As schools and school districts continue to face budget reductions, school officials must thoroughly evaluate and determine from which programs to decrease funding. Athletic programs are one area that has received much scrutiny for receiving these cuts. If research reveals a significant relationship between athletic involvement and academic achievement, school officials can make data-driven decisions in support of maintaining and funding athletic programs. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in academic performance between female athletes and female non-athletes, male athletes and male non-athletes, and male athletes and female athletes. Academic performance was measured by student cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), while athletic involvement was measured by participation in varsity sports at the high school level. The data was collected from 5 high schools in west Tennessee, and the sample consisted of 150 athletes and 150 non-athletes for a total of 300 participants. Of these participants, 150 were women and 150 were men. The independent variable was athletic involvement, the dependent variable was academic achievement, and the moderating variable was gender. The hypotheses were addressed through use of analysis of variance (ANOVA). This study showed a significant difference in academic achievement between female athletes and female non-athletes, as well as between male athletes and female athletes. Female athletes had the highest GPAs of all groups. There was no statistically significant difference in academic performance between male athletes and male non-athletes. This information can help school officials when making budgetary decisions regarding school programs. Specifically, this study can be used to support the funding, maintaining, and promoting of athletic programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]