From a review of Big-Time Sports in American Universities, by Charles T. Clotfelter.
[Clotfelter investigates] the ways in which universities use their sports programs to court potential donors. He filed public-records requests with eight universities, asking for the names of invited guests who sat in the president’s box during home football games.
The University of Washington, to its credit, complied with this request. The University of Oregon, to its shame, demanded payment of $791.87. And the response from the University of California, Berkeley, was laugh-out-loud funny — a snooty version of: We’re not giving you the names, because we don’t want to.
May 22nd, 2011 at 7:02AM
A faculty member at a school featured more than once in UD’s hall of shame, I’ve watched a football game more than once from the presidential box.
Attendees included the president, president’s spouse, senior senator from the state, provost and family, ex-player / big donor, a couple other big donors, and one or two hangers on like myself. One or two prime recruits were escorted through by their minders in hopes that schmoozing with old white men would impress them.
I was impressed by the volume and quantity of yelling at the game despite the closed-in room. I was not so impressed by the food: party mix, hot dogs, and Bud Light.
May 22nd, 2011 at 12:08PM
If big time college sports actually produced widespread alumni support for academic programs, then the universities with winning teams would dominate the rankings of schools by percentage of alumni support. In fact, smaller schools that provide a quality academic experience for undergraduate students dominate the rankings. See the September 2010 issue of U.S. News & World Report. See also, “Punting Our Future: College Athletics and Admissions” by Stanford professor Barbara Fried in the May/June 2007 of Change magazine and “Will They Never Learn?” at http://ptable.blogspot.com/2010/10/will-they-never-learn-another-reaction.html#links.
May 22nd, 2011 at 11:30PM
Michael, interesting link. When I first hit the link I thought that maybe I’d reached The Onion by mistake, so I hit the back button and hit the link again and it still read the same. Unfreakin’ believable.