The overall culture and importance that American society places on college sports is something that is susceptible to debate and criticism. While many people do not have an issue with the high importance and heavy interest that Americans have with college sports, especially football and basketball, others question whether these sports are necessary, or even detrimental.
Some people are often skeptical of how important college sports really are to a university, and whether or not they are actually needed. Some even argue that college sports, specifically football, are actually detrimental to society because it turns students’ attention away from other important things like math, technology and science. One person named Steven Salzberg even wrote a lengthy article for Forbes.com describing how college football is undermining the American education system and that it is wrong that some University administration care more about their athletics than their education. He argues that college football should “be eliminated entirely from Universities” (Salzberg). This view is likely shared by many people who do not enjoy watching sports and believe that they are too big of a distraction for students and universities.
Although some people like Salzberg believe this, many people also believe that college sports are essential to the success of a University, and cutting big time sports programs would only hurt them. These people believe that not only are college sports simply just nice things to have, but they are absolutely necessary for the overall success of a college. There are a plethora of different reasons cited for why college sports are necessary for colleges, including its branding, reputation, environment, alumni relationship and overall atmosphere for students.
College athletics represent a multi-billion dollar industry, and are strongly linked with school branding and reputation. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, big time college sports programs bring in an incredible amount of money for the school. A good amount of this money also comes from branding and media rights. If a college sports program such as the University of Alabama establishes an excellent reputation, then it will receive outside donations from fans and alumni. A quality athletic program creates an incredible amount of school spirit, and helps to keep alumni connected to their school, so they are more likely to donate money back to the school. Also, with a good reputation for sports, colleges can boost their profiles and heighten enrollment. When considering a college, almost all students look at not only the academic reputation of the school, but also its social reputation and whether the school can allow students to have a fun time (Emma). College sports are essential to creating this positive reputation. If it weren’t for college sports, would many people know about schools like Gonzaga or Wichita State? Or would people really want to go to schools like the University of Nebraska? The bottom line is, a lot of college students make their decision largely based off of a university’s school spirit and reputation of their football or basketball team. Colleges who have good reputations for both are likely to draw in more students.
Not only do college sports make money and entice students to enroll in that college, but they also teach valuable lessons to people involved in them. College sports teach students participating in them leadership and responsibility. These leadership experiences that college athletes gain from their time at college allows them to be more successful in the world than they would have been without it (Sternberg). These athletes are also taught about good sportsmanship and have coaches that serve as mentors. If college sports did not exist, many of these athletes would not acquire these essential skills.
In my opinion, college sports are absolutely necessary to any university, especially the ones who have division I programs. The argument made by Salzberg to get rid of sports from colleges is ridiculous, and it completely ignores the other positive factors described above. Sports are essential to having a fun time at college and for making memories. Sports allow students to have a positive view on their time at college, the school spirit that is developed around sports instigates people to continue to come back to their college and to donate to it. My experience at Penn State would be far less positive if I could not attend the exciting home football games a year as well as other sporting events. The incredible amount of school spirit that Penn State has would also be weakened without a football program, and I would not nearly feel as connected to my school. The bottom line is, America needs college sports, and they won’t be going away any time soon.
Works Cited:
Emma, Linda. “The Importance of College Athletic Programs to Universities.” Seattle PI. Hearst Seattle Media, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Salzberg, Steven. “Get Football Out Of Our Universities.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Sternberg, Robert J. “College Athletics: Necessary, Not Just Nice to Have.” NACUBO. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
I personally feel that sports have a huge impact on a university and that university’s culture. Not only do they bring in a substantial amount of money, they give people the opportunity to come together. Even at Penn State, football has the ability to unify the students, the alumni, and the local community in a way that only sports could do.
I completely agree with you. While having college sports isn’t always perfect, the pros outweigh the cons. College sports generate a lot of money, and speaking from personal experience, I feel that being part of the Cross Country team in high school played a large role in any success I had. In other words, everybody benefits from college sports: both athletes and spectators. Like you said, it brings school spirit and can boost a school’s reputation. It might even be the reason a person attends college, and everyone is stressing about going to college these days.