Stadium which seats about 80,000+ and said.
If you fill this place up 6 Saturdays a year, I will pay you what I pay Woody Hayes.
Subject Closed.
A good Football Program pays for a lot of Academics. Right or Wrong.
I look at Oregon as that is where I went to school (Played Football), and the changes that have occurred there once Phil Knight / Nike really turned on the money faucet on.
- New Law School
- New Dorms
- Updated buildings etc.
- Better Sports teams and facilities for Non Revenue producing Sports. (Men’s Baseball for example was brought back after being cut in ~1984)
It sucks what is required now for the schools to continue to chase this money stream that is now needed to make the books balance. Oregon / Washington / USC / UCLA should not be in the B1G 10. In short the Physics Professor would not be there or as well paid if the Football Team is not generating money / publicity.
What value does even a highly successful team bring to the university? I don’t see any.
More applicants, better teachers, better student base. I know this isnt the same thing. But I lived around george mason when they made their run to the final 4 in 2006? Before 2006 Mason was essentially a commuter school, but because of their final 4 run - they turned into more of a standard college.
Would duke be duke without coach K? (maybe vandy is a similar school)? Sports are a big driving factor for some peoples decision. I am not sure if anyone is choosing uTexas/Mich over UVA because of their football.
What value does even a highly successful team bring to the university? I don’t see any.
More applicants, better teachers, better student base. I know this isnt the same thing. But I lived around george mason when they made their run to the final 4 in 2006? Before 2006 Mason was essentially a commuter school, but because of their final 4 run - they turned into more of a standard college.
Would duke be duke without coach K? (maybe vandy is a similar school)? Sports are a big driving factor for some peoples decision. I am not sure if anyone is choosing uTexas/Mich over UVA because of their football.
But does it? That’s the argument. Where’s the data? Maybe it does; maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know.