Gridiron University: Should Football Be Reinstated?

Abstract

While exciting and energizing, adding sport programs is a major undertaking for any college athletic department. A broad overview of considerations associated with National Collegiate Athletic Association sport offerings is outlined in this case using reinstatement of football as the context. The case is intended to introduce students to the costs, benefits, risks, and complexity of institutional decisions in one area of collegiate athletics. Students are assigned a role and challenged to complete an operating budget, determine the financial viability of football, consider a variety of nonfinancial factors, and make a decision about whether Gridiron University should reinstate football. Although football is the sport in this scenario, the principles identified in the case apply to other sports and vary by degree not type.