Unless you plan to play a sport in college, athletics should have a minimal influence on your school choice. Realistically, we understand that is not the case. A lot of high schoolers want to go to a school who’s team plays on ESPN. People aspire to be Cameron Crazies, so they plan their futures accordingly. I would be lying if I said UConn’s basketball program had zero influence on my decision to head to Storrs for an education. The Huskies, however, had won more than one big game prior to my applying to UConn.
Sport Biz’s Darren Rovell called our attention to an interesting tidbit about Morehead State and how their huge tournament victory affected the school’s application numbers. It turns out the Eagles’ upset victory over Louisville on Thursday resulted in an application spike of almost 3,000.
“After the game, there were 3,000 in one day (applying) for admission to our university,” Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall told the Courier-Journal on Friday, noting that there were only 200 applicants the previous day. “I think that speaks for itself in regard to the publicity and notoriety not just our basketball program has received, but obviously our university has received.”
First of all, it’s one game people. Secondly, is a win in the NCAA tournament really enough to make 2,800 people decide Morehead State is worth the $60-ish dollar application fee? If the Eagles make any type of Final Four push, Morehead State could end up with a larger rejection rate than Harvard.
