Readers react to a column about how WSU should make its academic programs a higher priority than its athletic programs. The university should seek to brand itself as an institution with quality education and research, rather than just one with a winning football team.

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Brendan Smith: “Achievement in sports (specifically football) brings attention to the school. The attention attracts donors to give more (to both athletics and non-athletic organizations on campus). Exposure in sports also increases application numbers for new, incoming students. Schools are a brand and people want to see that brand in action on Saturdays. Not saying student academics do not deserve to be highlighted, they do! But there is a reason behind this madness.”

James Ellis: “There’s actually a lot of research on this. Very few athletic programs in the nation are a net positive to their school financially. And the brand is what you make it, if you want the school to be branded as an athletic school that’s fine, but if you want it branded as an academic institution then the priorities need to change.”

David Martin: “Athletic success has no correlation to academic quality. The university is cutting budgets everywhere, forcing those of us who do the academic work to do it for less money and reducing the chances of drawing in quality researchers. It is a farce to try to argue that athletics somehow makes the university better, at least not with relation to quality of instruction.”

Tracie Brelsford: “Why not highlight academic achievements as well as athletic achievements instead of one over the other? By the way, teachers, professors and scholar athletes are recognized at each home game.”

Katie Templeton: “Sports shouldn’t be prioritized over academics. Simple as that. It’s wrong. Of course I also think professional athletes should be paid less than doctors, engineers, teachers, members of the armed forces, etc. People who actually contribute to the well-being of a society.”