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“[Charles] Clotfelter says the people who run universities typically downplay the role of big-time sports, perhaps out of embarrassment. University mission statements often mention teaching, research and service. Few mention athletics.”

A Duke University economist broaches the subject.

Margaret Soltan, September 3, 2011 9:12AM
Posted in: sport

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3 Responses to ““[Charles] Clotfelter says the people who run universities typically downplay the role of big-time sports, perhaps out of embarrassment. University mission statements often mention teaching, research and service. Few mention athletics.””

  1. Michael McNabb, Attorney Says:

    For more on the economics of big time college sports see Expensive Icing at http://ptable.blogspot.com/2011/08/twin-city-federal-stadium-university-of.html#links.

  2. superdestroyer Says:

    Having bad sports teams does not help any university. Eventually a school like Hawaii, Temple, Tulsa, New Mexico State, San Jose State will realize that losing million on its sports teams does nothing good for the university and will just get out of the game. The first university that makes that move gets a national reputation and the schools who stay on trying to compete with the schools that have Wal-Mart alumni will just look like losers.

  3. calugg Says:

    Uhm…I suspect the data are grossly screwed if Prof Clotfelter starting point is 1920. I doubt he would have the same findings if his starting point was 1980, which is a better starting point for contemporary schools.

    And I was at Drake when the school moved from Division 1 Football to Division 3….because it was going broke (1986-1987). The school recovered quite nicely.

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