Sport: The Beating Heart Of A Thriving University

Higher education is facing one of the most challenging periods in its recent history, with falling student numbers, squeezed finances, and reduced staffing levels being felt across the sector. And sports departments have not been immune.

The political context, which has also led to reduced international student recruitment , has added further strain while widespread restructuring has, in many institutions, seen the strategic importance of sport gradually downgraded. Capital investment in sport and fitness facilities has fallen too, as institutions make difficult decisions about where increasingly limited resources should be directed.

And yet, at exactly the moment sport risks slipping down the agenda, its value to universities has never been clearer.

In a market where students rightly expect real value for their fees, sport and physical activity are among the clearest ways a university can demonstrate genuine commitment to the student experience.

In the 2019 British Active Student Survey, sporting opportunities ranked as the fifth most important factor in students' choice of institution, behind academic reputation, employability, the wider student experience and location, but ahead of many other considerations. And in the BUCS Student Survey, 94% of students said that being involved in sport gave them a genuine sense of belonging to their university and its community, a factor Advance HE has linked to stronger student retention.

In short, sport and physical activity add value that goes far beyond the sports hall or playing field. Done well, they can contribute to recruitment, retention, student wellbeing, belonging, academic outcomes and graduate prospects.

A Sector At A Turning Point

After decades of steady growth, higher education sport now finds itself considering its next steps. The old assumptions about growing budgets and expanding facilities no longer hold, and institutions are having to think differently about how they protect and even strengthen the role sport plays on campus, often with fewer resources than before.

This is not simply a case of doing more with less. It requires a genuine rethink of strategy, culture and operating models, and a clear-eyed case for why sport deserves a seat at the table when difficult institutional decisions are being made.

The challenge in practice is that these decisions cannot be made in isolation. Reducing resources or changing operating structures may address immediate financial pressures, but universities also need to consider what those decisions mean for participation, student experience, community and the long-term sustainability of sport. The strongest approach starts with a clear understanding of what the institution needs sport and physical activity to achieve, before deciding how it should be structured and resourced.

Providing Leadership And Support For Universities

FMG is working with experienced leaders from across higher education sport to help universities think through exactly these challenges, and to plan a confident path ahead. That work is led by Paul Carney, an experienced sports leader and former Director of Sport & Active Health at Canterbury Christ Church University, who brings decades of senior leadership experience in the sector.

Paul and the wider FMG team support universities across the full range of challenges sport now faces, including strategic planning, cultural development, operational delivery, structural change, facility development and community engagement. Crucially, this is not theoretical advice. It is grounded in direct experience of leading sport through exactly the kind of restructuring, reorganisation and financial pressure that many institutions are navigating right now, and of doing so while keeping the student experience front and centre.

That combination of strategic insight and practical, sector-specific experience is what makes the difference. Universities facing these decisions need more than generic consultancy input on sport. They need people who have sat in the seat, made difficult calls and understand both the financial realities and the importance of student experience.

Making The Case For Sport

None of this is to suggest that universities are wrong to make difficult decisions. Financial pressures are real, and every part of an institution is being asked to demonstrate its value. But that is precisely why the case for sport and physical activity needs to be made clearly and confidently as part of a strong, inclusive and positive student experience, not as an afterthought once other priorities have been settled.

Universities that get this right can strengthen their position in an increasingly competitive market. Sport and physical activity can support recruitment and retention while providing a visible demonstration of an institution's commitment to the student experience, provided they are given the strategic attention they deserve.

The institutions best placed to navigate the years ahead will be those that treat sport and physical activity not as a discretionary extra, but as a core part of how they deliver value, build community and support student success.

Reviewing The Role Of Sport At Your Institution

If your institution is reviewing its sport and physical activity strategy, operating model, facilities or organisational structure, FMG's higher education team, led by Paul Carney, can help you assess the options, understand their implications and determine a practical way forward.

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