Sounds like Rutgers’ problems stem from the decision to join a very expensive and competitive athletic conference (too big for their britches), a gamble which didn’t pay off as they were unable to elevate themselves into the elite category (they were even a consolation invite to their bowl game this year). It s@*ks to be near the bottom of your athletic conference. Colleges sometimes make ill-fated decisions to switch conferences, thinking they’ll be more competitive and get more notice somewhere else (I think Syracuse is coming to this realization with its switch to the ACC). Hopefully cool heads will prevail at Rutgers and they can reset their programs (I have a friend whose daughter just signed to swim with them - these stories make me nervous for her).
Some colleges (maybe Rutgers) try to make a run at having the type of athletic & alumni experience that a Notre Dame/Michigan/Alabama/Georgia has and it just doesn’t pan out for whatever reason. It’s hard to know what the secret sauce is for getting alumni to return and donate but for many colleges sports is the secret sauce.
Then I would say avoid those schools where you feel academics take a back seat. Don’t give them your money, especially if you feel their academics aren’t up to par.
No one said that non-athletes aren’t sought after. However, it has been shown that college athletes have very desirable traits that employers seek out.
If anyone feels that academics are more of a focus elsewhere, be it a different college in the US or in another country, then they have that choice to not attend the institutions where they feel the academics are subpar to the athletics and go to one of those other schools. It really is that simple.
Reed is (proudly) an outlier. They also have grade deflation and don’t release grades to students in the traditional sense. I don’t see other colleges running to emulate.
The DIII model makes sense for many schools. To use an example admittedly warped by COVID, the Trinity lacrosse team lists 82 players on its spring 2022 roster. At $75,000 per player (something less than full pay for all), that’s $6 million Trinity takes in to field a lacrosse team and $6 million parents are paying for their student’s experience. How many of those players would have found an opportunity elsewhere if Trinity didn’t field a lacrosse team? I’m quite sure the school gladly finds the relatively nominal budget to pay for that enrollment home run (to mix my metaphors).
Great news for those that don’t participate or want to engage with sports or other activities…there is a school for you. Exercise your desire and go to a school that doesn’t invest in it. But don’t cancel it! Lots of schools to choose from.
I feel sports offer excellent developmental opportunities for these young, developing people. Leadership, camaraderie, teamwork, coachability, how to win/lose/compete, fitness, friendship, too many benefits for these people who choose to participate whether its D1, club, intramural…I think todays young people need more.
Now, if there is gross overspending, i think it’s prudent to highlight it and explore what’s necessary and what’s has diminished benefit - before we go and “write it off.” Sounds like a “get off my lawn” statement.
Reading really is fundamental. Deficit spending in the Rutgers athletic department has been a problem for more than 15 years (see my accumulated deficit comment). If there’s been any consistency in that department, it’s that it has been consistently mismanaged.
Not sure what scandal you are referring to (and I’m not sure do either). Rutgers accounting issues aren’t the subject of a scandal but highlight the need for transparency.
In the Big10, Rutgers is not the exception. Half the schools lose money. See the reference below in a non-COVID time.
Why don’t you drop the insults. I’ll admit that I’d rather not read everything posted on this site in its entirety all the time. I have much better things to do with my time, Old Chief.
One or the articles you linked has the word “debt scandal” in its title. Mismanagement and accounting issues are scandalous.
And the B1G will be signing a new TV rights deal after 2022-2023 season and may be the richest college sports TV deal in history with much greater payouts than the old deal signed several years ago.
Those who would like information on Reed’s policies should be aware that courses are graded on a conventional scale (A through F, with + and - variations). Transcripts are available from the registrar’s office upon student request. Reed reports an average GPA of 3.21 for all undergraduates; this seems to reflect an absence of grade inflation rather than grade deflation.
Hey, if you don’t like sports don’t patronize these institutions. Not every activity is going to appeal to or benefit a majority of students. Sports appeal to many people for a variety of reasons whether the cc crowd likes it or not.
Yes, one of my sons was a D1 football player at an excellent academic university - received a fantastic education at 0 cost and is well employed. I’m used to the cc crowd not liking this. Oh well.
Schools value sports, and the athletes that participate. They value athletes so much that most schools give them preferential treatment during the admissions process. College football coaches make more than college presidents. Simply put, college sports aren’t going anywhere.
Unfortunately, all NJ and Federal taxpayers are conscripted into supporting Rutgers. Rutgers receives 20% of its operating revenue from the good taxpayers of NJ and 14% of its operating budget from contracted research which is largely Federal support.
If market forces worked effectively in this environment, many of the schools would be forced to close. A reckoning is coming in college sports. Enjoy what you have now. And, congratulations to your son.
Yes, they do value sports for many reasons. Budget deficits, however, are not among the reasons sports are valued. Schools that operate in DIII have a different mindset. See my post above regarding Trinity.
Oh I agree completely. Our country puts such an extreme value on sports that it is almost impossible for a college to exist without them. Even most community colleges have school teams. So when anyone suggests “just don’t patronize these institutions” a student’s options are basically Reed or leaving the country. Again, I am not against sports. Like I said I was a multi-sport athlete in high school and college, and enjoyed my time in these activities. But I am truly skeptical of our country’s implicit belief that school-sponsored sports are the best, or even a good way to build character. Women essentially could not participate in sports until Title IX, and yet women of previous generations do not seem morally deficient to me. They managed to work hard, take feedback, set goals, cooperate etc in their lives. And humans all over the world in countries other than our own where school-sponsored sports don’t exist do the same. But anyway, I agree that sports will not be taken out of our schools anytime soon. Communities used to organize social ties around neighborhoods and churches/synagogues etc. Now youth sports take on that role. For better or worse…
