Post #7- Book Review 1

Frans, Kelly Ashley. "Ways in which Intercollegiate Athletics Contribute to University Success." NCSU Digital Repository (2002)Print. 


Kelly Frans' article "ways in which intercollegiate athletics contribute to university success" outlines some of the ways that college sports benefit universities.  Frans acknowledges that most athletic programs are not profitable, but maintains that they are valuable for other reasons.  The main reason is that college sports allows schools to expose themselves to the public, and gain greater visibility.  This allows the school to build a brand name.  A brand name is important for the school, because it allows them to search for more fundraising and spread word about the university.  During years of athletic success many schools also see an increase in the number of applicants that apply.  Frans says that exposure and brand name are not directly tied to winning, and that even unsuccessful programs benefit from the exposure they receive from simply participating in athletics.


The author Kelly Frans is published on the North Carolina State University website.


The terms brand, brand image, or brand name all refer to a schools reputation, perceived worth and value, and attractiveness to the general public.


"national publicity is the lifeblood of institutional prestige, and this is what college sports can offer a university" (page 16)
this quote explains that publicity from having and participating in college athletics is what can put schools in the national spotlight.  College sports are apart of the entertainment business, so participating allows millions of viewers the opportunity to hear the school talked about for the length of a game.  Schools that go through the expense to compete at the highest level of NCAA athletics can create an image of a "big time" school in the minds of viewers, which puts the school on a national (and therefore recognizable) level.


"sports promotes the name and identity of the university, which is especially true if the university does not have a nationally distinguished academic reputation"(page 16)
Schools that are not known for being academically elite need to create exposure in some way,  Athletics can certainly do that for a school.  One would have to wonder if schools like Boise State University or University of South Florida would be nationally known if not for their athletic programs.


"achievements in athletics appear to substantially increase general giving to the universities" (page 19)
This quote pertains to the amount of donations that a school receives.  The author talks about a study that correlated an increase in athletic donations to an overall increase for the school overall.  Athletic donations do not usually increase without increasing amounts of overall donations as well.  This goes to show how athletics builds that brand of the school overall, not just the brand of the sports teams.


This source is directly connected to the topic of brand name or brand image.  Participating in college sports creates a positive brand image, and therefore it is worthwhile to do so.  Brand image in very important for an institution, because it gets the institution recognized, which opens the door for the university to grow, expand, and compete in the privatized and competitive system of higher education.