By not supporting any athletic programs, schools will be able to save money. In his article, “Why Higher Education Should Rid Itself of College Athletics”, Anthony DiMaggio, an author and former professor who holds a PhD in Political Science, states “A large majority of college sports programs-90 percent-lose money for their schools and require additional funds beyond what is earned through ticket, apparel, and other revenues” (DiMaggio). This statistic given by DiMaggio defeats the misconception that athletics earns more money for schools. Another statistic found in DiMaggio’s article “Why Higher Education Should Rid Itself of College Athletics” shows that “college sports cost $6 billion annually and that schools on average spent three to six more times on student athletes than non-athletes” (DiMaggio). DiMaggio illustrates how much more funding is being put towards student athletes when it should be going towards academics. Students deserve top-notch facilities just as much as student athletes do. Education is the first priority at any college, and by eliminating athletic programs, schools will have more money to allocate to academics. Without the distraction of athletics, schools will be able to put more focus on real world preparation. According to the article “Eliminate College Sports” written by Ian Tuttle, National Review Institute Buckley Fellow in Political Journalism, “Without sports programs devouring time and money, administrators could turn universities’ attention back to education, increasing the likelihood that schools would set, and enforce, real academic standards” (Tuttle). Schools could focus on recruiting the best professors and students, rather than the best coaches and athletes. Allie Grasgreen, a student affairs and athletics reporter, wrote the article “Spelman Eliminates Athletics in Favor of Campus-Wide Wellness Initiative”, the school President Beverly Daniel Tatum was quoted in the article to say “we want them to live long and healthy lives so they can get the return on that investment they’ve made in higher education” (Grasgreen). They directed their funds and energy towards a campus wide fitness and wellness initiative. A program such as this one will assist them in developing healthy habits that will benefit them for their whole lives. The focus of schools would be the well-being of all students, not just the promotion of their student athletes. Without athletics, would be student athletes would be held to the same standards as regular students. Dave Galehouse, a former Division 1 athlete and director of Varsityedge.com, claims in his article “Why Some College Athletes Do Not Succeed” that “Student-Athletes don’t …show more content…
In Dave Galehouse’s article “Why College Athletes Do Not Succeed”, he states that “Student-athletes don’t realize the time and effort commitment that they are getting involved in and the sacrifices they are going to make. After classes and practices, student athletes are left with very little free time to do school work and be social with their friends” (Galehouse). It might appear to make someone more well-rounded, but it is not always apparent the amount of stress and fatigue that come with it. Jackson Van Arsdale gives a first person perspective of the difficulties associated with being a college athlete in his article “The Life of a Student Athlete”, he stated “ You are not only behind the rest of the class, but you are on the road. You have to teach yourself the missed material from the back of a bumpy bus, an airplane, or in the computer room of the hotel” (Van Arsdale). This quote shows how hard it can be being a student athlete. They don’t become a more well-rounded person, as their education suffers due to the missed class time and assignments. Athletics may serve as a stress reliever or a way to release from academics, but they will only make students’ education