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April 4, 2008

At One Major University, Chief Fund Raiser Will Now Oversee Athletics

Fund raising and college sports have become close cousins in recent years, as athletics programs have grown rapidly on the backs of private donors.

But here’s a new one: Bob Krause, vice president for institutional advancement at Kansas State University, was named today as the permanent athletic director at the Big 12 institution.

The move coincides with Kansas State’s expansion of its athletics facilities, and raises the question: Will more big athletics programs look to fund raisers to run the show?

Comments

1. Texas A&M University-Kingsville instituted this arrangement several years ago when Randy Hughes became VP for Institutional Advancement, overseeing the departments of Athletics, Alumni Affairs, Development, Public Relations & Marketing and Publications.

   I can’t speak for other states, but here in Texas, no state appropriations are given to Athletics…so fundraising is a necessity. The arrangement at A&M-Kingsville has been extremely beneficial, for all departments. There is great synergy in our promotions, fundraising, publicity and donor & alumni relations programs because (to use the cliche) we are all on the same team.

   — JPS    Apr 4, 04:19 PM    #

2. Actually, it’s an old one, not a new one. This arrangement was par for the course in the early twentieth century. Student athletics and alumni development grew as a joint operation separate from (not in service of) the rest of university administrations. (See Thelin’s A History of American Higher Education.)

   — Bradley Zakarin    Apr 4, 04:34 PM    #

3. I believe this is a logical move as athletics, particularly at the upper division I level, most aligned with college relations, marketing and fund raising! Perhaps, with linkage to professionals that are profecient in these areas we will experience positive outcomes. How about the VP for academic affairs overseeing all of the support services that promote the academic success of our studnet athletes!

   — Timothy Gallineau    Apr 5, 01:17 PM    #

4. Does this mean that I can’t use the term “student athletic?” I am fine with that. It is about time we are honest with ourselves and understand the concept of “minor” leagues. I only hope that now when an ex student athlete signs that pro contact that there is money in his/her contract to repay his training expenses. Authors and musicians get a royalty for their work when use by another entity. Maybe we in higher education should expect the same.

   — Dr. Bill    Apr 5, 11:51 PM    #

5. I thought athletic programs, first and foremost, were supposed to be run by educators and to promote the intellectual and character development of student athletes. If these young people have essentially become entertainers whose main purpose is to support the fund-raising objectives of the university, they should be treated as semi-professionals and be adequately compensated for their efforts.

   — DJW    Apr 6, 12:50 AM    #

6. Dr. Bill,
   I think your response was totally off base! Higher education has allowed itself to become the training grounds for these student athletes, while raking in billions of dollars and prestige. How does that equate with the meager ““scholarships” that these student athletes are receiving each year? Yes, I believe that education is an investment in an individual’s future, but higher education continues to allow these “student athletes” to not complete their educational careers, while again making a great deal of money off of them. There is very little accountability for institutions who have low graduation rates (with the exception of recent legislation which is constantly being debated). If higher education were the victim in this situation, it would be trying to find a way to change the system, as opposed to perpetuating it through a continued “arms race” for the best facilities and multimilion dollar coaches. Is this type of activity in the best interest of the “program” or the student athletes? The individuals who go on to the next level is very minimal in terms of an overall percentage of participants. Thus, my question of what happens to the others after they are “exploited”? I hope that you will refrain from making those types of stereotypical jumps when in actuality the problem rests on the shoulders of higher education. We are supposed to be the adults in this conversation!

   — Mpope    Apr 7, 09:44 AM    #

7. Hello again! I just found this one in Inside Higher Ed. This is the kind of movement that I am talking about “The National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association are planning an announcement today. While there is no official word on what will be said, both The Raleigh News and Observer and FOXSports.com are reporting speculation of a new deal with would require more basketball players to stay in college for at least two years before leaving for the NBA. Such a rule would end the phenomenon of the “one and done” stars who comply with current regulations by going to college only for a single year before leaving to play professional basketball. “

   — Mpope    Apr 7, 10:16 AM    #

8. I would like to see an arrangement where the NFL, NBA, and MLB funded college athletics. Afterall this is there minor league.

   — GL    Apr 7, 10:35 AM    #

9. GL, actually MLB has its own professional minor leagues, 20 of them, with about 250 teams. Not that many MLB players are college products, especially compared with NFL and NBA numbers. Also, Mpope, do you really think that “billions of dollars” are coming into higher ed via sports? Almost every NCAA team is subsidized by the university. I don’t see anything wrong with having the pros and their advertisers subsidize college sports instead, if that’s where the players are coming from. I like the “royalty” analogy. That should be explored.

   — AS    Apr 7, 05:41 PM    #

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