OPINION & EDITORIAL
Re-examining scholariships for non-revenue athletics
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Also by Cynthia Martens:
- America maintains unhealthy obsession with body image (February 10, 2006)
- Genocide not limited to Holocaust (January 27, 2006)
- Undergraduate fears of commencement unjustified (February 3, 2006)
- Outbursts in class unacceptable (April 7, 2005)
- Teacher evaluations not always effective (February 17, 2006)
Related Stories:
- Nothing but net for basketball (January 31, 2005)
- Alvarez in too deep (February 18, 2003)
- A view from the cheap seats (February 2, 2004)
- Herald slights UW women (March 23, 2007)
- Women win with Title IX (September 17, 2002)
by Cynthia Martens
Monday, April 11, 2005
With multi-million dollar bowl games and bidding wars for top men’s football and basketball coaches, it’s no secret some college sports earn big money.
An analysis of seven Big Ten schools’ Equity in Athletic Disclosure Act report shows that men’s intercollegiate football, basketball and ice hockey are the only profitable sports across the board. The seventeen other intercollegiate sports at the University of Wisconsin collectively lost $9 million in 2002, or about $313 per undergraduate.
At the UW in 2002, earnings were $528,000 for each basketball player, $128,000 for each football player, and $77,000 for each hockey player.
In a “devil made me do it” tone, university administrators are quick to recite the requirements of Title IX and NCAA regulations as justification for the UW sports policies. Title IX requires that the total amount of athletic aid be equally distributed among men’s and women’s sports.
The NCAA does not allow colleges to offer only those sports that are profitable and sets many of the rules for scholarships. UW Deputy Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said for UW to participate in Division I athletics and the Big Ten Conference, it must offer a certain number of varsity sports.
So who benefits from educational opportunities while participating in money-losing sports? It’s not principally minority athletes. They generally pay for their own educational opportunities through sports that make money for the university.
While African-Americans and Hispanics are about 25 percent of the U.S. population, NCAA statistics show they represent a disproportionately large share of football (46 percent), and basketball (60 percent) players nationwide.
African-American and Hispanic efforts on the football field and basketball court are key to the big money college athletic departments rake in. With the exception of women’s basketball and college track, African-Americans and Hispanics are greatly underrepresented in the collegiate money-losing sports.
The University of Illinois’ Ethnicity Report shows that in sports other than football and basketball, at least 88 percent of the players are “non-black or Hispanic,” and many teams have no African-Americans at all. That’s not surprising, for a disproportionate number of black athletes probably come from schools that did not offer much beyond basketball, track and football. Many inner-city schools can only dream of offering crew or fencing.
A comparison of two high schools, one a wealthy suburban school and the other an inner-city school, bears this out. New Trier High School, a predominantly white, wealthy suburban school outside Chicago, boasted 205 athletic coaches in the 2003-2004 school year, according to the New Trier webpage. In addition to football, track and basketball, New Trier offers soccer, golf, cross country, water polo, lacrosse, bowling, field hockey, volleyball, tennis, swimming, baseball, softball, badminton, wrestling, gymnastics and co-ed fencing.
At North Division High School in Milwaukee, Wis., the only minor sports offered are girls’ tennis and wrestling.
New Trier has eight coaches for golf alone: five for boys, three for girls. Peter Drevline, the New Trier freshmen and sophomore boys’ golf coach, said some of the students he coaches have been playing golf since they were five years old. Drevline also said many New Trier students participate in golf summer programs and some receive university scholarships. That’s consistent with a recent Chicago Tribune report that some affluent Chicago-area parents are hiring personal trainers for their pre-teens aiming at getting college scholarships.
It’s easy to figure out who gets most of the educational opportunities found in intercollegiate money-losing sports. Isn’t it ironic that the money for these scholarships is largely provided through the efforts of teams disproportionately made up of minority athletes? Are the UW’s athletic scholarship policies in tune with its diversity goals?
Aiding athletes whose sports make big money for the school is understandable. The players earn the money for their scholarships and then some. That can’t be said of athletes in money-losing sports. Perhaps scholarships for these sports should be entirely based on financial need.
Cynthia Martens (cmartens@badgerherald.com) is a junior majoring in Italian and European Studies.
Anonymous (April 10, 2005 @ 11:10pm):
"The seventeen other intercollegiate sports at the University of Wisconsin collectively lost $9 million in 2002, or about $313 per undergraduate."
