Will USF’s recent rise into the top of college football rankings equal academic benefits? There’s little debate that interest generated from USF’s recent football success will expose USF to a national audience. But several studies which have examined if football success influences academics have been contradictory.
A 2004 study by Cornell economist Robert Frank indicates academic success doesn’t automatically follow a nationally ranked football team. In his report, Frank noted that any spike in applications for admission is somewhat small and usually fleeting.
Boston college noted a rise in admission applications first hand when in 1984 quarterback Doug Flutie completed an against all odds Hail Mary that led to an upset over the University Miami. Following the underdog win, Boston college enjoyed a reported small 12 percent rise in applications - which the media later termed the “Flutie effect.” In the following years however, the Flutie effect fizzled as the increase in applications leveled off. The long-term impact on university admissions from the Flutie effect is uncertain and has been long debated.
Dr. Irvin B. Tucker, Associate Professor of Economics at University of North Carolina has claimed that good things follow for universities that obtain successful football teams, namely more alumni donations, higher graduation rates and a higher quality of incoming freshmen.
Most experts feel that maintaining the popularity that comes with a successful sports team involves a tremendous amount of research, resources, integrity and luck. Sports can attract an applicant's attention, they say, but then the institution has to stand up to the scrutiny that applicants and their parents are going to apply, based on factors not at all related to football, like campus culture, percent of classes taught by full-time faculty, and how many graduates are employed at graduation or go on to graduate school. Although some universities have invested in football in the hope of replicating the Flutie effect, economists are divided on the degree and long term impact of the same.
It's already harder than ever to get into USF. The average high school GPA of freshmen who entered USF this fall is 3.71. As budget cuts force universities to limit freshman enrollments in the coming years, an increased number of applicants will undoubtedly require a greater number of rejections. USF's Tampa campus currently enrolls about 38,000 students. For years, USF has been known as a commuter school, but time will take if the USF experiences and enjoys the Flutie effect.
A 2004 study by Cornell economist Robert Frank indicates academic success doesn’t automatically follow a nationally ranked football team. In his report, Frank noted that any spike in applications for admission is somewhat small and usually fleeting.
Boston college noted a rise in admission applications first hand when in 1984 quarterback Doug Flutie completed an against all odds Hail Mary that led to an upset over the University Miami. Following the underdog win, Boston college enjoyed a reported small 12 percent rise in applications - which the media later termed the “Flutie effect.” In the following years however, the Flutie effect fizzled as the increase in applications leveled off. The long-term impact on university admissions from the Flutie effect is uncertain and has been long debated.
Dr. Irvin B. Tucker, Associate Professor of Economics at University of North Carolina has claimed that good things follow for universities that obtain successful football teams, namely more alumni donations, higher graduation rates and a higher quality of incoming freshmen.
Most experts feel that maintaining the popularity that comes with a successful sports team involves a tremendous amount of research, resources, integrity and luck. Sports can attract an applicant's attention, they say, but then the institution has to stand up to the scrutiny that applicants and their parents are going to apply, based on factors not at all related to football, like campus culture, percent of classes taught by full-time faculty, and how many graduates are employed at graduation or go on to graduate school. Although some universities have invested in football in the hope of replicating the Flutie effect, economists are divided on the degree and long term impact of the same.
It's already harder than ever to get into USF. The average high school GPA of freshmen who entered USF this fall is 3.71. As budget cuts force universities to limit freshman enrollments in the coming years, an increased number of applicants will undoubtedly require a greater number of rejections. USF's Tampa campus currently enrolls about 38,000 students. For years, USF has been known as a commuter school, but time will take if the USF experiences and enjoys the Flutie effect.
