K-State basketball success could boost applications. Don't call it the Tang effect — yet.

The Kansas State men's basketball team is dancing, and their success could be the university's in more ways than one.

K-State officials are reporting an increase in applications for the university, following a period of years in which higher education institutions across the state and country have seen enrollment slumps and drops.

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How much of K-State's increase in applications is attributable to head coach Jerome Tang's burst of success as coach is unclear. But the team's inspired performances have highlighted the university's name across millions of screens and busted brackets, and it's a kind of visibility university officials hope to turn from recognition to interest to application to admittance and finally, enrollment.

"I don’t know that very many students would solely make their decision based on if a school is dancing in the NCAA Tournament, but it is a fantastic exposure for the institution," said Patrick Winter, executive director for recruitment and admissions at K-State.

Flutie Effect may not be as relevant anymore

Ever since the 1990s, researchers and higher education recruitment experts have noticed an occasional trend in boosts to enrollment after a school's athletics teams perform exceptionally well or win national championships.

They dubbed this the "Flutie effect," after Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie threw a game-winning, Hail Mary pass to beat the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1984. Boston College reported a surge in applications following that football season.

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Nowadays, the Flutie effect may no longer be as relevant.

"That was at a time when not every school got the kind of exposure they can get now," Winter said. "For Boston College, being on national TV probably carried a little more weight at the time."

'Coach Tang and the team are great ambassadors of K-State'

As tuition costs become too expensive for some families and fewer high school students pursue college degrees in the first place, athletics — or even other aspects of the traditional, four-year college campus lifestyle — are likely not as big a priority for most applicants, Winter said.

"First and foremost, it’s an academic decision for a lot of students," he said. "They want to find an institution that offers the kinds of programs and a campus environment that appeals to them. Certainly, cost can be a factor. But what we love is that we have so many of these things, and K-State checks a lot of boxes for the kind of experience students are looking for."

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Still, Kansas State's journey through the March Madness tournament "absolutely puts (K-State) on students' radar," Winter said, and at the very least, it can drive prospective students to become curious and want to learn more about the institution.

"Anything that can put the spotlight on the institution as it being a school someone might consider is a good thing," Winter said. "Certainly, Coach Tang and the team are great ambassadors of K-State."

The Kansas State Wildcats take on the Michigan State Spartans at 5:30 p.m. central Thursday in the East Regional semifinal at Madison Square Garden. Watch on TBS or the CBS March Madness mobile app, or listen on the radio or online through the K-State Sports Network.

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at ‪785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State men's basketball success in March may boost applications