A developmental model linking professionalism and character growth is implemented at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (USMA) through its programs and policies. The current study used growth-modeling techniques to examine developmental relationships between metrics of professional development and performance outcomes at USMA and assessed…

This study examined the relationship between a non-Power Five Cinderella team in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and institutional financial and admissions factors. The purpose of this study was to examine what, if anything, changes for a non-Power Five school who makes the March Madness tournament as compared to those similar…

Spending on big-time college athletics is often justified on the grounds that athletic success attracts students and raises donations. Testing this claim has proven difficult because success is not randomly assigned. We exploit data on bookmaker spreads to estimate the probability of winning each game for college football teams. We then condition…

This study examined the relationship between successful athletic programs and admissions at small, private, NCAA Division I colleges. The premise of this project focused on the Flutie factor, which suggests that media coverage resulting from winning athletic programs leads to an increase in both applications for admission as well as a stronger and…

Institutions across the country and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are continuously looking for ways to improve the academic success and retention of students. Most research focuses on the use of cognitive factors as predictors; however, there has been an increase in the use of non-cognitive factors in this research. This…

This is an application of contemporary multilevel regression modeling to the prediction of academic performances of 1st-year college students. At a first level of analysis, the data come from N greater than 16,000 students who were college freshman in 1994-1995 and who were also participants in high-level college athletics. At a second level of…

The purpose of the study is to compare the student profile characteristics, which were categorized as demographic, prematriculation, and matriculation, between traditional residential and commuter students at a public, research, commuter university. Using status attainment as the theoretical framework, the researchers employed a discriminant…

Student retention has been one of the more researched topics in the study of American higher education over the past 20 years (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Very little of this research, however, has attempted to examine the impact of college athletics on an institution's ability to retain students.…

This dissertation study examines the impact of traditional and non-cognitive variables on the academic prediction model for a sample of collegiate student-athletes. Three hundred and fifty-nine NCAA Division IA male and female student-athletes, representing 13 sports, including football and Men's and Women's Basketball provided demographic…

SAT scores and noncognitive factors (acquired knowledge in a field, community service, positive self-concept, and preference for long-term goals) were found to be related to academic performance and persistence among 1st-year NCAA Division I student athletes (N = 109). Implications for college counselors and future research directions are…

Surveyed opinions on the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Proposal 42 using a convenience sample of 872 persons. Most respondents felt that college admission tests are biased. Concludes that the controversy will be resolved when American society comes to grips with inequalities in educational and socioeconomic opportunity. (DM)

Examines the effects of academics and athletics (including football and basketball variables) on first-year college students' Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores at U.S. universities engaged in big-time intercollegiate sports. Academic variables rather than athletic success variables determine the level of average first-year students' SAT…

Comparing grades of 594 Clemson University athletes to those of the overall student body shows athletes do not perform as well, because of lower Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and poorer college preparation. Particular underperformance of athletes in revenue sports is a seasonal phenomenon, suggesting they are being exploited. (SK)

Provides statistical evidence that college athletics may enhance higher education's mission, using National Collegiate Athletic Association data and an alternative measure that captures athletic success for universities over time. Shows that basketball success at colleges and universities has an "advertisement effect" that helps these…

Study examined the relationship between football players' entrance examination scores and the corresponding college team's success. Although the more selective schools consistently recruit the more academically qualified players, no correlation exists between the scores and the team's success. Contains statistical table of entrance examination…