The notion that athletics are a wasteful entity of a university is borderline absurd. Football, basketball and every other sport on campus are invaluable assets to our University that should be supported wholeheartedly.  Yes, there are those that will say it’s a $264.50 fee that’s forced on students for non-educational purposes, but anyone that chooses that path opens up Pandora’s box on general wastefulness of fees that only a small fraction of the University will ever see any benefit from during his or her collegiate careers. If you’re not taking advantage of relatively free tickets to games as an undergraduate, that’s your choice to make much like its your choice to go to the gym. Without getting into an argument about fees, let me try and explain why athletics are important to a university, specifically to our university. The University’s athletics program provides a link between alumni and the University. Nothing else the university offers brings tens of thousands of alumni to campus on a regular basis that rivals a football game. Colleges at NCSU put on their alumni events to coincide with football season because they understand and embrace the tradition and magnitude of Saturdays at Carter-Finley Stadium. Ask any student that went to school in 1983 and 1974 what some of his or her fondest memories were and they talk about winning a national title in men’s basketball.  Sports give alumni something to talk about, something to take pride in when they succeed, and something to complain about when they’re not living up to our expectations.    Educationally, athletics are beneficial. When you graduate, the value of your education is in your own personal initiative as well as the perceived value of your degree. An alumnnus or alumna’s hope is that his or her degree will continue to gain value over time. When an athletics program does well, the school sees an increase in applications, which in turn allows the school to be more selective, and in turn improves the academic reputation of a University. It’s called the “Flutie Effect” after former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie’s “hail mary” pass led to a 30 percent increase in applications to Boston College the following year. The exposure that athletics give to a university through the media – especially successful programs – is good for the academic reputation of a university. Incoming students should understand the place of athletics in our community. We compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a major Bowl Championship Series conference and arguably the best basketball conference in the nation.  Forbes estimated that NCSU has the 18th most valuable athletics program in the nation. We have a rich heritage in basketball with two national championships and a rabid fan base that gives millions of dollars annually to support the programs through private donations. Major college athletics aren’t bad for universities, but quite the opposite – they’re beneficial.  Sporting events build the undergraduate community, bring alumni back to Raleigh and even help improve the school’s academic standing.  A suggestion otherwise carries zero credibility.