Did Basketball Increase Villanova's Application Numbers? A New Report Suggests It Did

Athletics are a major part of the American education system. Some people think sports and education shouldn't be paired, while others say the two are essential to one another.

But at Villanova, athletics have appeared to cause an influx of students looking to attend the Main Line Catholic university.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the fall 2016 saw 17,266 applications for prospective Villanova University students. But after the Wildcats emerged as the victors in March Madness, the fall 2017 applications saw a 22 percent increase, with 21,095 students applying to be Wildcats.

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"We expected something, but this is more than I anticipated," Villanova University President Fr. Peter Donohue told the outlet.

Traditional media mentions and social media follows skyrocketed after the victory in 2016, the outlet reports.

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"The national championship was kind of the icing on the cake – something we didn't anticipate and bumped us over into a different stratosphere," Donohue told the outlet.

Image via Villanova University