CEP Feature: "The Role of Football Win Percentage on College Applications for Power Five ..."

• Craig McFarland, Appalachian State University 
• Peter A. Groothuis, Appalachian State University 
• Dennis Guignet, Appalachian State University 

     

ABSTRACT: Investing in athletics is one approach that universities have taken to better appeal to potential students. We analyze whether football success, as measured by win percentage, is correlated with a higher number of student applicants. We find that for schools in the major “Power-Five” conferences, win percentage does not significantly change the number of students who apply. However, in the smaller “Group-of-Five” conferences, win percentage is associated with an increase in the number of applications. This is a particularly relevant finding because smaller universities may often be the ones struggling to maintain the size of their student body.