IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/jospec/v20y2019i7p929-958.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Athleticism in NCAA D-III: It Ain’t Only Football That Matters

Author

Listed:
  • Jerome Segura III
  • Jonathan Willner

Abstract

Most D-III universities field a football team, yet little is known about how a football program can influence the quality of the student body or rate at which students graduate. To evaluate these advertising and effectiveness effects of football, we build balanced panel data sets using available private D-III universities (80–90% of all D-III universities) from 2003 through 2010. We also account for overall athletic participation. Using generalized linear model (GLM) and linear-in-means estimation procedures, we find conditional evidence of the advertising and effectiveness hypotheses of football. We find that female athletes are successful as advertising and effectiveness, while male athletes are negative advertising and of neutral to negative effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerome Segura III & Jonathan Willner, 2019. "Athleticism in NCAA D-III: It Ain’t Only Football That Matters," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(7), pages 929-958, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:20:y:2019:i:7:p:929-958
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002519832070
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1527002519832070
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1527002519832070?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steven B. Caudill & Shannon Hourican & Franklin G. Mixon, 2018. "Does college football impact the size of university applicant pools and the quality of entering students?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(17), pages 1885-1890, April.
    2. Daniel J. Henderson & Alexandre Olbrecht & Solomon W. Polachek, 2006. "Do Former College Athletes Earn More at Work?: A Nonparametric Assessment," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(3).
    3. Lawrence DeBrock & Wallace Hendricks & Roger Koenker, 1994. "The Economics of Persistence: Graduation Rates of Athletes as Labor Market Choice," Working Papers _001, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, revised 1996.
    4. Bramoullé, Yann & Djebbari, Habiba & Fortin, Bernard, 2009. "Identification of peer effects through social networks," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 150(1), pages 41-55, May.
    5. Devin G. Pope & Jaren C. Pope, 2009. "The Impact of College Sports Success on the Quantity and Quality of Student Applications," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 75(3), pages 750-780, January.
    6. Laurent Davezies & Xavier D'Haultfoeuille & Denis Fougère, 2009. "Identification of peer effects using group size variation," Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 12(3), pages 397-413, November.
    7. Mixon, Franklin Jr & Trevino, Len J., 2005. "From kickoff to commencement: the positive role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 97-102, February.
    8. Steven Caudill & James Long, 2010. "Do former athletes make better managers? Evidence from a partially adaptive grouped-data regression model," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 275-290, August.
    9. Tucker, Irvin B., 2004. "A reexamination of the effect of big-time football and basketball success on graduation rates and alumni giving rates," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 655-661, December.
    10. Amato, Louis & Gandar, John M. & Tucker, Irvin B. & Zuber, Richard A., 1996. "Bowls versus playoffs: The impact on football player graduation rates in the national collegiate athletic association," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 187-195, April.
    11. F. G. Mixon & L. J. TreviNO & T. C. Minto, 2004. "Touchdowns and test scores: exploring the relationship between athletics and academics," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(7), pages 421-424.
    12. Tucker, Irvin III & Amato, Louis, 1993. "Does big-time success in football or basketball affect SAT scores?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 177-181, June.
    13. Jerome Segura & Jonathan Willner, 2018. "The Game Is Good at the Top," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(5), pages 645-676, June.
    14. John Robst & Jack Keil, 2000. "The relationship between athletic participation and academic performance: evidence from NCAA Division III," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(5), pages 547-558.
    15. Gary R. Johnson & Colby Jubenville & Benjamin Goss, 2009. "Using Institutional Selection Factors to Develop Recruiting Profiles: Marketing Small, Private Colleges and Universities to Prospective Student Athletes," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 1-25, May.
    16. Patrick James Rishe, 2003. "A Reexamination of How Athletic Success Impacts Graduation Rates: Comparing Student‐Athletes to All Other Undergraduates," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(2), pages 407-427, April.
    17. Jason M. Lindo & Isaac D. Swensen & Glen R. Waddell, 2012. "Are Big-Time Sports a Threat to Student Achievement?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 254-274, October.
    18. Lee, Lung-fei, 2007. "Identification and estimation of econometric models with group interactions, contextual factors and fixed effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 333-374, October.
    19. Long, James E & Caudill, Steven B, 1991. "The Impact of Participation in Intercollegiate Athletics on Income and Graduation," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(3), pages 525-531, August.
    20. Murphy, Robert G. & Trandel, Gregory A., 1994. "The relation between a university's football record and the size of its applicant pool," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 265-270, September.
    21. McCormick, Robert E & Tensley, Maurice, 1987. "Athletics versus Academics? Evidence from SAT Scores," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(5), pages 1103-1116, October.
    22. Michael L. Anderson, 2017. "The Benefits of College Athletic Success: An Application of the Propensity Score Design," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(1), pages 119-134, March.
    23. Charles F. Manski, 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(3), pages 531-542.
    24. Case, Anne C, 1991. "Spatial Patterns in Household Demand," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(4), pages 953-965, July.
