The Cost of College Athletics in the State of Ohio

College Students may or may not know they pay a fee for their school athletics. It is not something that is often discussed or brought up when it comes to the bill that the students produce. Their primary focus is on the room, dining, and the classes they take, but there are other added fees for their school’s sports team.

There are many colleges in the state of Ohio and with many colleges, come sports teams. 47 schools in Ohio participate in college athletics, and of those, there are 13 Division I schools, 11 Division II schools, and 23 Division III schools. Some of these schools include Akron, Kent State, Ohio University, and Miami. These schools are a part of the Mid-American Conference.

According to the Plain Dealer, students in the state of Ohio paid an estimated total of $192 million for their school’s sports teams in 2020. The number from 10 years ago was $120 million. The cost of athletics for students has gone up $72 million, which is a 60% increase.

In 2020, the Plain Dealer reported on multiple school sports fees in Ohio. One of those colleges is Akron. These students at the University of Akron, pay the most for their sports program in the state of Ohio. As of 2020, students at Akron pay more than $1,000 for their school’s sports program. In total, students at the University of Akron pay $1,528 for their athletic program. Akron only has 17 teams at its school. Akron students pay around $89 for each team.

“No, of course, I do not think it is worth it. Akron’s athletic programs have gone through a major change over the last couple of years,” said Akron University senior Hunter Cook.

“I think the best the best thing Akron can do with the money is trying to connect students. There is nothing to do around campus. The community around campus is not safe,” said Cook. Cook said that he does take advantage of the free games he gets offered. But he works for the football program and gets to go to the football games for free regardless.

Another school in Ohio that the Plain Dealer reported on is Kent State which has 18 sports teams. Depending on a student’s incoming freshman year, Kent State students pay $741 per year for their athletics programs.

“I was not aware that a portion of my tuition went directly to the athletic department,” says Kent State graduate Nichole Sullenberger.

Sullenberger graduated from Kent State in the spring of 2022. Sullenberger did not like the fact that when she was at Kent State some of her money was going to the athletic department. “For students living on a college budget, there are a lot of things that $741 could have been put towards to directly benefit themselves as opposed to others.”

“College is expensive, and it is unfair to expect Kent State students to make such a sizeable contribution when they may not even take advantage of free entry to sporting events,” Sullenberger said. Sullenberger went on to say that she did take advantage of the opportunity to go to free sporting events in her time at Kent State but does not think that just because she got to go to a game for free was enough compensation.

Students get to attend athletic events for free because of the fee they are already paying. This means when students pay the biannual sports fee they are paying for every sports team’s entrance fee even if they do not attend.

“Students pay a general fee that is distributed to many different departments around campus,” says Ohio University Senior Athletic Director, Michael Stephens.

“We believe our events add to the individual student experience while also enhancing campus spirit,” Stephans continued.
In comparison to Kent State and Akron, students at Ohio University pay $731 for their school’s sports program, according to the Plain Dealer. The college athletics fee that these students pay at the University of Ohio is the lowest amount of any school in the state of Ohio for their athletic department.

“Athletics contributes to the university by producing student leaders that achieve both athletically and academically,” Stephens said why despite the cost of college athletics, it is still important to have the programs on campus

“Promotes institutional pride, enhances campus life, and serves as a connection with alumni and fans.”

According to The Knight Commission of Intercollegiate athletics, only one school in the state of Ohio makes money off their school’s athletic program. All the other schools like Kent State and Ohio University lose money. The only school in the state that makes money from sports is Ohio State. This college makes money from its athletic program based on TV revenue and ticket sales. In comparison, schools from the Mid-American Conference don’t get money from outside sources but instead, these schools get it from the students.

The Knight Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics reported that at the University of Ohio, students covered 82% of the school’s athletic budget in 2010 when the spending fee for the students at Ohio University was estimated to be close to $700 not over like it was in 2020.

Miami of Ohio students pays $1,410 for their athletic programs, which is the second highest that students pay in the state, only behind Akron.

“I think it’s pretty high because of our teams have generally performed. If our teams had better performances, then the cost would feel more worthwhile,” said Miami graduate Joe Burtzlaff. Burtzlaff graduated from Miami in 2022. He went on to say that he did take advantage of the opportunity to go to games for free, but not as much as he would have liked. He used the advantage mainly for football and hockey.

“I did know that we paid for sports. Besides student athletes though, most students don’t choose to attend Miami because of their athletic programs,” Burztlaff said. He went on to say that he is a big sports fan, and he leans towards yes paying more money to sports, however, he does know that everyone will always feel that way. Especially with being at a smaller school.

The trend of fees going up for college students in the state of Ohio will continue to grow. The data from the Plain Dealer and the Knight Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics have shown growth. College students in Ohio that go to smaller schools can expect to see their money going to the athletic departments because all the Ohio colleges, except Ohio State, don’t make money off their sports teams.