抄録
This study examined the impact of 2 contrasting phenomena in U.S. collegiate athletics—the “Flutie Effect” and the “Rudy Effect”—on student recruitment and enrollment management. While the Flutie Effect leverages competitive success at the NCAA Division I level to enhance institutional prestige and trigger a surge in general applicants, the Rudy Effect symbolizes a survival strategy for small, tuition-dependent private colleges, predominantly within NCAA Division III and the NAIA. These institutions employ “roster management” techniques to recruit students seeking athletic participation as “student-athletes”, thereby securing the tuition revenue necessary for institutional operations, regardless of competitive outcomes.
However, through a consideration of 5 recent institutional closures—including Birmingham-Southern College and Iowa Wesleyan University—this study highlighted the structural vulnerabilities inherent in the strategy of pursuing the Rudy Effect. Excessive reliance on athletes to fill enrollment quotas tends to lead to ethical concerns such as high tuition discount rates, a decline in educational quality, and “bait-and-switch” recruitment. Furthermore, the 2025 “House v. NCAA” settlement is expected to further destabilize this situation. In conclusion, pursuit of the Rudy Effect without educational integrity poses significant risks to institutional sustainability. These findings have critical implications for Japanese higher education, which is increasingly turning to sports-based recruitment amidst a declining birthrate.
