Towards an Efficiency Analysis of Collegiate Athletics

As allegations of non-compliance and out-of-control spending by athletic departments as well as the pressure to win continue to increase, there exists much interest in research on, and debate about, intercollegiate athletics.... [ view full abstract ]

As allegations of non-compliance and out-of-control spending by athletic departments as well as the pressure to win continue to increase, there exists much interest in research on, and debate about, intercollegiate athletics. A number of studies have previously investigated issues related to Title IX compliance, specific aspects of intercollegiate athletics success, and different financial aspects of the athletics ‘arms race’. However, no previous studies have attempted to evaluate all three factors simultaneously. This paper discusses the development of an analytical model aimed at measuring how efficient university athletic departments are in terms of the use of resources to achieve intercollegiate athletics success, generate revenue, and provide collegiate athletics opportunities in a way that complies with federal regulations.