The Texas State Bobcats football program is coming off a historic 2023-24 season with its first ever bowl game win. The Bobcats now have the potential to create positive effects not only for the football program, but all university departments.
Continued success from the football program will help the university by bringing in more revenue, increasing the rate of student enrollment and creating an exciting campus environment.
The University of Alabama is a great example of how a football team can bring in tremendous revenue for a university. With a whopping $77 million in revenue, the Alabama athletic department contributed $6.5 million to the academics department. This money has the potential to be used for better facilities for students on campus.
Sports Business Journal wrote donors are far more likely to donate to teams at the top of their conference. An example of this is the Clemson Tigers between 2016 and 2019. After a pair of national championships, Clemson saw a nearly $20 million increase in donation revenue, proving teams who win consistently will get an increase in monetary support.
If the Bobcats have another successful season, the team will garner attention and bring in more revenue for the university to put toward academic programs and campus life.
A university having a successful football reputation attracts students who are drawn to colleges based on recent athletic-success, according to KXRB Radio. With a strong football program comes happy-spirits on campus, creating a positive environment which can draw more applications.
In addition to monetary benefits for the university, the success of the football team could lead to an overall better campus environment.
According to Scholars Strategy Network, leaders around campus typically point to athletic teams for the community to bond with. A good campus-community can lead to better academic experiences for students. The Bobcats football team brings a positive impact by hosting events such as “Bobcats and Bubbles.”
Although successful collegiate football teams can improve a university campus, it must be long-term and sustained success in order to see desired improvements. A university that has recent success on the football field but has not done it long-term, is not yet likely to see university improvements.
The Texas State hype for the football team is no longer just community-wide confidence. According to Action Network, the Bobcats are projected to make the newly-formatted 12 team College Football Playoff. College football insider Brett McMurphy picked Texas State to finish as the 12th seed to matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the number five seed.
Students wearing maroon and gold are ready to pack the newly named and renovated UFCU Stadium.
If the Texas State Bobcats have an impressive season featuring a conference championship or a playoff berth, they will open doors for the university to bring in more revenue, student enrollment and improve the university’s profile around the country.
– Jacob De Luna is a journalism junior
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