What do you think of when you hear University of Alabama? Many Americans will first think: football, Roll Tide, Coach Nick Saban. What about Gonzaga? One’s mind probably turns to basketball; their only exposure to the “Zags” may be March Madness. What is less commonly known is that University of Alabama has achieved R1 status of Doctoral Universities, with very high research activity, or that Gonzaga’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Program is top 10% in the nation. While college sports are closely followed, supported and funded, these academic metrics often remain unknown and overlooked. But isn’t the purpose of university to gain education and prepare for professional pursuits and lifelong careers?
For many prestigious academic institutions, like BYU, the objective of sports is not directly in harmony with the principal objectives of the institution. Brigham Young said, “Our education should be such as to improve our minds and fit us for increased usefulness; to make us of greater service to the human family,” a longform version of the heart of BYU’s purpose and motto: Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve. Sports--particularly football--often place the most value on winning, dominating, and realizing professional athletic career aspirations. These principles seem to be in stark contrast to the core purpose of the University, which begs the question how does football fulfill the university’s mission of “going forth to serve”?
At BYU, I think the football program exists in part to help the university and by extension the Church to “go forth” into the world. Our students and faculty can fill the pages of academic journals with their research, our weekly devotionals can be published on a podcast for anyone to listen to, and our choir and bands can perform for audiences across the world. But who reads published research, listens to devotionals, or regularly attends piano recitals? Not the masses. The average American hears of BYU on Saturdays in the fall, because the nation has its eyes on college football. Puka Nacua and Zach Wilson, through college football, have helped make BYU a household name in more homes than just Latter-day Saints’.
College football is also an extension of a consumerist society. Accordingly, another role BYU football plays is one of profit. Sports have a unique power to create an environment that is entertaining and appealing to all demographics: athletic fanatics, alumni, people seeking an invigorating social scene, and everything in between. This broad inclusivity gives college athletics a special capacity to draw out the money. In 2021, the college football industry yielded $1.6 billion in revenue--evidence that the masses don’t shy away from the price tag that comes with the experience, the community and the prestige.
This mentality is perpetuated in universities across the country, not just in Provo. Institutions of higher learning are still businesses. They need a) funding and b) publicity. Athletics provide an avenue through which universities can make money--through revenue and donations--and make a name, as living room televisions around the country show replays of Chase Roberts’ one-handed snag in the endzone while the iconic stretch Y glistens proudly on his helmet.
Further, sports inspire loyalty. Think about BYU alums; loyal, strong and true and bleeding blue as long as they’re well enough to say, “GO COUGARS!” They have a degree and a career, so they aren’t on campus anymore but they want to stay involved. What do they do? They go to a football game, watch the cougars play on television, buy the swag, and donate to the university to give back and support something they love so dearly. In building prestigious and successful sports programs, universities are also building a fan base, and that fan base is what generates revenue and brings money to the schools.
While at face value college football may seem to compromise the standard and principles of an institution, I feel that football is a fun and unifying way to rally support for the institutions that shape the upcoming professionals--and shape our future.
So next time you see a lifelong Cougar fan attending a game with their kids, shouting the Ra Ra Ra’s at the end of the fight song, splitting a Cougar Tail with the next generation, think about their impact. In stadiums across the nation, these are the kinds of experiences, provided for by the programs of college athletics, that pave the path for academic institutions to garner support and create a community in the process.
