Everything schools: university athletic performance and the quality of incoming freshmen

This study examines the relationship between institution-level intercollegiate athletic success and the academic quality of incoming freshmen classes at U.S. universities. While much of the economics literature emphasizes single-sport success, we measure athletic performance using Learfield Directors’ Cup points, which capture success across all sports. Econometric specifications are tested in which freshman quality is proxied by SAT scores, ACT scores, and high school GPAs. The empirical results consistently indicate that marginal increases in Learfield Directors’ Cup points are linked to higher standardized test scores and higher high school GPAs.