WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Cover Story: "The Big Dance" effect

Cover Story: "The Big Dance" effect

By Jeff Atkinson - bio | email

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - North Carolina Tar Heels clinch another national basketball championship.  A lot of these big colleges got so much media attention during the NCAA tourney, which means more enrollment and more money for these schools.  But PrimeTime's Jeff Atkinson reports you don't have to reach the top to see a big payoff.

Success can come to your college or university simply by being invited to The Big Dance.  In the college world where there are so many to choose from it sets you apart.

Each year in the Big Dance.. there emerges it seems a Cinderella story.  A team out of nowhere that achieves success.

Winthrop University wore the glass slipper in '07.  The small school in Rock Hill knocked off big-name Notre Dame in the first round.. advancing in the tournament where they'd never been before.

Assistant to the President for Public Affairs Rebecca Masters says the Eagles '07 appearance equals Winthrop's first trip to the Big Dance in buzz generation for the university.

"This just brings an additional window on Winthrop University," she says.

There was the cover of "The Sporting News."  A four-to-five page spread "Journey of a Lifetime" in the L.A. Times.  And countless articles in USA Today.

Winthrop estimates the publicity generated during its '07 run (its seventh trip to the tournament) exceeded $7.5 million putting the school on the map and more.

"It's been an important builder of relationships within the community. We have lots of folks who have no other connection to Winthrop other than through the University's sporting teams," says Masters.

Remember this? Last year.  Davidson College's miraculuous run through the N-C-double-A tournament.. making it all the way to the Elite Eight.

Davidson's still reaping the rewards.  Dave Kraus is admissions director.

"Did it impact national interest for Davidson? Absolutely," he said.

He says the private liberal arts college in north Mecklenburg has seen a 13-percent increase in applications.  A 17-percent boost in prospective students visiting campus.

The college's added new seating to its 5-thousand seat arena.  And season tickets are sold out.

"More people are coming to us instead of us having to reach out to them."

Tripp Merritt.. head football coach at Davidson says basketball success spilled over into his program.. enabling them to recuit from places they didn't use to touch.

"If you're a young man or woman sitting in California or Iowa or Idaho watching us in the Elight Eight.. you have a tendency to get on line maybe do a little more research.. find out what you can about Davidson College," says Merritt.

Davidson's name and one of its star players now know far and wide.  Students and parents.

"On move-in day Steph Curry among many of the basketball players was helping the new students move in," says admissions director Dave Kraus.  "And watching the parents react.. often it was the parents who got whiplash spinning around to say.. "Isn't that?" And that was fun to watch."

Davidson seeing a 13-percent increase in student applications over the last two years.. particularly impressive considering many of its peer institutions.. other private liberal arts colleges have suffered a drop in applications because of the economy.