A Growth Curve Analysis of Mandatory Student Athletics Fees

Abstract

This study used growth curve modeling to estimate the growth trajectory of mandatory student athletics fees at public NCAA Division I universities from 2004-2016. We specifically focused on three measures of athletics fees; total athletics fees, athletics fees per FTE, and athletics fees as a percentage of total student costs. We found that in general the growth trajectory of athletics fees was positive, but that the rate of growth has declined over the years. We also found that on average less than 5% of student costs are directly attributable to athletics fees and that the growth trajectory of athletics fees differs significantly based on NCAA Division I subdivision affiliation. These findings have implications for policymakers and commentators interested in the role athletics fees play in college student costs.

NCAA Expenditure and Efficiency: Analyzing Generated and Allocated Revenue in the Football Bowl Subdivision

“…The other covariates correlate much as expected, with a few exceptions, but the relationships vary substantially for power and non-power schools, illustrating the different ways school characteristics influence the use of allocated revenue. In addition, the relationships vary over revenue type, in many cases suggesting the trade-off noted by Jones et al (2018). Power schools with more Students tend to use Student Fees less than others, while larger non-power schools tend to use more Student Fees.…”

“…Concentrating on the direct and indirect costs to students, the authors find allocated revenue is higher at schools with fewer students, schools with lower overall expenditure, and schools with higher percentages of low-income students. Jones et al (2018) focus on the growth of student fees for athletics at Division I universities from 2004 to 2016, finding the growth rate has been positive, has decreased over time, and varies over institutional affiliation within Division I (FBS, football championship subdivision [FCS], or division I, non-football [DI-NF]). According to the authors, the decreasing trend over time "might be a sign that universities are attempting to limit the amount of student fees used to support athletics" (p. 187).…”

“…The literature is further extended with a comparison of time-varying efficiency and allocated revenue. Given the implication of Jones et al (2018) that universities can use student-fee revenue and school-fund revenue interchangeably, these two sources of allocated revenue are considered separately. With respect to school funds, the results suggest that less efficient schools from all conferences depend more intensively on direct payments from their university's budget.…”

Athletic Success and Donation Intentions: Does Sense of Community Mediate?

“…In 2016, approximately 82% of public, Division I institutions collected athletic fees from their students. Further, between 2004 and 2015, the average yearly amount of student fees collected by Division I institutions increased by roughly $1 million (Jones et al, 2018).…”