Flutie effect

But these jumps were not anomalous for BC, which in the previous decade had embarked on a program to build national enrollment using market research, a network of alumni volunteers, strategically allocated financial aid, and improvements to residence halls and academic facilities.” He also observed that “in 1997, one year after revelations about gambling resulted in a coach’s resignation, 13 student-athlete suspensions, an investigation by the NCAA, and hundreds of embarrassing media reports, applications for admission came in at 16,455, virtually unchanged from the previous year.

Mr. McDonald posed the question: “How does an idea like the 'Flutie factor' become sufficiently rooted that The New York Times cites it as a given without further comment and some universities invest millions of dollars in its enchanting possibilities?” He was provided with an answer by Barbara Wallraff, author of the “Word Court” column in The Atlantic Monthly: “It’s painful to fact-check everything.

[7] During the 1998–99 school year, Gonzaga made an unexpected run to the Elite Eight of the 1999 NCAA tournament; that August, freshman enrollment jumped to 701.

[8] Unlike most schools that have experienced this phenomenon, Gonzaga has been seen as continuing to reap benefits from its basketball program, even two decades removed from the team's first major exposure to a national audience.

In March 2017, as the Bulldogs were preparing to play in the program's first Final Four, ESPN writer Dana O'Neil said, "What has happened at Gonzaga is a lot more than the Flutie Effect."

[9] Appalachian State University saw a "Flutie effect" in the early 2000s after winning multiple Division I FCS championships and upsetting Michigan with Armanti Edwards as their quarterback.

The game capped an undefeated season and a top-5 finish by Boise State, a team not considered to be a traditional football power.

Furthermore, the rise to prominence of Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota, led to an increase in incoming freshman applications and merchandise sales at the school.

Nike's headquarters are located in Oregon and company founders, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, are alumni of the university.

[13] There was a "dramatic increase" in the number of applications to Auburn University after its football team, led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

[14] Baylor University reported a drastic increase in student applications after Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy in 2011 and led the Bears football team to their best record in over 30 years.

[15] Yet another "Flutie Effect" from men's basketball was experienced by Virginia Commonwealth University following the Rams' Final Four run in the 2011 NCAA tournament.

According to a study, Manziel was worth over $37 million in media exposure and merchandise sales and the school bookstore had sold out all 2,500 of their replica Aggies jerseys.