Wasnt sure where to post this so I figured hangout would be best. I'm interested in learning about any (if any) correlation between how success in college sports affects universities. Does it equal more funding? More sponsors? Or is it just simply prestige among sports fans? I would guess more success in college sports equals more $$$ for universities in general. Someone help me understand!
You might need a broader definition of success. I think the definition should include success of other industries making money off of college sports, and colleges negotiating sharing in that revenue. See sponsorship deals below, and maybe someone can ad the TV revenue sharing from broadcasting deals with conferences and independents like ND. ============================== Top deals in college sports Top collegiate apparel deals by total value 1. UCLA (Under Armour) 15 years, $280 million, $18.67 million/year 2. Ohio State (Nike) 15 years, $252 million, $16.8 million/year 3. Texas (Nike) 15 years, $250 million, $16.67 million/year 4. Louisville (Adidas) 10 years, $160 million, $16 million/year 5. Nebraska (Adidas) 11 years, $128 million, $11.6 million/year 6. Michigan (Jumpman/Nike) 11 years, $127.12 million, $11.56 million/year 7. Washington (Adidas) 10 years, $119 million, $11.9 million/year 8. Wisconsin (Under Armour) 10 years, $96 million, $9.6 million/year 9. Notre Dame (Under Armour) 10 years, $90 million, $9 million/year 10. Miami (Adidas) 12 years, $93.6 million, $7.8 million/year 11. Oregon (Nike) 11 years, $88 million, $8 million/year
This is a big fact. Many boards of trustees or regents or what-have-you acknowledge that investing in sports might be the single-biggest way to ensure future financial health of the university. It's not just fundraising, though. Most universities (outside the most-ridiculously endowed, like Harvard) rely heavily on student tuition dollars. That landscape is getting more and more competitive. The branding that comes from, say, a great sweet-sixteen run is invaluable. The number of applications, and the number of students who eventually decide to come to your school, versus others, really increases for the next couple of years, at least. The Gonzaga campus, before and after its amazing years of basketball success, is a testament to these factors.
