Intercollegiate athletic programs exist with the framework of colleges and universities that are engaged in many different activities, only one of which is educating students. How well do accomplish their goals? Do students learn to think critically? Do intercollegiate athletics interfere with that process? Do colleges function primarily as signalling devices that identify promising employees for employers? Do intercollegiate programs promote alcohol abuse or discourage class attendance? This chapter is devoted to providing background for succeeding chapters that address whether intercollegiate athletic programs confer economic benefits upon students that they carry with them after they have graduated.