Agreed. But Harvard seems to do okay in the recognition department without Michigan style athletic teams don't they? What is so sacred about athletics that we must sacrifice the principle of academic merit upon that altar?
Harvard is one of the few schools in the country that is exceedingly well known and is such largely because of their educational prowess than sports. Yale is another.
Michigan is not. Outside of those living in mitten state, if there wasn't college athletics I highly doubt many average people would give Michigan a second thought as their school of choice as opposed to any other "big" state school. Michigan is a great school, but you're kidding yourself if you think that if college Athletics didn't exist that it'd have the same cache of something like a Princeton.
This isn't a slight on Michigan. It's true of the vast majority of "big name" schools in this country.
Do you think anyone outside of North Carolina or possibly in the legal profession would give two ****s about, or even know of, "Duke" if not for their basketball team?
Do you think Penn State in the middle of bum-****-nowhere would be one of the most well known college that draws from all across the country for it's student body if not for Football?
Hell, I look here in my home state. Virginia Tech is the second best known school in this state behind UVA and that's pretty much singularly due to their athletics. I'd suggest in terms of pure academics, William & Mary would be worlds ahead of Tech. Meanwhile I've witnessed first hand as small schools like George Mason and VCU had their student body, and campuses, explode after sporting success.
And it wasn't just the sports programs that benefited at Mason thanks to their final four run. My wife was going there at the time as multiple academic facilities were being renovated or completely constructed to give updated facilities to those departments thanks to the influx of cash.
Yes...Harvard, Princton, and Yale have done wonderfully over CENTURIES as being schools recognized the country over largely due to their academic successes. You have a few others that get by as being the bell weather of educational universities, such as MIT.
But I'd wager Louisville is more well known, and more likely to attract the average person, than Dartmouth. And I'd say you likely have far more students dreaming and hoping for the chance to be a golden domer over at Notre Dame then they are at walking the halls of John Hopkins. And it's not because of the great academic programs there (even though those programs may be wonderful).
The amount of money that sports brings in, the amount of attention it draws to the school, is something that I can't see the Universities giving up without a strong fight. FAR more than having to forgo race based admissions today. For many of these BIG schools, it's a cyclical thing. Many of those big name schools have a great academic record. But that record is helped out by the fact they can afford robust staffs, great facilities, and well funded departments. And they can help pay for those things thanks to the revenue sports brings in and the additional registration they get thanks to the recognition via sports.
Would Michigian be as big, with as many departments, with as quality of staff, with as many students today if The Big House never existed and was unheard of? If the Fab 5 never captivated peoples attention? If Bo Schembeckler didn't have 20 years of domination? Or if Charles Woodson wasn't heismaning his way into a national championship? Personally, I'd say no. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be a sterling institution, but I think someone would be crazy to suggest it'd be at the same height of recognition and financial prowess that it's at today if not for it's sporting legacy.
While I don't think college sports needs to be removed from the admissions process, I wouldn't shed a tear if it was. But I do think that a large number of universities would fight it tooth and nail. And I think there would be a good chance that many universities would suffer in quality due to the decision, not improve.