Many universities throughout the United States field big-time athletics programs, with an emphasis on football and basketball, that generate extremely large influxes of money both into and out of the sponsoring schools. It is common to hear advocates claim that these sports are important in drawing attention to the university and that the programs pay for themselves. However, it is also common to hear dissenters argue that these sports do not contribute to the educational mission of the university and to ask questions such as, If these sports pay for themselves, why do students have to pay hefty athletics fees? Write a paper presenting the most common arguments for and against big-time athletics programs in institutions of higher education and, ultimately, articulating your position regarding which argument(s) are most compelling.
