(Source: Ohio State University)

Tonight's the big game, the BCS Championship between Ohio State and Florida. Both teams will earn millions because of their appearance. But does on-field success translate into bigger donor dollars? Do alumni empty their wallets on the heels of a winning season?

No, apparently.

Check this out, courtesy of the Newark Advocate:

Success on the football field, even winning a National Championship, is a sure ticket to increased giving to college athletic departments but far less important when it comes to overall giving.

Universities say at best a winning season creates a positive atmosphere on campus that might nudge a few donors. Other than that, winning does not equal more lucrative fundraising.

"When you get into a championship, people start paying attention to the university," said Jim Kunetka, associate vice president for development at the University of Texas, last year's champs. "But it doesn't directly lead to more money."

A University of Florida study in 1996, after the university won its last national football championship, found no correlation between that victory and giving for academic purposes. Other university fundraisers agree with those findings.

"We have never been able to track or show any parallel with the success of an athletic team and the amount of fundraising of individuals or corporations who want to give to the university," said Roger Addleman, communications director for Ohio State's Office of Development.

At most, a program's success means more people returning to campus, and that gives fundraisers the chance to point out non-athletic needs, he said.

"It enhances the opportunity to build relationships, and out of building relationships is how most universities do major fundraising," Addleman said.

Numerous other studies over the years have failed to find much of an impact. Experts dub the mistaken belief that victories equal fundraising dollars the "winning-team" myth.

Still, experts say, universities do realize some benefit. Consider:

There's a big exception to the winning team effect, however, and that's donations to athletic departments tied directly to tickets and other perks.

Directors of booster clubs at Florida, Ohio State and Texas all say a big bowl appearance automatically drives up contributions to those giving clubs.

That's because the more you give, the better your chance of tickets in the future.

But we're not talking big bucks here, the mega-gifts that transform institutions. These are annual donations, and they increase in size perhaps because the price of entry rises following a successful season.

Anyway, you can read the full article here.