WHEN STUDENTS see the construction of the new $130 million John Paul Jones Arena, it's easy to see how they could think that the athletic department is a money pit. However, on closer inspection, the new arena, along with the athletic department that created it, are a wise investment in the University's financial standing and academic reputation. Because of this, continuing to make the necessary investments in the University's athletic programs will impact the success of the University in maintaining its status as a top public University.
Large investments, like the building of the John Paul Jones Arena, are vital to maintain the University's status as a top Division I athletic program. If the University fails to make such investments, it's athletics program can easily enter a spiraling decline as under-financed facilities make recruiting of top athletes more difficult, which in turn leads to more under-financed programs as alumni donations fall along with the winning percentages of the University's teams. With this in mind, if the University is going to reap the benefits of having major Division I athletic programs it must make the necessary investments.
At this point many critics would say that the University doesn't need a top-tier division one athletic program, and that any money spent towards attaining this goal is wasted. While such criticisms may seem reasonable at first, in reality the University's high-profile athletic program benefits the University in a number of ways that are not readily apparent to the casual observer.
One of the most significant ways that a prominent athletic program benefits the University is by drawing attention to the University's achievements amongst far-flung out-of-state students that would otherwise potentially never hear of the University. Indeed, outside of Virginia and the surrounding states college athletics can be one of the most significant ways that prospective students are introduced to the University.
A high profile athletic program provides the University with more exposure to a mainstream national audience than it could ever purchase on its own. Indeed, a 1995 study conducted by F.G. Mixon that was published in the academic journal, "Applied Economics Letters," concluded that althetic success was a very useful marketing tool in attracting more qualified student applicants. To highlight this point, he states that Boston College experienced a 33 percent increase in applicants when Doug Flutie led them to the top of collegiate football. In this manner, the athletic program raises the academic standards of the student body by enlarging and diversifying the University's potential pool of applicants.
While a high profile athletic program is important towards drawing attention to the University, it also brings money to the University through lucrative TV contracts and sponsorship deals. Moreover, large capital investments are often largely paid for though alumni donations. Indeed, 75 million dollars of the John Paul Jones Arena's construction costs were paid for by donations to the University.
In addition to this, the University's athletic program also gives it a significant advantage over competing schools of comparable academic reputation. Indeed, because the University is one only in a handful of schools that has both the advantage of a top education and the excitement of big-time Division I athletics, it has an edge over many of its competitors that boosts its appeal to many of its sports enthusiast applicants.
With all this in mind, the University's athletic programs help the life of the University in ways which cannot be attained through any other alternative means. In this manner, investments such as the construction of the John Paul Jones Arena provide long term benefits to the University that far outweigh their cost in dollars.
Adam Keith is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at akeith@cavalierdaily.com.
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