The experience collegiate athlete’s gain while they are in college is something you cannot put a price on. College sports provide opportunities for student-athletes to develop leadership skills and time management, community building, and of course earn a degree. Also, college sports create undoubted campus pride and identity. However, rising expenses and the desire to increase revenue to support college sports have become a weaker factor for many institutions, regardless of sport or the size of the program's mission. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), “over the past decade, spending on athletics has been rising at a rate three to four times faster than the rate of increase of academic budgets among institutions competing in the NCAA’s Division I” (Kirwan, 2010). Almost every other university, especially in Division I, institutional spending on athletics is becoming a bigger issue. Only more successful college sports teams give the institution the opportunity to generate enough revenue to cover their costs.
Usually revenue is generated by athletics through ticket sales, broadcast
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Of course, institutional budget is not able to cover all expenses because athletic budget is rising more quickly than the institutional budget. Most programs rely on institutional resources such as academics and student fees to balance their budgets. “If the trend of athletic spending outpacing institutional spending continues, institutions will need to be able to justify that spend to the university community and the general public,” said NCAA Chief Financial Officer Kathleen McNeely. “The value that athletics brings to campus life, life-long connection to alumni, and enhancing diversity on campus are all important outcomes from athletic programs that need to be celebrated and