The Bobcat Nation

The griz think they have a solution to declining enrollment....Makes me wonder if they are grasping at straws. It mentions at the end that NDSU saw increases in enrollment over 5 years...but so has MSU. I think academics plays a bigger part because we have a stellar STEM curriculum, pretty good alumni support and a great President. It also makes me wonder if enrollment keeps dropping how much of an impact will that have on the athletic department?

http://www.montanasports.com/2016/10/27 ... -just-win/

WeedKillinCat wrote:The griz think they have a solution to declining enrollment....Makes me wonder if they are grasping at straws. It mentions at the end that NDSU saw increases in enrollment over 5 years...but so has MSU. I think academics plays a bigger part because we have a stellar STEM curriculum, pretty good alumni support and a great President. It also makes me wonder if enrollment keeps dropping how much of an impact will that have on the athletic department?

http://www.montanasports.com/2016/10/27 ... -just-win/

At least they are being honest about it. Um has some good graduate programs, but really only has griz football and basketball as a selling point otherwise. That is why they have made cuts everywhere else but athletics. They are really counting on athletics to turn the tide. But I have to believe that, at some point, the non-athlete students will start resenting cuts in academics but not athletics. Maybe that is already happening since their enrollment keeps dropping.

HelenaCat wrote:

WeedKillinCat wrote:The griz think they have a solution to declining enrollment....Makes me wonder if they are grasping at straws. It mentions at the end that NDSU saw increases in enrollment over 5 years...but so has MSU. I think academics plays a bigger part because we have a stellar STEM curriculum, pretty good alumni support and a great President. It also makes me wonder if enrollment keeps dropping how much of an impact will that have on the athletic department?

http://www.montanasports.com/2016/10/27 ... -just-win/

At least they are being honest about it. Um has some good graduate programs, but really only has griz football and basketball as a selling point otherwise. That is why they have made cuts everywhere else but athletics. They are really counting on athletics to turn the tide. But I have to believe that, at some point, the non-athlete students will start resenting cuts in academics but not athletics. Maybe that is already happening since their enrollment keeps dropping.

I'm going through the finding-a-college thing with my son right now, and UM's problem is this: parents, who are spending money to send their kids to college, don't pick the school based on the football team. People can squeal all they want about their sports teams, but when I'm dropping $15,000 a year on college, I'm worried more about the quality of the college, my kid's education and his future than their football team. I think UM alums too are like me. I'd like my kids to go to my Alma Mater, but in the end it's what's best for my kids and their futures is what's important. A good football team doesnt rescue your academics.

Stitt is full of himself with his quote about the School of Mines. From a geolgist I know well, MT Tech is the second best school in the country if you want to go into mining. The best school is widely regarded as the CO school of Mines. That really drives enrollment.

WeedKillinCat wrote:The griz think they have a solution to declining enrollment....Makes me wonder if they are grasping at straws. It mentions at the end that NDSU saw increases in enrollment over 5 years...but so has MSU. I think academics plays a bigger part because we have a stellar STEM curriculum, pretty good alumni support and a great President. It also makes me wonder if enrollment keeps dropping how much of an impact will that have on the athletic department?

http://www.montanasports.com/2016/10/27 ... -just-win/

Take with a grain of salt as that's pretty much the standard line for all athletic programs.