What High School Athletics Really Mean for a School: The Stats, the Money, and the Programs It Supports

Families, athletes, band members, cheerleaders, and teachers gathered at a North Carolina high school stadium

A Friday night football game may last a few hours, but its impact on a school can reach far beyond the scoreboard.

High school athletics bring students, families, teachers, alumni, coaches, and community members together. They create school pride, provide trusted adult relationships, encourage discipline, and give students another reason to attend school and stay connected.

As President of the Terry Sanford Athletic Booster Club, I have seen that impact firsthand. Athletics are not separate from the school. They are part of the school’s culture, identity, and educational mission.

That is why athletics matter to the entire school, not just the students wearing uniforms.

The Numbers Show How Many Students Are Reached

North Carolina high school athletics operate at an extraordinary scale.

The NCHSAA reported 212,219 student-athletes statewide for the 2024–25 school year, an increase of approximately 3,500 participants from the reported 208,722 student-athletes in 2023–24. That represents one of the highest participation totals in more than a decade.

The official NCHSAA participation release confirms that 208,722 students participated during 2023–24, compared with 198,025 in 2022–23.

Those numbers represent more than athletes. They also represent:

Parents attending games and competitions
Band members performing at events
Cheerleaders supporting school spirit
ROTC cadets participating in ceremonies
Student trainers, managers, announcers, and volunteers
Teachers and coaches mentoring students
Local businesses supporting school activities
Families spending time on school campuses

Cumberland County Schools offers athletics for students in grades 6–12 and provides more than 30 teams per high school each year, ranging from football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer to bowling, swimming, lacrosse, track, and other opportunities.

The district has also discussed adding women’s flag football and men’s volleyball for the 2027–28 school year. Expanding opportunities matters because not every student connects with the same sport, club, or activity.

More doors should be open, not fewer.

Students, a coach, band member, cheerleader, and volunteer working together during a high school athletic event

Athletics Are Associated With Stronger Academic Outcomes

We should be honest about what the research proves, and what it does not.

Research from the National Federation of State High School Associations, peer-reviewed studies, and a North Carolina comparison involving approximately 125,000 students across 133 high schools consistently finds that student-athletes tend to have stronger academic and school-engagement outcomes than non-athletes.

One North Carolina study reported the following comparisons:

Measure	Student-Athletes	Non-Athletes
Average GPA	2.98	2.17
Average absences	6.3 days	11.9 days
Students with discipline referrals	33.3%	41.8%
Dropout rate	0.6%	10.32%
Graduation rate	99.4%	93.5%

These are significant differences.

But they should not be presented as proof that playing sports alone causes higher grades or graduation rates. Students who participate in athletics may already have stronger support systems, higher motivation, better attendance, or other advantages. That is called self-selection.

The responsible conclusion is this: athletics are consistently associated with positive academic, attendance, behavioral, and graduation outcomes. The evidence supports athletics as an education-based program that deserves thoughtful investment and careful evaluation.

Sports do not replace classroom instruction. They reinforce it.

Students learn to manage time, meet eligibility standards, respond to coaching, work with teammates, recover from mistakes, and pursue long-term goals. Those lessons are valuable in college, the military, a trade, a career, and everyday life.

Where the Money Comes From, and Where It Goes

Athletic programs are generally supported by several funding sources:

District and school allocations
Ticket sales and gate receipts
Concessions
Participation fees
Business sponsorships
Donations
Booster-club fundraising
Playoff and championship revenue

The exact structure differs from school to school. Cumberland County should publish clear, school-level information so parents and taxpayers can see how funds are collected and spent. I am not going to invent Cumberland County dollar figures that have not been publicly reported.

In general, ticket and concession revenue from football, basketball, and other events flows into school or athletic activity funds. Those dollars help pay for items such as:

Uniforms and equipment
Officials and event staffing
Athletic trainers and medical supplies
Transportation and buses
Facility maintenance and field preparation
Security and school safety measures
Meals and travel
Event insurance and operational costs

Some of those expenses directly support a particular sport. Others are shared across the school.

For example, the same stadium may serve football, soccer, track, band competitions, cheerleading, ROTC ceremonies, community events, and graduation activities. A scoreboard, sound system, lighting, parking area, restrooms, and security plan can benefit many student programs.

That is the larger point: athletics can generate activity and resources that support the broader school environment.

How Athletic Events Help Non-Athletic Programs

A successful athletic event is a school-wide production.

The band performs. Cheerleaders participate. Student photographers and media teams document the event. Clubs may sell merchandise or operate tables. ROTC may present the colors. Teachers supervise. Parents volunteer. Concession workers raise funds. Local businesses sponsor programs or provide support.

