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The Game Is Good at the Top

Author

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  • Jerome Segura
  • Jonathan Willner

Abstract

Collegiate football may provide advertising for universities, attracting larger pools of applicants and leading to more academically qualified student bodies. Football may also build school spirit, reducing attrition and improving long-run graduation rates. This analysis uses data from 2001 to 2004 for available National Collegiate Athletic Association Division-1 institutions to examine the advertising and effectiveness effects of football. Using both general linear model and linear-in-means model estimation procedures, we find strong advertising and effectiveness effects for football in the full sample. Among schools fielding a football team, the impact of Football Bowl Subdivision and winning percentage is muddy; however, the advertising effect of bowl appearances is strong.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerome Segura & Jonathan Willner, 2018. "The Game Is Good at the Top," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(5), pages 645-676, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:19:y:2018:i:5:p:645-676
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002516673407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jerome Segura III & Jonathan Willner, 2019. "Athleticism in NCAA D-III: It Ain’t Only Football That Matters," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(7), pages 929-958, October.
    2. Craig McFarland & Peter A. Groothuis & Dennis Guignet, 2024. "The role of football win percentage on college applications for Power Five and Group of Five schools," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(3), pages 474-482, July.
    3. Behera, Sarthak & Sadana, Divya, 2022. "The Impact of Visibility on School Athletic Finances: An Empirical Analysis using Google Trends," MPRA Paper 114818, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Austin F. Eggers & Peter A. Groothuis, 2021. "The Impact of Winning an NCAA Men's Basketball or Football Championship on Academic Quality," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(2), pages 263-275.
    5. Jonathan Willner, 2019. "Private Universities and NCAA D-III Athletics as a General Recruiting Tool," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 25(3), pages 293-307, August.
    6. Austin F. Eggers & Peter A. Groothuis & Parker Redding & Kurt W. Rotthoff & Michael Solimini, 2020. "Universities Behaving Badly: The Impact of Athletic Malfeasance on Student Quality and Enrollment," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 21(1), pages 87-100, January.

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