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This study examines if high-visibility athletic programmes at major public universities can increase the prestige of their academic programmes. A total of 479 introductory sociology students ranked 19 states in the USA according to the prestige of graduates from the state's major public universities. Findings showed that highly visible university athletic programmes were rated as having university graduates who made more important contributions to society. In conclusion, a high-visibility athletic programme can enhance the prestige of the university's graduates.