The Impact of Moving from FCS to FBS on the Institution

Abstract

I explore the impact of competing in elite-level college football on the institution's financial health by analyzing institutions which reclassified from NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. I find that this reclassification is associated with an increase in applications and enrollment, but its effects on revenue cannot confidently be distinguished from zero.

Keywords: athletics, Division I, enrollment, Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, higher education, NCAA, tuition revenue