“Without the athletic teams, nobody outside the state of Maine would even know the university exists.”
“Without the athletic teams, nobody outside the state of Maine would even know the university exists.”
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April 8th, 2010 at 12:51PM
“…but there is no way to say with any certainty that either athletics or academics are more important to the quality of a university.”
That’s a rather breathtaking statement, even by the standards of student journalism. Are we to assume, then, that if offered a choice between a bachelor’s degree and season tickets for life, the young man would have to flip a coin?
April 8th, 2010 at 2:12PM
I can hear my dad: “Why compare yourself with the worst?”
I will confess to enjoying the Northern Illinois BCS run a few years ago, although that’s a mixed blessing as far as recognition goes. And what has happened to the academic programs at Wisconsin as football and both basketball teams gained visibility pains me to note.
April 9th, 2010 at 5:44AM
This of course is largely true. In terms of national recognition, athletic success beats academic distinction, with very few exceptions – and those at the very highest levels of academic distinction (e.g., Cal Tech). At a first approximation, nobody in America knows that there’s any such thing as the University of Pennsylvania, as opposed to Penn State.
April 9th, 2010 at 6:40AM
I’ve always found this argument – no one knows your college or university exists unless you have Division I teams – confusing, Mr Punch.
Colleges and universities are very specific things. They exist to appeal to a rather small subset of humanity. (State schools, like U. Maine, exist primarily to appeal to people who live in the state and are of course fully aware of their public university’s existence.) Does your proctologist have a Division I football team so that everyone will come to his office?
How many applications does teeny unsporting Amherst get every year? Answer: Tons. Why? Because it’s known to every single inhabitant of Vestal, Utah?
Sure, everyone knows where the University of Georgia is. On game days, everyone from far and wide meets on campus to get drunk and trash the place.
April 9th, 2010 at 9:43PM
Even out of state, does UMaine really need to advertise its existence? It’s not exactly shocking that the State of Maine has a university called the “University of Maine”, or even that it’s the state flagship. I bet they have a state song and a highway department, too.
When I start my diploma mill, I’m not going to name it “Harvale” or “Ashford” or some other vaguely-English suburban subdivision name. I’m calling it “Wyoming State University”.
April 9th, 2010 at 9:47PM
“Harvale” is an inspired name, Jason.