Sports Editor Bill Schmitz examines the scale of college sports in the USA and what Ireland can learn from the world’s leading collegiate athletic system.
On November 2nd, 2024, 113,030 American football fans gathered in Beaver Stadium to watch Penn State against Ohio State. This record-breaking figure is the equivalent to filling the UCD Bowl just over 37 times.
It’s no secret that Irish sports are gathering momentum, with recent attendance records being broken in the League Of Ireland, Women’s International Football, and the United Rugby Championship. However, interest in college sports remains stagnant. No better time to look at the USA’s world class National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) as a model to build off.
What is the NCAA?
Founded in 1906, the NCAA has since become the main governing body for college sports in the US. It oversees over 1,200 institutions, with over 500,000 student-athletes competing annually.
The organisation is split into 3 divisions. The first and second divisions offer scholarships, whereas the third does not. Of the 24 sports the NCAA oversees, American football and men’s and women’s basketball pull the bulk of viewership and revenue. Baseball, soccer, lacrosse and hockey would also be known as strong secondary sports in the organisation.
A world-beating system
The scale of the NCAA is hard to fathom. March Madness, the men’s basketball bracket, had an average viewership of 18.1 million this year. The women’s final in 2024 also saw a peak of 18.7 million viewers, a new record for women’s college sports. And, as mentioned before, college football regularly produces 100,000-plus stadium crowds, especially at schools like Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
In terms of revenue, 2024 saw a $1.4 billion turnover. Media rights account for the main stream of revenue - almost $1.1 billion a year via CBS. Other sources include ticket sales, major corporate sponsors such as Coca-Cola and AT&T, and merchandise and concessions.
Apart from the impressive figures, we can see the significance of the NCAA through its cultural impact. It’s not just a governing body, it’s a cultural institution. The NCAA introduced bracket culture. A phenomenon where fans across the globe fill out brackets in an attempt to predict the exact outcome of every game. An estimated 100 million brackets are filled out every year.
College sports play a pivotal role in establishing identity in America. Mascots, marching bands and tailgating are a staple of college culture. Entire regions identify strongly with their college programs. Most notably, the ‘Big Ten’ in the Midwest is the oldest Division 1 conference, with Saturday football games serving as reunions and gatherings for hundreds of thousands of alumni.
Strengths: what Ireland should replicate
The main aspect of the NCAA that makes the system stand out is athletic scholarships. NCAA member schools award over $4 billion annually in athletic scholarships. The chances of getting any form of scholarship in the US as an undergraduate is 1-2%. Most scholarships are partial, with less than 1% of athletes getting “full ride” (tuition, accommodation, books and fees).
Scholarships provide a pathway for athletes from diverse backgrounds to pursue higher education while competing at a high level. They are often the only realistic way for many families to afford university college tuition, which can exceed $50,000 per year at private universities in the US.
Another strength of the NCAA is the role it plays as a ‘feeder’ into professional sport. The NFL and NBA rely almost entirely on college programmes to provide players to their teams. Drafts and national events take place throughout the year, where NCAA athletes get the opportunity to play in front of scouts representing professional franchises across the nation.
Outside of the main sports, NCAA programmes consistently produce Olympians in athletics, swimming, rowing, volleyball and more. This system makes college sport the foundation of sport in the USA.
Facilities are another standout feature. Universities across the US have poured millions into stadiums, gyms and medical centres for their athletes. They also provide their athletes with world-class coaches and performance analysts, as well as state-of-the-art support structures surrounding nutrition, mental health and strength and conditioning.
Weaknesses: what Ireland should avoid
For all its strengths, no system is perfect, and the NCAA is far from it. The biggest issue surrounding college sports in the US has been about money. With universities bringing in billions from broadcasting and sponsorship, the athletes themselves have historically received nothing beyond scholarship.
Until 2021, they were even banned from earning money through endorsements. However, with the advent of social media marketing and the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights, the landscape has changed. However, only the top-tier athletes benefit from these, and some debate that they are being unfairly compensated for the time and resources they sacrifice for their team.
The topic of sacrifice is ever-present in NCAA culture. The pressure student-athletes face to balance academic schedules with professional-level training and travel is hard to comprehend. Scholarships and future professional contracts can hinge on performance on and off the field. The NCAA likes to emphasise the “student” half of the “student-athlete” model, but in reality the balance is often tipped heavily towards sport.
Social media and public attention adds to the pressure on these young athletes. Some college athletes face the same scrutiny as seasoned professionals. With games broadcast to millions, criticism can come from any angle For players who are still technically amateurs, some of those who are still teenagers, that level of spotlight can be overwhelming.
Conclusion
Ireland may never replicate the scale of the NCAA, but there are some valuable lessons to take. Visibility is one. By giving more coverage to intervarsity competitions, building rivalries and celebrating student-athletes, universities could create a greater interest on campus and beyond. Expanding scholarship programmes seems like a no-brainer. Supporting a wider pool of athletes could provide new opportunities to those who wouldn’t get them otherwise.
At the same time, Ireland should tread carefully. The pitfalls of the American model highlight the importance of balance. The pressure that commercialisation brings to sports cannot be understated and it is something to be aware of.
By learning from the strengths of the NCAA while avoiding its flaws, Irish universities have the chance to develop a college sports system that is both sustainable and unique to our culture.