Column: I'm a fan, as long as athletes show me the money

I was thoroughly upset when Duke lost in the last few seconds of a close game to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Sweet 16 last year. Did I just say I gave a damn about Duke basketball? I must admit that I am not a fan of sports. Everyone I know can confirm this. So, why was I yelling at the TV on March 21, you ask? I soon realized after first arriving in Durham that Duke's athletic program is one of its greatest assets as a University. It's that time of year again when the Cameron Crazies are let out of their pen. The attention that many of Duke's athletic teams and their fanatical fans bring to the University benefits each and every one of us.

Whenever our beloved basketball team does well in the NCAA tournament, the number of applications often climbs the following year. Larger applicant pools decrease the admissions rate. In addition, many students who apply to Duke might be initially interested because of the fame of its sports programs and the visibility of Duke-blue painted faces. As an intellectual snob, I would love to see Duke climb back into the top three in the U.S. News rankings and slap the Duke of the North upside the head.

Snobbery aside, Duke athletics attracts mucho dinero to the University. Rich people like to give more money when Duke is all over the newspapers. When rich people give money, again we all benefit. More money equals better facilities and, (gasp!), better financial aid packages. Some people question the huge donation--around $6 million--made by Chair of the Board of Trustees Harold "Spike" Yoh and his family for the Yoh Football Center. (Go Yoh!) In the long run, that donation will increase the exposure of the football team. This will hopefully have the same financial impact on the University that basketball currently does.

Although huge donations could be made to, let's say, Trinity College or the Annual Fund, Yoh's donation will likely bring in even more money over time from ESPN, Duke paraphernalia sales and more donors. The national exposure of Duke athletics inevitably creates well-known spokespersons for the University. Coach K is one of the greatest fundraisers and diplomats this University has. His Krzyzewskiville is famous among sports fans. Coach K often acts as a representative of the school, and with his support for the University, it is no wonder he landed a lifetime contract last year.

Individual athletes have a similar effect when they go on to be recruited by professional teams. Just look at what Michael Jordan did for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To a lesser degree, every recruited Duke athlete does the same thing for Duke, and many Duke athletes have that potential.

It goes without saying that Duke athletics is probably the most unifying aspect of the student body. Everyone told me my first semester here that I would learn to love Duke basketball. And boy were they right! No matter how hard I tried, the Duke spirit took hold of me. I may not watch every game, but I certainly look at the scores. While other Duke teams may not receive as much attention, dedicated students still rally behind them. And Duke athletes can count on students' support.

Some students, however, criticize athletes for not being capable of performing well in Duke's intense academic environment. However, Duke is known to be a University that does not admit athletes who cannot rise to the academic challenge, even if some of those athletes might find themselves at the lower end of the admitted pool. I wonder how many of you knew that Matt Christensen was a civil engineering and economics major. I don't even know what civil engineering is. As long as Duke's athletes remain on par academically with the rest of the student body, I say, "show me the money."