FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas researchers report that universities with highly successful basketball programs experience reduced graduation rates as a direct result of their team’s athletic prowess. This means that even as teams battle to win the championship title, their home institutions may be suffering a significant loss.

UA sociology professor Doug Adams and professor emeritus William Mangold have conducted a statistical analysis of 97 major Division IA universities. Their research examines the impact of intercollegiate athletic success on overall institutional graduation rates and appears in the September/October issue of The Journal of Higher Education.

Numerous studies have analyzed the graduation rates of student athletes and debated the emphasis placed on academic and athletic success. However, the University of Arkansas study represents the first detailed examination of how specific sports - football and basketball - each impact overall graduation rates.

"Current student retention theories tell us that a strong athletic program brings students together, that it fosters school spirit, pride and solidarity in the institution and that this leads to greater retention and higher graduation rates. That’s not what our results showed," Adams said.

While football appeared to have a slight positive impact on overall graduation rates, the data showed a much stronger negative correlation to successful basketball programs. As teams scored more and more victories, net graduation rates dropped.

The finding calls common practices into question at universities across the nation. Each year, universities pour massive amounts of resources into their athletic programs, in part because sporting events promote campus cohesion and institutional identity - two factors that have been linked to higher retention rates. But Adams and Mangold believe the benefits may hold only to a certain point.

"There’s no question that a good sports program can enhance the campus social environment," Adams said. "But in the case of basketball, this study suggests that once a team excels above a certain level of success, it becomes a distraction to students - ultimately detrimental to the goals of the institution."

To reach this conclusion, the researchers first identified four factors significant to the balance between graduation rates and sporting success. These factors included overall student ability, the potential for the development of social and academic communities on each campus, the complexity and diversity of each campus, and measures of athletic prowess for football and basketball teams over the past decade.

The researchers then scoured national academic and athletic datasets, searching for statistics on everything from mean ACT scores to percent of games won. They drew their numbers from U.S. News & World Report, the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System, NCAA graduation rate surveys for 1996 through 1998 and CBS sports archives.

Although 112 universities comprise Division I of the NCAA, Adams and Mangold excluded the Big West Conference, most of the Major Independents and U.S. military academies from their study. Due to their small size and regional student populations, these universities presented campus communities unlike other Division IA schools.

The remaining 97 institutions were separated into five groups according to the size of their student populations. Subsequent statistical analysis revealed that smaller schools - those housing 14,900 to 20,000 students - experienced the greatest loss of graduates as a result of basketball success.

"Sports on large, diverse campuses may well provide a source of...involvement and identification with the institution," the UA study states. "However, on a smaller, and perhaps more homogeneous campus, involvement in a successful sports program is more intense, competes with academic goals and leads to goal displacement."

Swept up by the excitement of national tournaments and championship games, students neglect their academic responsibilities - a phenomenon that could be particularly disastrous during their senior years. This student enthusiasm also explains why basketball shows detrimental effects while football has a marginal influence on graduation rates.

According to the researchers, football attracts a larger alumni crowd while basketball games are more popular among the students. In addition, basketball teams play more games during the season, and games are more likely to be held during the school week. As basketball continues to gain popularity, its impact on academics grows.

But the researchers caution against exaggerating the risks associated with athletic success. "This study doesn’t mean that everyone flunks out in March. It simply suggests that attempts to socially integrate students through successful athletic programs may result in competing goals - a conflict between academic and social responsibilities that students don’t always resolve wisely," Adams said.

By alerting universities of this conflict, the UA research may give institutions an opportunity to reassess unsuccessful retention practices. In the struggle to improve graduation rates, many universities are developing new policies and programs to help students adjust to their new academic and social lives on campus.

While no university would consider scaling back its athletic program - particularly when it’s winning - Adams believes steps can be taken to mitigate basketball’s impact on graduation rates. He recommends schools provide greater academic support in the spring semester, including increased availability of study sessions, tutoring and advising.

But the researchers also suggest that some retention efforts may warrant reconsideration.

"We don’t expect universities to pull the plug on their sports programs. They provide social outlets that are vital to the creation of a healthy campus community," Mangold said. "But those universities who are considering investing more money in athletics for the purpose of raising graduation rates may want to take a close look at the results of this study."