Why do college sports exist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

Many kids have zero interest in sports, or actively dislike them.

So are you implying because kids DO NOT have an interest they shouldn't exist? My student has zero interest in fraternities - does that mean he should have requested a the school disband them? I don't understand you. What I do know from my student is that he loved his sport and didn't want to stop it after high school, it was one of many factors he considered when he looked at colleges. The level of responsibility, team work, dedication and hard work have provided him with so much that we supported him in his endeavors. We would have done so if he was interested in music, art, whatever. We are grateful that schools have so many options for students to select from. And D3 sports is NOT about scholarships. But then again if you were savvy you'd know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

I would find this argument more compelling if D3 athletes didn't get special admissions consideration. And don't tell me that standards are the same--that's the same argument people make about legacies.

The fact is that D3 college athletes are disproportionately white and wealthy, like legacies. The schools are building in a wealthy base for parents and alumni giving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

Many kids have zero interest in sports, or actively dislike them.

So are you implying because kids DO NOT have an interest they shouldn't exist? My student has zero interest in fraternities - does that mean he should have requested a the school disband them? I don't understand you. What I do know from my student is that he loved his sport and didn't want to stop it after high school, it was one of many factors he considered when he looked at colleges. The level of responsibility, team work, dedication and hard work have provided him with so much that we supported him in his endeavors. We would have done so if he was interested in music, art, whatever. We are grateful that schools have so many options for students to select from. And D3 sports is NOT about scholarships. But then again if you were savvy you'd know that.

OP here: that comment was not mine. I am not against college sports but just thinking through the economic forces that sustain them (especially the unprofitable ones). I suppose it’s a combination of genuine student demand for rewarding activities, alumni interest, institutional/bureaucratic expansionism, and a commercial need to foster school spirit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

I would find this argument more compelling if D3 athletes didn't get special admissions consideration. And don't tell me that standards are the same--that's the same argument people make about legacies.

The fact is that D3 college athletes are disproportionately white and wealthy, like legacies. The schools are building in a wealthy base for parents and alumni giving.

The fact that sports helps kids get accepted into D3 schools is definitely a variable. It’s a way to give preferential treatment to a monied segment of the customer base.

[Anonymous]

College athletics promote school spirit, discipline, and physical prowess.

[Anonymous]

I would love to see financial aid data on recruited athletes vs non-athletes at SLACs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College athletics promote school spirit, discipline, and physical prowess.

This was the original purpose, hundreds of years ago, when the schools were really finishing schools to mold WASP men. And there is a logic to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

I wonder what percentage of college athletes play a sport because they want to versus for scholarships or because that is how they were able to get in

My kid plays a sport because she has ADHD. Without it she'd be unsuccessful in HS or College. She's also autistic and without the sport I doubt she'd have friends. It's amazing how many people like you when you help them win championships. Also the forced interaction. She lives with her team. Literally and figuratively. In college she gets priority registration, priority housing, foced study hall, tutors (in addition to disability accomodations through disability office), and better food. Sports is a blessing. Her sport is not a headcount sport so she's not on a full athletic scholarship but college is free because she got merit and athletic money. But as a family we agreed she would play even if she was a walk on (no scholarship). DD had excellent grades and good but not great SAT (1430). She didnt apply to academic reaches. Playing sports is valuable for many. It's not just about money or getting in a school.

[Anonymous]

It's backdoor affirmative action for pampered white kids who otherwise wouldn't have the grades to get in.

[Anonymous]

Nerdy and petty parents don’t like college sports.

[Anonymous]

I understand why major sports exist like football and basketball. Those sports totally make sense for colleges to have in order to support school spirit since they are usually well attended. I don’t understand why schools have sports that almost no students attend like tennis, water polo, cross country, sailing. Barely anyone is showing up to watch those sports.

Colleges probably lose money on sports like these. I don’t understand why they exist. It would be better to offer more rec/club sports Amy student can play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to see financial aid data on recruited athletes vs non-athletes at SLACs.

It's in the school's common data set

[Anonymous]

The weirdest ones are like golf & tennis. Few spectators, few athletes involved, & lots of foreign athletes. So we have a tennis team so a few kids from Sweden & Australia can play in front of 10 people?

A lot of this is to have enough women participating to balance the Title IX numbers. If football teams had 30 players instead of 90, lots of women’s teams would evaporate.

[Anonymous]

This entire chain conflates the questions of HAVING sports (lots of good reasons) and RECRUITING athletes (really hard to justify for revenue-negative sports).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because students want and expect it. Schools without sports don’t get as many applicants. I was a D3 athlete and my kid will be a D3 athlete. It is no different than having a theater program, or hiking club. My college actually had a massive outdoors club, with a house in the mountains that must have cost more annually in taxes and insurance than my sport cost the school for a decade. We had a a capella group that toured the nation At competitions and the school paid for all that. What’s the point of those things?

The student experience, that’s what. Same for sports. You probably think it should be done differently, and don’t value it. But I don’t particularly care for orchestral music but I am glad that students who are passionate about it can join them in college.

Many kids have zero interest in sports, or actively dislike them.

No one is forcing them to play, or attend a sporting event.