The headlines across the country when it comes to higher education are dismally similar: states are cutting budgets. And in a state like Ohio, universities face a dwindling student population. And it's the students' tuition, room and board that brings in the money.
At university after university there's one area that loses money big time, and it something reporters seldom question: athletics. Listen to economist Andrew Zimbalist, co-author of Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong With College Sports and How to Fix It, and an expert on the economics of college sports. Only a handful of universities make money; most lose a bundle. It's time reporters start questioning university presidents and the university's priorities. Why do universities continue to promote a sport medical science has documented causes brain damage and that at most schools loses a lot of money in this age of record student debt? Why aren't reporters asking the questions that need to be asked about college athletics? When journalism fails, bad things happen.
At university after university there's one area that loses money big time, and it something reporters seldom question: athletics. Listen to economist Andrew Zimbalist, co-author of Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong With College Sports and How to Fix It, and an expert on the economics of college sports. Only a handful of universities make money; most lose a bundle. It's time reporters start questioning university presidents and the university's priorities. Why do universities continue to promote a sport medical science has documented causes brain damage and that at most schools loses a lot of money in this age of record student debt? Why aren't reporters asking the questions that need to be asked about college athletics? When journalism fails, bad things happen.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.