Athletics help with the visibility of the institution, and thereby, indirectly, the perception of a degree from that school. I know the pure academics will debate this and die on whatever hill they are on about, but one doesn't have to go too far to see perfect examples (UCLA, a satellite campus of Berkeley that leapfrogged it in brand perception because of sports/basketball...USC, a school in the middle of a bad neighborhood that leapfrogged other private schools in the region because of its football program).
And yes, SDSU is a perfect example from within the CSU. You CAN BET that March Madness catapulted this as well... I mean, holy smokes, they played for a national title recently in this collegiate sports environment!
That's why I'm excited about Smitheran: he's seen it be done at SDSU up close and hands on. And his move with Acker is already reflecting his boldness.
If only the pure academic folks could get it through their thick skulls that this impacts everything. The university gets more spotlight = fundraising goes up everywhere. And the university's overall brand elevates.
GO BEACH!!! Previous Message
The biggests difference(s) between San Diego State and Long Beach (and frankly, all the other CSU's) is that San Diego has a relatively successful football program, and perhaps most importantly, San Diego is classified as a Ph.D granting research institution--the only one in the CSU with that designation. This gives it access to federal grants that other CSU's simply don't have. That designation occurred decades ago when Day was President and was almost the de facto Chancellor.
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If you want to view close up the potential for athletics to impact a University similar to LBSU, all you have to do is view the CSU fundraising report on all of the CSUs and look at SDSU as compared to the other CSUs, LB included. What is the fundamental difference between LB and SDSU? Successful sports. Now, they also have the advantage of being the only power in their media market, but I recall going down to watch LB play them before they were having any success. Their crowds were smaller in those days and we beat them that day. Since then, they have built a strong brand around athletic success. And if you compare their fundraising to the rest of the CSUs, they are killing it. Of course, you have to not only invest, you need to do so wisely, as investment and success may be correlated, but it is not 1 to 1. Previous Message
There were 2 lists I put below there, and on both, Yale, Harvard, Cal Tech, MIT and those types are on there with us. To say that these lists do not measure quality is kind of crazy.
They simply measure in other ways vs. very antiquated, superficial and surface level rankings like the old US News Report ones, which I always thought were pretty useless.
I think everyone just needs to remember that LB State and some others have been pretty underrated over the years, but that's no longer the case.
Social mobility is one factor of a few - but in any case, if Yale, LB State, a bunch of UCs and Cal Tech are helping people become socially mobile, doesn't that, by definition, make them quality institutions? Doesn't matter what someone's ethnic background is, if they're a first generation student and able to move up, isn't that the damn American dream?
I don't like some of the things Jane has done and said, like many on here. And I don't think it's just because of her, because we have had a quality school for many decades (again, underrated for a lot of time outside of those who have known and people in industries who know that LB State grads are quality), but let's also not try and minimize the fact that LB State has become immensely popular, is VERY HARD TO GET INTO NOW and is finally being recognized for its academic prowess on a national level.
GO BEACH Previous Message
Unfortunately, this list is not about who provides the highest quality education. It is about who provides social mobility. In other words, we are on the list because we provide solid quality education to a group of students who are from groups that have traditionally not gone to college. Previous Message
The list is flawed. For example, Cal State San Bernardino is listed lol. Previous Message
I agree with Dennis. Previous Message
In my opinion, Jane does not get enough credit for what she has done for the school. Lots of good stuff goes unnoticed, while a few things that a number of us do not like gets way too much publicity! Previous Message
Great notice listed below. LBSU is also hard to get into. As much as many on this board do not like Jane, she is the leader of the school and deserves the credit for its ranking. Leadership starts at the top.
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