Should Northwestern University sink more money into sports?
By Katie O'BrienShould Northwestern University sink more money into sports?
By Katie O'BrienGoing into Wednesday night’s game against Ohio State, the Northwestern Wildcats were perched atop college basketball’s most elusive March Madness bubble—and a win would likely earn the Cats a bid to the Dance. After Alex Marcotullio sunk a 3-pointer to tie the game with just 7 seconds left on the clock, fans at the Welsch Ryan erupted. Their cheers were quickly quelled 4 seconds later when Buckeye standout Jared Sullinger made a layup for the win.
Northwestern has never made it to March Madness, making it the only school in a power six conference to never play in the NCAA Tournament. While the Evanston, Illinois university has always managed to compete against other top universities academically, it has never been a top dog in big-time sports. But in recent years, there has been a significant push to increase the school’s investment in athletics—a somewhat slippery slope given the recent scandals in college sports. To find out more about the role of big-time ball at top-tier universities, The Afternoon Shift was joined by ESPN senior writer Lester Munson and Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro.