My research will be mainly focused on digging deep into the lack of certain athletic programs here at Rutgers, whether it is a financial problem or another issue that is rooted even deeper. Why have all these programs been taken away by one sport and what are the logistics or numbers behind it
Glad you finally made your first post (after being the first to set up your blog weeks ago)!
ReplyDeleteOne thing to be careful about is approaching your topic from your personal interest, which seems to be "why the heck doesn't Rutgers have scholarships for certain athletics -- such as, maybe, tennis?" Instead, as you also suggest, you should ask a question that gets to a deeper understanding of the issues at hand, such as "how do schools pick the sports where they will offer scholarships?" -- and maybe, "why do schools invest in sports, and particular sports, at all?"
Sports help schools market to students, getting them to enroll, and the choice of sports to focus on has a lot to do with the students they are trying to reach and the sort of brand identity they are trying to construct. The paper I told you about from last semester offers a great model or approaching this question. One thing to think about is "what brand identity do various sports help to construct?"