    25. Michael A. Insler & Jimmy Karam, 2019. "Do Sports Crowd Out Books? The Impact of Intercollegiate Athletic Participation on Grades," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(1), pages 115-153, January.
    26. Irvin B. Tucker, 2005. "Big-Time Pigskin Success," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 6(2), pages 222-229, May.
    27. Lawrence DeBrock & Wallace Hendricks & Roger Koenker, 1996. "The Economics of Persistence: Graduation Rates of Athletes as Labor Market Choice," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 31(3), pages 513-539.
    28. D. Randall Smith, 2008. "Big-Time College Basketball and the Advertising Effect," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 9(4), pages 387-406, August.
    29. Geiser, Saul & Maria Veronica Santelices, 2007. "Validity Of High-School Grades In Predicting Student Success Beyond The Freshman Year: High-School Record vs. Standardized Tests as Indicators of Four-Year College Outcomes," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt7306z0zf, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    30. Steven B. Caudill & James E. Long & Franklin G. Mixon, 2012. "Female athletic participation and income: evidence from a latent class model," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 477-488, June.
    31. Irvin B. Tucker & L. Ted Amato, 2006. "A Reinvestigation of the Relationship Between Big-Time Basketball Success and Average SAT Scores," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 7(4), pages 428-440, November.
    32. Hernández-Julián, Rey & Rotthoff, Kurt W., 2014. "The impact of college football on academic achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 141-147.
    33. Lung-fei Lee, 2003. "Best Spatial Two-Stage Least Squares Estimators for a Spatial Autoregressive Model with Autoregressive Disturbances," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 307-335.
    34. Lung-fei Lee & Xiaodong Liu & Xu Lin, 2010. "Specification and estimation of social interaction models with network structures," Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 13(2), pages 145-176, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jerome Segura & Jonathan Willner, 2018. "The Game Is Good at the Top," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(5), pages 645-676, June.
    2. Austin F. Eggers & Peter A. Groothuis, 2021. "The Impact of Winning an NCAA Men's Basketball or Football Championship on Academic Quality," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(2), pages 263-275.
    3. Trevor Collier & Nancy Haskell & Kurt W. Rotthoff & Alaina Baker, 2020. "The “Cinderella Effect†: The Value of Unexpected March Madness Runs as Advertising for the Schools," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 21(8), pages 783-807, December.
    4. Austin F. Eggers & Peter A. Groothuis & Parker Redding & Kurt W. Rotthoff & Michael Solimini, 2020. "Universities Behaving Badly: The Impact of Athletic Malfeasance on Student Quality and Enrollment," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 21(1), pages 87-100, January.
    5. Daniel R. Marburger, 2015. "How Are Athletic Directors Rewarded in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision?," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 16(3), pages 254-267, April.
    6. Behera, Sarthak & Sadana, Divya, 2022. "The Impact of Visibility on School Athletic Finances: An Empirical Analysis using Google Trends," MPRA Paper 114818, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Candon Johnson & Bryan C. McCannon, 2022. "Athletics and Admissions: The Impact of the Penn State Football Scandal on Student Quality," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(2), pages 200-221, February.
    8. D. Randall Smith, 2009. "College Football and Student Quality: An Advertising Effect or Culture and Tradition?," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 553-579, April.
    9. Benjamin Baumer & Andrew Zimbalist, 2019. "The Impact of College Athletic Success on Donations and Applicant Quality," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-23, April.
    10. Malcolm Getz & John Siegfried, 2010. "What Does Intercollegiate Athletics Do To or For Colleges and Universities?," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 1005, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    11. Mulholland, Sean E. & Tomic, Aleksandar (Sasha) & Sholander, Samuel N., 2014. "The faculty Flutie factor: Does football performance affect a university's US News and World Report peer assessment score?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 79-90.
    12. Devin G. Pope & Jaren C. Pope, 2009. "The Impact of College Sports Success on the Quantity and Quality of Student Applications," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 75(3), pages 750-780, January.
    13. D. Randall Smith, 2008. "Big-Time College Basketball and the Advertising Effect," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 9(4), pages 387-406, August.
    14. Daniel C. Hickman & Andrew G. Meyer, 2017. "Does Athletic Success Influence Persistence At Higher Education Institutions? New Evidence Using Panel Data," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(4), pages 658-676, October.
    15. Matheson, Victor A., 2007. "Research note: Athletic graduation rates and Simpson's Paradox," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 516-520, August.
    16. Roberto Gásquez & Vicente Royuela, 2014. "Is Football an Indicator of Development at the International Level?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 827-848, July.
    17. Robert Baade & Robert Baumann & Victor Matheson, 2011. "Big Men on Campus: Estimating the Economic Impact of College Sports on Local Economies," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(3), pages 371-380.
    18. Robert A. Baade & Robert W. Baumann & Victor A. Matheson, 2008. "Assessing the Economic Impact of College Football Games on Local Economies," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 9(6), pages 628-643, December.
    19. Victor Matheson, 2005. "Research Note: Athletic Graduation Rates and Simpson’s Paradox," Working Papers 0506, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    20. Louis H. Amato & John M. Gandar & Richard A. Zuber, 2001. "The Impact of Proposition 48 on the Relationship Between Football Success and Football Player Graduation Rates," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 2(2), pages 101-112, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:20:y:2019:i:7:p:929-958. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.