Are you sponsoring the right sports for your resources, enrollment goals, equity, and desired student-athlete experience? Do you have solid criteria for adding or dropping sports? The 3 Fold Group helps you answer the following questions as we evaluate your sport sponsorship profile.
Question #1: Are you sponsoring the appropriate sports given available resources, institutional enrollment goals, and recruitment footprint? The analysis of sport sponsorship offerings examines the status of a program relative to broad institutional goals for athletics and the performance of peer programs. Ultimately, the 3 Fold Group recommends changes (or no change!) to sports sponsorship based on a variety of criteria.
Examples include:
1) Gender Equity Evaluation
Examination of institutional goals for gender equity and Title IX compliance strategy
Adherence to NCAA Gender Equity Planning Best Practices
Actual and potential participation opportunities by sport
2) Financial Justifications
Examination of which sports have the greatest impact on the department budget (e.g., net tuition revenue, incremental operating expenses)
Long term impact to alumni engagement and giving
Sport-specific benchmarking of expenses relative to multiple peer groups
3) Overall Institutional Impact of Athletics and Student-Athletes
Quality and output of facilities
Academic performance of student-athletes, including division of majors, retention, graduation and national awards
Regional and national exposure for the college
Question #2: What are your criteria for adding or dropping a sport?
Criteria for adding a sport should reflect broader institutional priorities. Use of criteria ensures that changes to sport offerings are made in a data-driven, strategic manner rather than based on current personnel or other temporary rationale. Criteria are identified and prioritized based on discussions with institutional leadership.
Ultimately, the 3 Fold Group produces a summary of options for consideration.
Example:
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