Title: BEYOND DOLLARS AND CENTS: EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF THE MOVE TO DIVISION I ON STUDENT-ATHLETES
Abstract: Each university has established its academic philosophy guided by its mission statement. Similarly, within each university’s athletic department is also a mission statement. The scope of this philosophy varies from school to school and division to division. Schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division III do not offer athletic scholarships to its athletes and simply do not place much emphasis on this facet of the university. On the other end of the spectrum is Division I. Division I schools offer many scholarships to its athletes and sometimes rely on their athletic departments for a significant source of revenue. Division II schools lie somewhere in the middle, offering some scholarships but generally not relying on revenue from their athletic events. When a school considers a move from one division to another, the effects are felt throughout the university. The most common situation involves a school moving up from Division II to Division I. In this situation, the balance between increased expenses and increased earnings potential becomes the critical issue. Current and future students are often asked to pay more money to make their school’s facilities on par with Division I standards through increased tuition and student fees. Further, most schools expect to see a significant deficit during their first few years as a Division I school due to an immediate rise in the number of scholarships, an increase in the number of sports (including coaches and equipment), and any necessary facility changes. This rapid increase in expenses can seriously impact the budgets of other departments throughout the university. The hope is that in the long run, these changes will lead to an increase in revenue for the athletic department from ticket sales, sponsorship sales, media rights fees, and alumni donations, an increase in public exposure for the university as well as its athletic department, and an increase in student enrollment (Orszag & Orszag, 2005). However, lost amidst all of these changes is the effect that this move has on the athletes at the university at the time of the transition. These athletes are often asked to compete against superior competition, risk injury against more physically-imposing athletes, spend more time traveling than they otherwise would have, and have increased expectations in terms of practice and athletic performance. The players who will generally see the most significant changes are the football players. Not only are they subject to the aforementioned changes, they are also subject to increased pressure to perform. The effects on these athletes have yet to be examined; however, the impact on these athletes cannot be overlooked. This study focused on one athlete’s experience playing college football for a university during a transition period from Division II to Division I.
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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