Academic Study Claims Link Between College Football and Male Grades

Academic researchers, who never admit to wasting time or money, will study just about anything. That includes the relationship between college football and academic performance. Recently, according to an Associated Press story picked up by the San Jose Mercury News, a trio of University of Oregon economists conducted a study to explore the impact of a football team's impact on grade point averages. The study indeed found a correlation between a winning football season and a decline in male student grade point averages.

One curious aspect of the report is its authors' interest in the subject. How did three members of the dismal science find this subject germane to their field? Why did they care? Who on earth paid for findings that are reminiscent of a "moderately corrupt" police chief discovering gambling in Rick's Cafe?

In fairness, the "Oregon Three" professors touched some live wires. For starters, the study noted the differential between female student performance and that of their male counterparts. Yes, women are smarter. But you knew that already. Didn't you?

Phil Knight

The study's setting is also a very curious one. The University of Oregon's football team is a big-time operation, including "contributions" from alum Phil Knight and his firm, Nike. If money talks on campus, Knight's cash is shouting.

Meanwhile, the profs' research findings implied lousy football teams tended to keep male students more attentive to course work, presumably including economics. My own experience with collegiate football is contrary to those findings. During my four years at the University of Wisconsin, the Badger football team either stunk or had, at best, occasional flashes of eptitude. The team's fortunes did not in any way improve my attention toward my studies. In fact, the year I attended the greatest number of football games (and the team wasn't anything special that season), I garnered very good grades.

It's true I was among the rowdy at a football game for five autumn Saturdays that year. Those were exciting, formative life experiences I would never, ever trade for the equivalent time in a library. Sometimes, academics just don't get it.

PS. Ironically, the Badgers will play the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl in January. I'll be watching -- on TV.