With problems in student enrollment and making ends meet, Humboldt State University figures that cutting the football program would save money.
While it might be easy to dismiss the need for college sports, in favor of fully funding academia--the truth is that college football is essential for a colleges long term survival.
An argument we don't often hear in favor of preserving college sports has to do with alumni donations. Former college athletes tend to be better donors to their alma mater. Athletes tend to make solid career choices later in life and they feel a need to "give back" providing funding to their former college so that others can have the same experience they did.
Not all alumni see their college as a worthy place to donate. For example, While Christian based homeschool students achieve and perform remarkably well in the college system, when they graduate and become career adults, they are also generous with donations, but they are more likely to donate to a church, or mission program or something else besides the college they attended.
That's the reason why small colleges like Hillsdale College in Michigan, which only has a few thousand kids, compete in the NCAA at a higher level bracket with schools that typically have 30,000 or more kids. Because hillsdale can compete for better athletes and for people that are likely to be more successful and eventually, donate more money when they become alumni.
VIRTUS TENTAMINE GAUDET
"Strength Rejoices in the Challenge"
(Hillsdale Sports Motto)
A vibrant college football program means several generations of accomplished, generous donations for that college. American Football begets more donations from its alums than any other sport.
Humboldt state university should keep this in mind. What will happen if and when California fails to pay its bills? Or implements CSU cuts? What will happen to HSU if enrollment continues to plummet?
Having a football program will at least ensure that the generous donations keep rolling in--for generations to come.
In similar news, the California legislature is trying to take some control of the massive NCAA profits and is working to undermine the organization, insisting that athletes get compensated. Don't get fooled by the fake spin, California sees a big bucket of money and they want to steal some
While college athlete compensation looks and sounds fair, the real cost will be a massive loss of income for colleges that depend on the donations of their sports alumni. The NCAA probably isn't perfect, but the California legislature, which has never accomplished anything worthwhile, will degrade our states sports programs if given The chance. Like many legislative issues, the true cost of this California meddling won't be immediately seen for several generations, when I'm in my 70s and hear people wondering: whatever happened to college sports?
