Analysis Of The Fulks Report

The Fulks Report embodies the 2012 edition of expenses and revenues of the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. Daniel L. Fulks conducted this report in a cooperative effort with the NCAA. This report includes statistics from 2004 to 2011. The NCAA does not announce individual schools’ revenue or expenses to protect privacy. The Fulks Report compiles data from the units in the NCAA. FBS, FCS, and Division I schools without football are three key groups that have statistics listed in The Fulks Report. This analysis of The Fulks Report reviews some of the major interesting points found within the report.

The current state of revenues and expenses in NCAA Division I athletics is very different compared to the revenue in the lower

There is enough money circulating within the NCAA to pay student athletes for their hard work. At least some of the revenue they generate for the school should come back to them. Much of that revenue does not even come back to the athletes through the classroom. The bulk of the money goes to a select few of university employees. The average Division I athlete spends 43.3 hours a week dedicated to their sport. That is more than the 40 hours Americans typically spend at work. Student athletes have to complete their classes on top of that. Student athletes are also required to miss class for games that are televised nationally. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament forces athletes to miss six days of classes (Ferguson, 2010). If these students were not athletes, the professors would punish them. This proves that student athletes are considered university employees. However, they are not financially compensated for their work (Wilson, 2000). Success in college sports is believed to attract positive attention from high school seniors applying for college. When Boston College’s quarterback received the Heisman Trophy, their undergraduate admissions increased by twenty-five points. Their average SAT score of admitted freshman also increased by 110 points. The NCAA should pay student athletes. They are strong members of their university’s marketing team and generate plenty of revenue for their schools (Edleman, 2014). Paying student athletes would also encourage them to learn how to manage money. If they are lucky and become professional athletes, they should already have a basic idea of how to manager their personal finances. Since student athletes are not paid, they often struggle when they earn a professional athlete’s salary. They do not invest their money or spend cautiously. After their paid contracts are up, they be left with a financial mess. This could potentially be avoided if the NCAA paid