How Do National Championship Foes Alabama and Clemson Really Compare?
There’s been a lot of talk about whether the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Clemson Tigers will walk away with the coveted National College Football Championship Trophy tonight in Tampa, Fla.
Most analysts compare defensive lines, secondaries, quarterbacks and ground games. But the Southern Education Desk decided to look at other facts about these two Southern universities.
When it comes to the size of the student body, Alabama is the biggest with an enrollment of 37,098. Clemson’s enrollment is 22,698.
It costs more to attend Clemson – whether you are a state resident or come from out state. In-state tuition at Clemson is $14,240, compared with $10,470 in-state tuition at the University of Alabama.
Class sizes overall are smaller at Clemson, with a student/faculty ratio of 18:1 compared with a 24:1 ratio at Alabama.
What really makes a difference at most schools is the amount of money in the bank. Alabama wins that category with an endowment of $658,672,567 compared with Clemson’s $648,610,563 endowment.
Football players are recruited as student-athletes, which means going to classes and getting a degree should weigh into the equation for success. The NCAA monitors academics for athletes. Colleges and universities must supply data every year to show that their student-athletes are maintaining their eligibility to compete while earning degrees.
Alabama graduates 80 percent of its football players within six years. Clemson graduates 84 percent of its football players within the same period. The national rate of graduation for all students seeking undergraduate degrees is 60 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. So the two universities are not that different at all!
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
Defense Department is reviewing boat strike video for possible release, Hegseth says
In a speech on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying: "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests."
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins first F1 title at season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.
A ban on feeding pigeons ruffles lots of feathers in Mumbai
The pigeon population has exploded — a result of people feeding the birds. For some it's a holy duty and a way to connect to nature. Critics point to health risks tied to exposure to pigeon droppings.
UN humanitarian chief: world needs to ‘wake up’ and help stop violence in Sudan
The UN's top humanitarian and emergency relief official has told NPR that the lack of attention from world leaders to the war in Sudan is the "billion dollar question".
