For many high seniors, college looms just ahead and it’s all about picking the perfect one for you. However, with March Madness just coming to a close and the dust still settling from a crazy college football playoff, does sports success at a college play a bigger role in picking the right one than you think?

When looking to apply to schools, sports success is a factor whether you think it is or not. You may not apply or even consider a certain school but you may have heard of it just because of what they have accomplished on the field or in a gym. However, some students make athletics their top factor.

We talked to Triton senior Gwen Norton who will be attending Alabama University in the fall. She said, “I started looking there because I wanted a school in the South that was good at sports because I want school spirit. I made my list based on sports and then decided based on what I liked.”

Big football schools like Alabama attract a lot of applicants. Enrollment at Alabama reached a record high of 38,563 for fall 2017, which was up more than 2 percent from last year’s record class of 37,665. This past year the Crimson Tide won the National Championship meaning that we can only expect the number to remain at their record high or increase.

Although following the championships may be a popular decision, it may not always be the smartest one.

According to Forbes.com, “Students with lower-than-average SAT scores tended to have a stronger preference for schools known for athletic success, while students with higher SAT scores preferred institutions with greater academic quality. Also, students with lower academic prowess valued the success of intercollegiate athletics for longer periods of time than the high SAT achievers.”

Senior Chalee Welch is attending Virginia Tech which is known for having a successful football team. She commented on the quote from Forbes.com saying, “ I don’t think it’s impossible to enjoy a atmosphere that you find at a big football school and still be able to get work done in the classroom. There are plenty of smart hardworking people that attend big football school.”

This year’s March Madness has already included one of the moist historic upsets in college basketball history. Never before has a 16th ranked seed beat a 1 seed in the tournament. Until now. University of Baltimore County beat Virginia and Baltimore’s popularity skyrocketed. Everyone knew who the UMBC Retrievers were, due to the Twitter-storm during and after the game.

Triton athletic director, Sean McInnis, has experience in the collegic field. He was worked in the financial department at UMass.

McInnis commented on the historic upset, “When University of Baltimore County received another 32,000 followers on Twitter,  that means there are over 30,000 people looking closer at the college, and if only 2 percent apply from that 30,000, then admissions go up. Now you’re increasing your admissions. Back in the early two thousands, University of Miami posted pictures of their athletes, driving people up, wanting to be a part of that program.”

With the evolution of media and the ability to spread information at a rapid pace, the names of Cinderella schools like UMBC can catch the attention of the larger population . Despite how lucrative a successful sports team’s university may seem, you should always take into account your personal interests and academics as well.

However, some don’t think athletics should be a major factor in college decision making. Triton gym teacher, James Hounam, said, “I think that you should go to a school that fits you and your strengths and shouldn’t have anything to do with sports.”