Athletic Success and Student Enrollment at an NCAA Division II University

Abstract

This case study examines the relationship between winning at football and student enrollment at a representative NCAA Division II institution, Pittsburg State University in southeast Kansas. Using time series data for a 33-year period, we model the impact of football winning percentage and winning margin on various measures of undergraduate enrollment, including new first-year students, returning students, and transfer students. Results indicate that football success is positively correlated with the university’s overall undergraduate enrollment, ceteris paribus, primarily through positive impacts on the number of retained students and the number of new transfers. Additionally, winning national championships was found to have a significant effect on the number of new freshmen or first-year students overall. Thus, similar to larger institutions, Division II schools may reap positive academic benefits from supporting successful athletic teams.