Jayhawk sports success could mean increased enrollment

Study shows correlation between successful sports and higher enrollment rates

Based on the research, the University of Kansas can anticipate a 7 to 8 percent increase in enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year. This is from the NCAA basketball championship alone and doesn’t include the Orange Bowl.

By Rustin Dodd (Contact)

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

The University of Kansas might get more than a shiny trophy and a nice ego boost from its basketball National Championship. The University might also see an increase in enrollment applications as well.

A study done by researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Pennsylvania gave proof to the widely held belief that the more athletic success a school has, the more applications they’ll receive.

Jaren Pope, an assistant professor in applied economics at Virginia Tech, completed the study with his brother, Devin, an assistant professor at Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

According to the study, an NCAA championship in basketball is likely to result in a 7 to 8 percent increase in applications the following year.

Lee Furbeck, associate director of admission and scholarship at the University, said she anticipates that the University might not see an increase until the 2009-10 school year.

“Most of our enrollment deadlines had passed before they won the championship,” Furbeck said.

The study gives quantifiable evidence to the myth that has been called the “Flutie effect,” after Boston College was flooded with applications following its Doug Flutie-led football victory against Miami in 1984.

The study also found that schools that make the Sweet Sixteen have a 3 percent boost in applications the following year, while just making the NCAA tournament is good enough for a 1 percent increase.

“Even if we hadn’t won, we had a commercial on prime time and that’s something we wouldn’t normally have had,” Furbeck said of the KU commercial, which aired during the National Championship game.

“It results in more folks looking at what we offer.”

But Furbeck said she didn’t expect the “Flutie effect” to hit the University. Mostly, because Kansas basketball is already a household name, Furbeck said.

Ben Grace, Tulsa junior, said sports played a significant part of his college decision three years ago. He grew up in Missouri and fell in love with Kansas basketball as he watched former Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn and the Kansas teams of the 1990s.

“I just knew I would come here,” Grace said. “Not only because of basketball, but because I loved KU, and I wanted to see games in the Fieldhouse.”

Even if Kansas sees an increase in applications next year, Furbeck said it might be hard to attribute the increase solely to the championship.

“There maybe other things we change in our recruitment efforts next year as well,” Furbeck said.

—Edited by Russell Davies

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