Presidents Favor Reining In Athletics Costs but .....

TheTruth · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Here's an interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Ed talking about college presidents and the high costs of athletics. The survey was conducted among Div 1 schools.

http://chronicle.com/article/Pres...p;utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

If you can't get the link to work, I will post the entire story.

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

The story is mainly directed at the BCS schools where costs have gotten out of control. The comments indicate a applicability across higher education. I don't think you could accuse Lafayette or most if not all PL schools of overpaying their coaches. In addition, there is the implication that people would redirect their giving if athletics were not there. At schools like Lafayette I would guess total giving would decline significantly if athletics were to disappear or were there to be a move to Div 3.

Pard94 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 762 Location: Weare, NH

I know it's a long shot not likely to happen but if atheltics were marginalized at Lafayette this is one alum who would be DONE with the school. I mean compltely and totally done with them. They already chucked my fraternity off campus. If they got rid of football there would be nothing left for me in Easton. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one with such feelings.
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Pard94

Pard4Life · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 300

I'm with you 94... if it wasn't for football, I would have no reason to go back to campus every fall weekend or have a reason to be interested in the school generally. My donations would certainly disappear. I usually intend to give it all to athletics, but then I stop to think "Gee this is a school after all, better give some to scholarship funds and academic programs as well." More Medieval art exhibits would suuuuuurely garner alumni interest.

Pard94 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 762 Location: Weare, NH

TheTruth · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

I could think of several layers of deans, consultants, and abandoned toxic real estate should go before athletics. And while we're at it perhaps a more effective endowment manager.

TheTruth · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Agreed but no one is going to disrupt the Ivory Tower like that.

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

I wish the Ivory Tower would understand that athletics and for that matter the whole undergraduate experience is part of education. You do learn from being on the newspaper staff or the football team.
When I hire, if I see an athlete with good grades vs a candidate who has nothing but excellent grades on his resume, I would pick the athlete.
I understand that is backed up by data from our own placement office.