For the non-sports fan at college

For non-sports fans at college (or who went to college), the money universities allocate towards their athletic departments can easily seem unjustifiable or wrong. While some students go to Kansas for basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse and Ohio State for football in the Horseshoe, athletics have little to do with many prospective students college choices. Especially at small schools, which may not even field a football team, athletic experiences can be hard to justify to students who don't care about sports.

At many colleges, the basketball or football coach may be the highest paid employee, which in an academic institution may seem unjust for those whose choice of education had little or nothing to do with sports. Click the links for contracts of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber, and Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, courtesy of USA Today. In short, college basketball and football (the two sports that make universities the most money) get paid a lot and it comes across as unfair to some. I know this first-hand from an argument that ensued during one of my classes at Bradley (Basketball coach Jim Les is the school's highest paid employee, including President Glasser).

Especially during tough economic times, as ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil points out, it can be hard to justify the merits of college sports. One of the biggest reasons coaches are paid so much is because of success on the playing field can improve the perception of a college like few other things. O'Neil's article mentions how Northern Iowa's run in the NCAA Tournament helped dramatically increase both awareness and contributions to the school. During their NCAA tournament run, Northern Iowa experienced a 1,577 % increase in online store sales and a 30 % increase in admissions calls.

For the non-sports fan, the attention given to college sports teams can be overwhelming and obnoxious. Yes, its true their are more important things than sports that should never be forgotten at a college. The academic mission of a university should always remain a priority, but their is certainly a place for sports. Sports have the potential to help every aspect of a university. At smaller schools and private schools, like Northern Iowa and Bradley, sports success benefits at a greater degree than your typical state school. Simply put, more people nationally are aware of Bradley when the basketball or soccer teams have success on a national stage.

For the non-sports fan, I'm not saying you should run out and by season tickets or follow every game, but just to simply recognize that sports can elevate the profile of your university.