The Cost of College Football: A $10-Billion Athletic Tab

College football has become a beloved and integral part of the American collegiate experience, with many universities investing millions of dollars in their sports programs. However, this enthusiasm comes with a hefty price tag, as a recent study by the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Huffington Post reveals that over the past five years, public universities have poured more than $10.3 billion in mandatory student fees and other subsidies into their sports programs. The study examined 201 public universities competing at the highest level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I sports, and found that students at these institutions have contributed significantly to the athletic fees. In Georgia, the six public universities analyzed in the report have collectively contributed almost $213 million in athletic fees to sports programs over the past five years.

Key Takeaways:

• Over the past five years, public universities have invested more than $10.3 billion in mandatory student fees and other subsidies into their sports programs.
• The study examined 201 public universities competing at the highest level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I sports.
• Students at six Georgia public universities (University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, and Savannah State) collectively contributed almost $213 million in athletic fees to sports programs over the past five years.
• Georgia State University had the highest contribution from student fees, with over $85 million in support to the schools' sports programs.
• Places like Kennesaw State and Georgia State, which don't have strong revenue-generating sports programs, rely heavily on student fees to support their athletic departments.
• In 2010, four Georgia universities (excluding Georgia Tech and UGA) subsidized at least 68% of the costs incurred by their athletic departments, with that number dropping only one percentage point to 67% by 2014.
• A sports economist at Kennesaw State University noted that many universities are not-for-profit institutions and they survive by getting people to give money back, often driven by alumni and student demand for competitive sports teams.
• Despite the costs, school administrators say students expect their universities to field competitive sports teams.
• Some students, like Kennesaw State senior Christopher Walker, don't attend football games because they don't think the team is going to win.
• The NCAA says over half the football teams in Division 1 and most below that level lose money.
• College sports funding breakdown for Georgia Division I colleges in 2014 shows institutions depend heavily on student fees and subsidies for athletics, with the University of Georgia subsidizing 3.2% of revenue, and Kennesaw State University subsidizing 85.1%.

Statistics:

• $10.3 billion: total amount invested by public universities in mandatory student fees and other subsidies into their sports programs over the past five years
• 201: number of public universities competing at the highest level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I sports
• $213 million: total amount contributed by students at six Georgia public universities (University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, and Savannah State) to sports programs over the past five years
• 68%: percentage of revenue from subsidies for athletic departments in four Georgia universities in 2010 (excluding Georgia Tech and UGA)
• 67%: percentage of revenue from subsidies for athletic departments in four Georgia universities in 2014 (excluding Georgia Tech and UGA)
• $85.7 million: student fees contributed to support Georgia State University's sports programs, one of the highest contributions in the country

Sources:

• "The $10-Billion Sports Tab," Chronicle of Higher Education and Huffington Post
• NCAA Revenue and Expense Reports, 2010-2014
• Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (Ipeds), 2010-2014
• University System of Georgia, approved by the Board of Regents