In 2013, Spelman College, an all-women's college and HBCU took the bold move of replacing its costly Division III sports program with an extensive wellness program for all its students. There were several arguments against the strategy, including the idea that many CEOs, including women CEOs, competed as NCAA athletes.
It was a courageous move for then-President Beverly Daniel Tatum, one that appears to have paid off. We can find no evidence that making this transition to a more egalitarian model of physical activity has hurt the school in terms of funding. Its current endowment is approaching a half-billion dollars. Its acceptance rate is competitive, 28 percent.
This is not to say that Spelman women and Spelman grads won't be competitive in the way they live their lives. Spelmanites will continue to excel on a number of playing fields. In 2023, there was an effort to establish lacrosse as a club sport, but this did not take away significantly from the overall focus on wellness over competition.
Social Reality Check
Can this more egalitarian model of physical activity work at other small schools? Perhaps, but we can find no other college that has followed suit. This strategy may not even be possible with expensive Division III football programs that have perennially losing squads. One higher ed businessman who wished to remain anonymous told us that "football gets you 100 enrollment for overcompensating men who want to tell their girlfriends that they played intercollegiate football. It also brings 25 cheerleaders and a 50-piece band and something to do on homecoming which is among the highest producing development events."
Making changes to humanize education is not easy. Understanding the particulars of the issues, including vested interests, and social reality, is imperative.
