The Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially independent institution, responds to issues on campus.
For the first time in 11 years, the American University men’s basketball team made it to March Madness. Under head coach Duane Simpkins, the Eagles turned around years of struggle, won the Patriot League and secured a spot in the March Madness First Four as a No. 16 seed. Although American’s March Madness journey ended sooner than hoped, this isn’t just about men’s basketball; it’s a source of immense pride for the University community. Even brief March Madness appearances can help schools strengthen their national profiles, increase student enrollment, boost alumni engagement and drive financial growth.
Historically, programs that make surprising March Madness runs — colloquially known as “Cinderellas” — experience what economists call the Flutie Effect, which describes the correlation between a school’s athletic success and increased applications, media attention and donor contributions. For example, Butler University went to March Madness in 2010 for the first time and made it to the Final Four, which resulted in a 40 percent increase in applications the following year. Gonzaga University saw a 12 percent increase in applications after reaching the Elite Eight in 1999 and also saw its endowment increase by 70 percent.
Beyond the increase in prospective student applications, schools with strong athletics tend to see long-term student engagement and retention gains. Research shows that schools with competitive Division I sports programs often see higher student retention rates, especially as athletic success helps increase school spirit and engagement, which American University tends to lack. Universities with strong athletic departments also often benefit from increased alumni giving, as former students connect with their schools through sports. For American University, investing in athletics could provide more long-term solutions to the growing budget deficit and issues with prospective students enrolling after being accepted to the University.
The Eagles’ March Madness appearance brought needed exposure, but the University needs to commit to equitable funding to all athletics if it wants to continue its strong athletics run, especially for the teams that have seen success in recent years. Although they had a rough season this year, the women's basketball team went to March Madness in 2022, and according to Eagle staffers who were students at the time, the hype for the women’s team was much less than what the men received this year.
This past season, the volleyball team made it to the Patriot League quarterfinals against Lehigh, where they played an incredibly tight game. In November 2024, the field hockey team was the runner-up in the Patriot League final against Lafayette. Men’s soccer went to the Patriot League quarterfinals against Loyola University Maryland. Graduate student Mimi Watts won the Patriot League swimming and diving women’s 50-yard freestyle for the second straight year and earned the women’s highest point score. It is amazing and a huge sense of pride for the community that the men’s basketball team has been so successful, but we have so many other teams and outstanding athletes that need the University’s support, both monetarily and physically.
The construction of the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance & the Sports Center Annex will be a huge win for student athletics when complete. According to the community relations website, “structural concrete and steel work are now 100% complete and work is underway to finish enclosing the exterior, including masonry and glazing. … [And] interior work at [the Sports Center Annex] and in the Meltzer gymnasium continue moving forward.”
Apart from monetary support, the community must continue prioritizing school spirit and culture. School spirit tends to be lacking on campus because of the widespread perception that sports are not central to campus life. To combat this, the University must encourage more student attendance at games across all sports. The University currently does a good job of incentivizing students to come to games with free food, t-shirts and other fun prizes, and they should keep this up. They also need to continue promoting athletics through social media marketing and other forms of outreach to faculty, staff, students and alumni. On the other hand, the University must begin creating traditions and events that tie the general student experience to athletics, thus making attending games an integral part of campus life.
The men’s basketball team’s success can also be a jumping-off point for donations. For example, in 2011, donations to Virginia Commonwealth University’s athletics department increased by 326 percent after men’s basketball made it to the Final Four in March Madness. Although American University was out early, it cannot be ignored that the team is a Patriot League champion and played its hardest in the First Four, and that can be a great selling point to donors.
The University should launch a fundraising campaign for athletics that ties to the excitement around its March Madness appearance and win in the Patriot League. Alumni and donors may be more poised than ever to donate to the University as we see success in athletics. The University must show donors that athletics is a worthwhile investment and that we are just beginning our run as a “sports school.”
Although the Eagles’ March Madness run ended early, this appearance reminded students of what school spirit feels like and showed that they have the potential to compete on the big stage and keep a close game, even without their star player. It’s up to the University to decide where we go from here. And that has to include retaining Simpkins, whose DMV background has helped reshape the team culture.
Students, keep showing up. The energy and excitement surrounding March Madness can’t disappear. Keep supporting your fellow Eagles, taking advantage of the free food and merchandise at games and cheering on your team.
This piece was written by Alana Parker and edited by Connor Sturniolo, Penelope Jennings and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Olivia Citarella.