Of course, you conveniently left out the fact that the revenue from men's basketball, football, and ice hockey more than make up for the shortfall, so the seventeen other intercollegiate sports at the University of Wisconsin collectively lost $0 in 2002, or about $0 per undergraduate.
Ah, yes...nothing quite like selective reporting to make a point.
Anonymous (April 10, 2005 @ 11:15pm):
"NCAA statistics show they represent a disproportionately large share of football (46 percent), and basketball (60 percent) players nationwide"
Obvious evidence of racial prejudice! Quotas need to be established immediately! Everything must be in accord with statistical ratios or there'll be a lawsuit for sure.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 8:06am):
Sports scholarships shouldn't exist at all. Talk about a waste of money.
For that matter we shouldn't even have sports at the school. College should be about preparing students for jobs not funding a bunch of idiots who like to run around chasing a ball.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 8:08am):
This article is rather incoherent to say the least.
"African-American and Hispanic efforts on the football field and basketball court are key to the big money college athletic departments rake in."
How many revenue sport athletes are hispanic?
Aren't we talking about a greater disparity than you claim, because it is more like 12% of the population being black and still making up 40 and 60 percent of football and basketball respectively.
That being said, Why don't you call for getting rid of revenue losing women's sports?
And what are you saying with the diversity and scholarship line? Are you saying we need more asians or whites on the basketball team?
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 8:22am):
"Sports scholarships shouldn't exist at all. Talk about a waste of money.
For that matter we shouldn't even have sports at the school. College should be about preparing students for jobs not funding a bunch of idiots who like to run around chasing a ball."
There's always MATC buddy. But for me I'll take a full, well rounded college experience.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 9:03am):
While African-Americans and Hispanics are about 25 percent of the U.S. population, NCAA statistics show they represent a disproportionately large share of football (46 percent), and basketball (60 percent) players nationwide.
Hey! What a great way to promote diversity -lets start another Division I Men's basketball team!
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 9:07am):
College is not a technical school ala "preparing students for future jobs." It's about learning how varied the world the people who inhabit are. Honestly, they don't call it a liberal education for no reason. Indeed, as an engineer you have no use for an english class or an ethnic studies requirement. Nonetheless, fostering a wide world view and understanding is what college is about. Perhaps they should make liberal arts classes for science majors since they have "physics for poets" so science majors don't have to sweat their GPA to take a frou-frou course.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 10:40am):
This article is completely off base. The athletic department is a completely seperate financial entity from the university, meaning that non-revenue athletes are not costing each undergrad anything. Furthemore, the revenues for the 3 "big" sports, along with advertising and the like, completely cover the department budget.
One also must consider the fact that non revenue sports are generally Olympic sports, and at a institution like Wisconsin, the development of Olympic and World caliber athletes should be regarded in much the same esteem as the development of an NBA, NHL, or NFL athlete, if not higher. If we were to follow your plan and eliminate non-revenue scholarships, Wisconsin surely would not have had 2 gold medals return to Madison from Athens (Carly Piper and Beau Hoopman). To deny them and other aspiring athletes the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of sport would be a crime.
It seems that the university has bigger diversity issues on hand than the number of scholarships being provided. With such a small fraction of the university population made up of minoritites, the athletic department is ahead of the curve, providing more chance for a minortiy at this university than otherwise possible. While your attempt to point out diversity gaps is noble, your direction and solutions are unfounded.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 10:43am):
"It's not principally minority athletes."
WORLD ENDS!!
Minorities hardest hit
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 1:47pm):
This is a very good and intriguing article.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 3:24pm):
A completely pointless and stupid piece.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 6:02pm):
Wait. So we're paying for "white people sports" on the backs of minorities? Or what? We should encourage diversity through having more sports, maybe? We should stop funding sports scholarships for sports that don't make money? I guess I don't get the gist of this.
How do they do sports scholarships in France?
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 7:13pm):
We? Why all the squirming?
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 8:41pm):
I don't need to "foster understanding" what you really mean is that you want to brainwash me with your commie propaganda. Too bad. I am a redblooded american conservative who will go down shooting. No way you are brainwashing me.
Anonymous (April 11, 2005 @ 9:44pm):
"I am a redblooded american conservative who will go down shooting."
Going down is evil! Remove thyself, demon! The power of Christ compels thee! The power of Christ compels thee! The power of Christ compels thee!
