The Jock School's Business Model

The term "Jock School" covers about as much ground as a marathon. In fact, it may be more accurate to state that virtually every institution of higher education has a Jock School enclave. These range from college credit factories to the more recondite corners of respectable research-1 universities where unofficial 'jock majors' enroll students in undemanding courses which leave plenty of time for the field and the gym.

I should come clean right here and state that most professors despise the role college athletics assumes on their campus. From their point, the marketing (i.e. recruitment), management (special dorms and classes for athletes), and finance of college sports is the single greatest threat to higher education since Cliff Notes. Having spent eight to ten years of their adult life in school, subjected to the rigors and uncertainty of higher education before earning a dime from their efforts, few professors appreciate the seven figure salaries and bonuses paid to coaches who remind them uncannily of the whistle-bearing Nazis who tormented them in their Junior High phys. ed. classes. That these coaches were chosen for their salesmanship abilities with the boosters and the alacrity with which they bail out their charges from the local jail and run damage control when their prima donnas run amuk also does not set well with most faculty.

Having said that, Jock Schools and Jock School enclaves in large state universities are here to stay. The alumni enjoy the spectacle of "student athletes" (whom professors call the ultimate oxymoron) run up and down the field (or court), doing things they could never manage physically while imagining themselves superior because they actually went to the school in question to learn something (or so they tell themselves). It's a convenient fiction for both sides, and many schools are so convinced that athletics are the way to keep their doors open that they re-brand themselves as Jock Schools as a business strategy.

Smaller state schools and private colleges know that they can't hope to compete with the large state schools in this arena, so they market their message to the students who are neither sports superstars nor academic superstars. Like the Take All Comers schools, Jock Schools are very free with institutional financial aid (which amounts to a discount off the advertised tuition and fees, just like when buying a car), relying for the most part on whatever federal and state financial aid and grants their student athletes are eligible to receive. Coaches at Jock Schools often double as admissions representatives, and may be given quotas of students they must recruit and enroll regardless of the needs of their team.

One of the ironies of the Jock School is that many of the student athletes it recruits may not get to compete on the field. Sports teams may have much larger rosters than they need because so many students receive sports scholarships because that is the primary marketing strategy of their Admissions Department. Relatively few merit scholarships tend to be offered at Jock Schools, since the college itself generally can't support the academic environment needed to keep academically-oriented students. Student athletes at the Jock School, unless they are exceptionally good athletes, can be counted on to provide a steady stream of federal and state grants for four, five, or six years.

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM:

• Students' "bring" - whatever educational grants and scholarships the student is eligible for, as well as whatever tuition (if any) the parents can afford
• Sports revenue - Although small college ticket prices are lower than 'professional' student sports at a large state university, their expenses are much lower and Jock Schools can actually earn higher profits than large state schools in this area
• "Credit factory" courses offered to student athletes at other, more demanding colleges which require some academic components beyond the reach of the student athlete.

PITFALLS FOR PARENTS:

• Jock Schools are not known for providing a very rigorous education, in large part because of the demands placed on student athletes by their coaches. Many do not have late afternoon classes and may explicitly excuse students from certain classes.
• As a result, your student may have difficulty transferring into a better school or getting into graduate school.
• Most non-sports areas tend to be under-supported. Compare the admissions office, the gym(s) and the library if in doubt.

PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS:

• While the educational component may be lacking, Jock Schools do provide a cheap education, and may be a good place to park a student who needs some time to mature.
• Academic Education may not be the Jock Schools' strong suit, but good professors can be found everywhere. For the right student, Jock Schools fill a market niche
• Some students (although many fewer than you'd suppose) DO make it into professional sports. A Jock School can give a student another chance to grab the brass ring, and time to mature when it doesn't work out.