One of my pet peeves when I was in school was the amount of money spent on college athletic programs.  I was always of the opinion that colleges were supposed to be about academic pursuits (imagine that!).  But whenever I would bring this up I was told to shut up because the athletic programs were bringing money into schools.  Having better things to do with my time than argue with football players, I never bothered to pursue the matter.  However, it was never far from my mind during the times I lived in the dorms, since it was hard to miss a bunch of drunk, loud, obnoxious, and destructive idiots in the lounge or running rampant in the halls.  Not that I’m bitter or anything.

Now comes evidence that I may have been correct.  The NCAA has released a study on the effects of funding on athletic programs.

Spending more money on college sports does not lead to more victories or alumni donations, according to a study released Thursday by the NCAA.

The two-year project, billed as the most thorough of its kind, also said that out of 117 schools in Division I-A, only seven make money.

That’s considerably lower than previously believed. The new NCAA study did not take into account state and public subsidies.

“It is myth breaking,” NCAA president Myles Brand said of the study, initiated before he took office in January.

(emphasis mine)

I don’t have a philosophical objection to college athletics, but let’s not delude ourselves into thinking it makes money (at least for anyone besides the “student athletes”).

More links:
   NCAA press release
   Full report (PDF file)