A few weeks ago, I wrote a commentary on Fisk University athletics joining the NAIA just months after leaving NCAA Division III competition. I thought it would be a worthwhile move, but questioned some of the financial prospects behind the decision.
Fortunately for us, the university kindly responded to some of the listed concerns. Written by Ken West, Fisk University’s Vice President of Public Relations and Communications, here is the university’s unabridged response.
Just eight months ago, Fisk University discontinued its membership in the NCAA under the pressure of mounting deficits and an inability to generate revenues from athletic events and fundraising. On Monday, the university announced that it will join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, (NAIA) beginning with participation in men’s and women’s basketball this fall. Fisk was a member of the conference until 1975.
This repositioning of the university’s athletics program is a conflicted measure, but a hopeful one. Just months ago, the school was looking to transition all athletic competition to the club level, which officials said would save the university hundreds of thousands of dollars and encourage wider student participation. And while the association with the NAIA will save the university money in respect to its previous affiliation with the NCAA, doesn’t Fisk now have to begin a concentrated effort to promote sports again? An effort that was previously too difficult to undertake in Division III competition?
It’s not a matter of remounting an effort to promote sports. Instead, the reality is that the NAIA represents a more competitive pool and cost effective way to provide activities for our students with the passion to participate either as players or participants.
Our students and alumni have expressed tremendous support for the return to the NAIA because they understand the importance of athletics to shaping the character and physical abilities of our students.
The truth is, Fisk was not offering athletic scholarships prior to their withdrawal from the NCAA to save money.
In point of fact, many of our scholar athletes attend Fisk on academic scholarships. The University’s membership in the NAIA has not affected their educational opportunities. Fisk prides itself in producing scholar-athletes. As such, the University provides scholarships for academically talented students based upon their performance in the classroom. At Fisk, athletics, while certainly promoted, is an important supplement to a rigorous academic experience.
Did they suddenly find money to support recruiting and retaining scholarship athletes in another conference? The truth is that students and community members were not overly engaged in Fisk’s primary money-making sport, men’s basketball. Will membership in the NAIA reignite excitement in the program, and generate more ticket sales?
To say that basketball is a strong source of revenue to the University is a misstatement. Our athletic operations are key elements of our extra curricular retention strategy. Financially speaking, however, they are cost centers for the University and if we are to act in the best interest of our students and supporters of the University we must establish a critical balance.
Maybe Fisk’s mentality is to start spending money again in the NAIA to make a little money, and that mentality could pay off. Xavier University (La.) is a prime example of how switching conferences can pay off in the long term investment that is intercollegiate athletics. Hopefully, the tradition of Fisk athletics is enough to earn the school a running start in its new league affiliation.
