In an Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) meeting regarding the then-proposed $495 student fee increase, Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval stated that “the stronger athletics become, the stronger your degree is.”

Jiménez-Sandoval later defended his statement in an interview with The Collegian, saying that a more recognized athletic program can create a brand, which increases recognition among a degree. Additionally, he explains that an unsuccessful athletics program could potentially hinder Fresno State’s educational value. 

However, when I read Jiménez-Sandoval’s statements, I was, the least you could say, flabbergasted. 

For my whole life, my mind was centered around my education. I wanted to be the best student in my class, achieve accolades and go to a school that I thought best suited my educational pursuits. 

During the college application process, I applied to schools I felt would help me achieve my academic and career goals. I ended up going to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) for my freshman year because I wanted to move away from home and thought it was “more prestigious” than Fresno State.

Soon I realized that Long Beach was not the place for me, and I wanted to move back home and go to Fresno State. 

When I was admitted to Fresno State, I looked forward to the football and basketball games, which I felt was missing for me when I was at CSULB. 

Yet, I wasn’t too excited about being a Bulldog at first because I felt like my educational goals wouldn’t be achieved at Fresno State. I felt that the school’s main priority was having a renowned athletics program, which conflicted with my educational interests. 

After being at Fresno State for almost two years, I can say my opinion has changed. So many doors opened for me through my classes, and I even started working for the athletics program because it offered great opportunities. 

I am grateful for the athletics program at Fresno State, but it does have its flaws too. I see how Jiménez-Sandoval would think that a stronger athletics program would make a degree more recognized, but I believe that having a stronger academic program would make for stronger degree recognition instead.

Some students like Thomas Behn, a Media, Communications and Journalism (MCJ) student at Fresno State, feel differently. 

“Personally, I feel more represented when athletics are doing better,” Behn said. “On a national level, more people are going to learn about Fresno State through athletics than academics. But I don’t think that means that we should disregard academics entirely.”

Other students find Jiménez-Sandoval’s comments discouraging. 

“I find [his comments] frustrating,” said Lauren Lochner, a freshman at Fresno State. “It is frustrating that Fresno State is the ‘sports school’ rather than being recognized for its students.”

I would recognize the merit of a degree more if it came from schools like Harvard or Columbia instead of powerhouse athletic schools like Ohio State University or the University of Alabama. This is because schools like Harvard and Columbia focus heavily on academics, and the latter schools focus more on athletics. 

“I think that having more successful or nationally recognized athletic programs can impact the view people have on a degree,” Behn said. “I don’t think that impact can always be seen as a positive though. Alabama has one of the most successful college football programs of all time…but I have yet to meet someone who thinks of Alabama as an academic powerhouse.”

Simply looking at what school someone has a degree from isn’t enough, though. I believe that any individual can change the recognition of their degree through their career accomplishments. 

“Once you get into the real world, a lot of jobs don’t really care about where that degree comes from,” Lochner said. 

The approved $495 student fee increase has athletics receiving most of the funding with a whopping $5 million. The reasons for this amount of funding include enhancing student experience and education, new internships and “reinforcing Fresno State’s reputation as a powerhouse” both athletically and academically. 

“There should be some sort of acknowledgment that there is more spending going to athletics right now, but in the long run, it will result in more money going to the rest of the university,” Behn said. 

I am failing to see how $5 million towards athletics will shape us academically as a university. During my internship with Fresno State Athletics, I learned a great deal about the rules of volleyball, basketball and baseball, but I wouldn’t say this has provided me with any academic merit. 

It’s already tough knowing that the California State University (CSU) system is receiving $375 million in budget cuts, which have led to some classes and programs being cut at CSUs across the state. While all this happens, athletics is getting the biggest portion of student funding.

“There’s been certain classes I’ve had that were canceled because they didn’t have funding,” Lochner said. “It’s frustrating being told you’re just never going to get that funding.”

It goes without saying that there are only around 500 athletes that attend Fresno State out of the roughly 25,000 student population. They make up only 2% of the school’s population, yet receive the most support when it comes to student experience. 

It is important to acknowledge that there are tons of opportunities for students to work in the athletics program, but it is starting to feel more like a business than a school. 

“How good athletics are here has no effect on how proud I’ll be of my degree,” Behn said. “While I’ll be the first to say that Fresno State being a division one school was a factor in me deciding to come here, [I also valued] that Fresno State is also one of the best universities in the CSU system.”

There needs to be more of an effort by the school to enhance the learning experiences for all students and not favor one university aspect over another. I understand the importance of a good athletics program, but there needs to be more of a balance of support with academics as well. 

When I graduate next spring, I know that my degree will not be recognized through an athletics program, but through the accomplishments I have made during my time as a Bulldog and as an alumni.