It’s not just about the money.

Across the state, Division I NCAA athletics programs help build community, both on and off campus, bolster success rates for student-athletes and accelerate institutional branding, according to a new report prepared by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. That’s in addition to the $19 million in ticket sales; $409 million in economic output, $229 million in gross domestic product and 3,020 jobs supported by intercollegiate sports at Utah’s six public universities.
“We often focus on the tangible benefits of college sports, but this report digs deeper,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Gardner Institute. “It uncovers incredible ways that athletics strengthen our social bonds, enhance the educational experience and elevate Utah’s standing on a national stage.”

The first-of-its-kind report illustrates the various ways college athletics benefit a market that is served by just a handful of major- and minor-league pro franchises, mostly in or near Salt Lake City. Sports have a proven ability to bring together people of disparate backgrounds and build pride of place, according to U President Taylor Randall.

“It is an amazing experience to sit in a women’s gymnastics meet and look out into the crowd and see grade schoolers with their faces painted, entire families screaming and cheering because it is those moments that make you realize why we invest and care so much about college athletics,” Randall said. “It is where communities come together, people come together to cheer for a common cause. It is one of the things that adds to the social mobility and the social cohesion of our communities. To me, that was the big message of this report. We shouldn’t get lost in the economics of it. We should get lost in the community-building piece of it.”

The report explores four main areas associated with athletics: community benefits, student-athlete impact, university brand and economic contributions.

The Gardner Institute limited its enquiry to Utah’s public institutions, with the University of Utah accounting for at least half the activity generated. Not covered in the report, however, is the private Brigham Young University, whose sports footprint is on par with that of its upstate rival.

The six public schools collectively have 2,100 student-athletes in 24 Division I sports, from football to women’s tennis.

Here’s a look at the U’s athletics, by the numbers:

Division 1 programs: 19

Athletes receiving student aid: 504 receiving $15.3 million

Average GPA of student-athletes: 3.32

Graduation rate: 95%

Media rights: $23 million

Ticket sales: $15.8 million on nearly 1 million tickets

Total revenue: $110 million

Direct jobs: 794

Labor income: $51 million

“We’ve got to take some lessons from what [athletic programs] do in terms of getting students graduated university-wide,” he said. “The incredible role sports play in social cohesion on our campuses is the reason to make these investments in athletics.”

Sports programs also help their parent institutions in three arenas: marketing, brand and reputation and school pride. The report links schools’ athletics success to increases in admissions applications. Following the U’s entrance into the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, for example, applications from both in-state and out-of-state students increased dramatically, and faculty recruitment accelerated.

Randall highlighted the upswing in applications following the Utah Utes’ Rose Bowl appearances in 2022 and 2023.

And visitors to Salt Lake City coming to see Ute games and meets left with a more favorable impression of Utah, according to survey data analyzed by the Gardner Institute.

“Sports and events on campus will actually enhance this notion of College Town Magic because it brings the community onto campus to participate in what we hope is going to be just a remarkable physical plant layout and also just a remarkable experience for fans and students,” Randall said.

Download a PDF of the report, titled “Contributions of College Sports in Utah.”

Banner photo: Football fans cheer on the Utah Utes against BYU on Nov. 9, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Photo Credit: Dave Titensor.

• Nick Thiriot Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute communications director
  801-842-9150 nick.thiriot@utah.edu