As Charleston's team marched to national prominence and played two exciting games in the NCAA tournament in March, the school received an estimated $3.3 million worth of free publicity, a late influx of applications and a newfound identity beyond its state borders.

Or take the case of Northwestern University. Since the football team's march to the Rose Bowl in the fall of 1995, applications to the Evanston, Ill., university are up 30%, and the SAT scores of incoming freshman are 19 points higher.

Lately, Duke University, Boston College, George Washington and the University of Massachusetts saw applications and awareness rocket after the football or men's basketball team made national headlines. And while athletic success was by not the only factor, in each case it was a big element.