Debunking the Flutie Effect: A Quantitative Comparative Case Study on George Mason's 2006 NCAA Tournament Run

• In Event: 35.067 - Organizational and Administrative Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Abstract

The impact of the intercollegiate athletics on student applications and institutional prestige has long been debated by scholars and practitioners. This studies utilizes the case study of George Mason University success in the 2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament to the ascertain estimates on the number of increases in student applications. Using a synthetic control approach, this study yields causal estimates. Results indicate a one-time admissions cycle increase in application rather than the long term increase described within the academic literature. This study concludes that success in the NCAA Tournament provides a stringboard for increase student applications rather than the catalyst for substantial and sustained growth.

Author

• Dennis Allan Kramer, University of Florida