College of Charleston Assistant Professor of Economics Mark Witte, an expert in college football and student athlete recruiting, recently coauthored a paper to accepted in the Journal of Sports Economics in 2014. Witte and coauthor Mac Mirabile focused on university attributes that attract highly rated recruiting prospects versus those that attract lower-rated prospects.
The two found that highly rated prospects were inclined toward schools with a history of successful football seasons, while lower-rated prospects cared about an emphasis on academics in addition to sports programs.
BLOG POST: Read more about Mark Witte’s research.
Witte applied his expertise to advise the College on our best strengths for recruiting just in case we decide to add a football program someday…
1. Stress the academics.
“Education outcomes are really important for mid-ranked and lower-ranked student-athletes,” Witte said. “Smaller schools like the College tend to be more focused on student learning relative to larger schools, so we could highlight the post-football opportunities available to recruits.”
2. Think local.
“Proximity to family is a big component of student-athlete success. The more we can recruit the greatest local talent the better the program would become,” Witte explained.
3. Be realistic.
“Stick with local prospects and then mid-to-low-tier recruits,” Witte advised. “Many schools can be very successful with this formula by running certain offensive or defensive schemes that are difficult for opponents to prepare for (i.e. triple option).”
4. Develop a long-term plan.
“North Dakota State University and the University of Northern Iowa are medium-sized state schools that have a lot of historical success in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the NCAA” Witte said. “The College of Charleston would not immediately become a Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program so trying to emulate Division 1 FCS schools would be more immediately attainable, with the long-term goal of joining the FBS.”
5. Start with the fans.
“Community is crucial.” Witte remarked. “Athletics are an effective way to engage with generations of alumni along with current and potential students, and the relationship between fans and athletes is very symbiotic. A strong fan base would empower athletes and strengthen the fan’s bond to the College.”
6. Don’t lose sight of the budget!
“If I’m honest, football is great fun, but it’s expensive,” he warned. “Most schools outside of Division 1 FBS struggle to pay for their football programs. The College would need significant donor funds to afford to start a program like this, and it may take time for an investment like that to pay off.”
Witte, who attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha for his undergraduate degree and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his doctorate, has conducted extensive research into the behaviors of recruiting prospects and the recruiting process. He is teaching two sections of International Economics as well as The Global Economy in the One-Year Global MBA Program during the fall 2014 semester.
