|
Football
boosts athletics program In correlation to the TCU football program, the overall athletics program has risen to mediocrity, according to an article in a recent edition of The Sporting News. The Sporting News ranked TCU 54th in an article that evaluated the athletics programs of the 115 schools that play both Division I men’s basketball and Division I-A football. The evaluation is based on several figures relating to winning records, graduation rates, attendance and ethics in sports. TCU’s ratings aligned with their overall ranking, receiving a 2.33 TSN “GPA” based on the grades received in the four categories. Of the four categories, TCU’s strength came in its record for the last complete seasons of basketball and football. The Frogs were ranked 35th in winning and moved up 30 spots overall because of success on the football field. The biggest weakness of the athletics program, according to the article, is TCU’s fan and administration support. The Frogs received a C- and were ranked 69th with regard to things like attendance and size of the athletics budget. The two remaining categories netted TCU two average rankings. The Frogs came in at 46th in the fair play category, relating to gender-equity and two specialized graduation rates. In the graduation category, TCU was ranked 67th. In comparison to conference teams, former and future, TCU was ranked high. Among Western Athletic Conference programs, TCU placed second to Tulsa because of a lower graduation ranking. Southern Methodist was ranked third in the WAC because of low rankings in winning and fan support. In Conference USA, top-ranked Tulane received the same “GPA” rating as TCU, but was ranked just one spot higher overall because of a superior graduation rating. The Frogs outdo the Green Wave in every other category. The two conferences received similar evaluations and rankings, with a .14 difference in median “GPA” rating. The only incongruency that may interest TCU fans is Louisville’s No. 33 ranking in fan support. Louisville’s “Do We Rock?” grade of B is the highest in either the WAC or C-USA. Top-ranked in the evaluation was Stanford, which finished with a 3.50 “GPA” rating. Stanford received A’s in both graduation rates and fair play, complementing a B+ in winning records and a B- in fan and administration support. Other teams ranked in the Top 5 included Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Purdue.
John Weyand |