In many schools, athletic events help create revenue or visibility for programs beyond the playing field, including:

Band and music
Cheerleading and spirit programs
ROTC
Student government
Academic clubs
Career and technical education activities
Performing arts
School publications
Student leadership programs
Family engagement events

This does not mean athletic revenue automatically pays for every non-athletic program. School policies, accounting rules, and local decisions determine how money may be used.

It does mean we should recognize the shared value of athletics. When a school invests in safe, well-maintained facilities, those spaces can support multiple programs. When families attend games, they become more connected to the campus. When businesses sponsor events, they build relationships with the broader school community.

The financial benefit is only one part of the story. The community connection may be even more important.

Friday Nights Build Belonging and School Pride

A high school game can be one of the few times an entire community gathers in one place.

Families meet neighbors. Alumni return to campus. Younger students imagine themselves participating one day. Teachers connect with parents outside the classroom. Coaches become trusted adults. Students who may not feel connected during the regular school day can find belonging through a team, band, spirit squad, or event crew.

That sense of belonging matters.

The NFHS describes school activities as a way to build citizenship, sportsmanship, teamwork, self-discipline, school pride, and community connection. North Carolina research also found that schools offering more extracurricular opportunities tend to have higher participation and more positive academic outcomes, even after accounting for school resources.

Athletics can also support school safety. This is not a claim that sports eliminate discipline problems or guarantee a safer campus. It is a recognition that supervised activities give students positive places to be, trusted adults to talk with, and stronger connections to their school.

School safety must remain a primary responsibility of the district. That includes secure facilities, appropriate staffing, clear emergency procedures, responsible supervision, and consistent discipline. Athletics are one piece of a larger school-safety and student-support strategy.

Coach speaking with student-athletes after practice outside a North Carolina school gym

Booster Clubs Are Partners, Not Blank Checks

Booster clubs play an important role in school athletics. They are generally separate nonprofit organizations that raise money through memberships, concessions, sponsorships, donations, and events.

Those funds often help cover expenses that school budgets cannot fully support, including:

Equipment
Uniforms
Meals
Travel
Tournament costs
Senior-night activities
Team supplies
Student assistance
Other approved athletic needs

Booster clubs should work closely with athletic directors and follow district policies. They should also maintain clear financial records, communicate openly with parents, and make sure fundraising never creates an unfair barrier to participation.

As a booster-club president, I believe transparency protects everyone: students, parents, coaches, administrators, and volunteers.

A Practical Athletics Agenda for Cumberland County

As we look at the future of Cumberland County Schools, I believe the district should:

Publish an annual athletics financial report showing revenue, expenses, ticket sales, concessions, booster contributions, participation fees, scholarships, and assistance funds.
Ensure participation fees never keep a student out of a sport. A student’s opportunity should not depend on a family’s ability to write a check.
Support booster clubs with clear policies and consistent communication. Volunteers should know the rules, responsibilities, and approved uses of funds.
Invest in shared facilities. Stadiums, gyms, fields, lighting, buses, security systems, and equipment can serve athletics, band, cheerleading, ROTC, and other programs.
Support and retain coaches. Coaches are educators and mentors. They need training, resources, accountability, and respect.
Track outcomes honestly. The district should measure participation, attendance, eligibility, academic performance, discipline, graduation, and access across schools and student groups.

Athletics should never come before academics. They should never come before school safety. But they should not be treated as an unnecessary extra.

They are an education-based extension of the classroom.

Families, alumni, band members, and students gathering outside a North Carolina high school athletic complex

Students First Means Supporting the Whole School

For Cumberland County Schools, athletics are part of a larger commitment to putting students first.

That means supporting teachers and coaches. It means giving parents a voice in schools and in decisions made by the Cumberland County Board of Education. It means discussing athletics funding openly at a Cumberland County school board meeting, not only when there is controversy, but as part of regular public reporting.

It also means recognizing how athletics connect to the broader life of Cumberland County NC schools and Fayetteville NC schools. Families often use the Cumberland County Schools calendar to plan around games, performances, concerts, and activities. Coaches, trainers, athletic directors, bus drivers, event staff, and support personnel are part of the larger school workforce reflected in Cumberland County Schools jobs.

Our children deserve opportunities to belong, compete, grow, and succeed.

As we approach the November 3, 2026 election, my position is straightforward: Students First. Teachers Supported. Parents Heard. Schools Safe.

High school athletics are not just about winning games.

They help build stronger schools, stronger families, and a stronger Cumberland County: one student, one coach, one classroom, and one community event at a time.