I know this happens every year, but I was just reading about the latest high-profile firing going on in my backyard. University of TX football coach Tom Herman is being fired today. His contract stipulates a $15 million buyout. It also includes a $10 million buyout for his coaching staff. So the Longhorns will pay $25M to fire Herman, and the incoming coach, Sarkisian, I'm sure will be signed to a contract at least in the $3-4M/yr range.

This is big money, as in Fortune 100 corporate president/CEO/chairman golden parachute type money. How can we keep calling NCAA Div1 football (and men's basketball) an amateur sport with a straight face w/ this kind of money changing hands?

In recent news, our fine Governor signed into law a provision to allow student athletes to be compensated (paid) to play college sports or for endorsements.
So college sports will be even more money driven.

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Originally posted by YooperSigs:
In recent news, our fine Governor signed into law a provision to allow student athletes to be compensated (paid) to play college sports or for endorsements.
So college sports will be even more money driven.

IMO, if a people are buying jerseys w/ your name & number on it, if they're willing to pay for your autograph, if the school is making money using your likeness, then you deserve a cut of that.

Well that way they can sell more beer.

Go to any college town and it will completely revolve around football and beer.

I think there are about forty states where the highest paid state employee title is 'coach'. Not governor, mayor, or anything important...

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Originally posted by iron chef:

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Originally posted by YooperSigs:
In recent news, our fine Governor signed into law a provision to allow student athletes to be compensated (paid) to play college sports or for endorsements.
So college sports will be even more money driven.

IMO, if a people are buying jerseys w/ your name & number on it, if they're willing to pay for your autograph, if the school is making money using your likeness, then you deserve a cut of that.

So you're ok with schools bidding against each other to " recruit " talent ? Because that's what it will come to . Buy your National championship ...

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Originally posted by iron chef:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
In recent news, our fine Governor signed into law a provision to allow student athletes to be compensated (paid) to play college sports or for endorsements.
So college sports will be even more money driven.

IMO, if a people are buying jerseys w/ your name & number on it, if they're willing to pay for your autograph, if the school is making money using your likeness, then you deserve a cut of that.

A lot of these folks are already going to school for free.

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Originally posted by .38supersig:

I think there are about forty states where the highest paid state employee title is 'coach'. Not governor, mayor, or anything important...

Our king is hated here. Our current bastard/Governor is maybe the most hated public official we have. Many citizens love the head BBall coach. He's well worth more.

Look at how much money comes in to a college because of it’s football program. These colleges can well afford to pay these coaches.

It’s the free market at work.

I've been saying for years that College Football is really Semi-Pro Football, just a step up for the young men on the way to the National Felon League.

The only real college football is the podunk colleges. These podunk colleges get paid a Million Bucks or so to send their team to get beat up at the start of each season by the Big Boy well known Semi Pro College Teams.

It's amazing, the money involved, and the pressure to win, no matter what, or get fired and laugh all the way to the bank.

There are a number of College Coaches banking millions by circulating around. Get hired, get fired, get the buyout money, go to another college and go again.

The amount of money is staggering.
.

Football brings in big money. Most of the buyout and salary money comes from donors. They happily write the checks to get rid of the old coach and pay the new coach. If they aren’t allowed that privilege they don’t write checks to cover other things on campus.

The kids will soon be able to make some money for playing for good ol’ State U. It’s long past time. The TV rights money pool will be spread around. The kids will have to decide whether riding the bench at a behemoth is more profitable than being a star at a still good but lesser program.

It’s all garbage. Look at the salaries in the pros, the head coach salaries. I mean it’s crazy. Millions for what, some stick and ball game? It is the reason why the average family could not afford to go to a game and get some decent seats.

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Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Look at how much money comes in to a college because of it’s football program. These colleges can well afford to pay these coaches.

It’s the free market at work.

When my wife was attending the University of Hawaii, a school that doesn't really attract star many star football players overall, they hired former NFL coach June Jones for $800k per year plus incentives. He was the highest paid coach in the conference at the time, but the school somehow couldn't find money for things like fixing the only elevator in the math building or fixing the A/C system in several buildings. We found it pretty irritating even though we're college football fans. I later found out that half the coach's salary was funded by private donors which made me feel better about it.

Think I saw that in the last day or two some big time coach in Texas that was fired with a 15million dollar buyout and another 10million dollars to replace assistant coaches and they have already named the new replacement. College sports aren"t sports any more they are BIG BUSSINES. And the players that are on scholarships and leave prior to graduation to go pro should be REQUIRED to pay back 3times their scholarship that would pay for several students to get a education that really deserved it rather than the National Felon League. ......................................... drill sgt.

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Originally posted by .38supersig:

Go to any college town and it will completely revolve around football and beer.

Never been to Provo, have you?

Without coaches to teach players how to chase a ball, how would any of us know what's politically correct in our culture?

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Originally posted by selogic:

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Originally posted by iron chef:

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Originally posted by YooperSigs:
In recent news, our fine Governor signed into law a provision to allow student athletes to be compensated (paid) to play college sports or for endorsements.
So college sports will be even more money driven.

IMO, if a people are buying jerseys w/ your name & number on it, if they're willing to pay for your autograph, if the school is making money using your likeness, then you deserve a cut of that.

So you're ok with schools bidding against each other to " recruit " talent ? Because that's what it will come to . Buy your National championship ...

Are you trying to argue that this doesn't already go on? Because it does, and that's just what we see going on above the table.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Look at how much money comes in to a college because of it’s football program. These colleges can well afford to pay these coaches.

It’s the free market at work.

I realize there's symbiotic relationship between a university and its big-time program, but at the same time, I would ask, who benefits more, the school or the team? In other words, if some of the top teams seceded from the NCAA to form a NFL minor league, how well do you think the Austin Bulls or Birmingham Jumbos or Chicago Paddys vs being the TX Longhorns, 'Bama Crimson Tide, and ND Fighting Irish?

I believe the teams are much more dependent on being affiliated w/ their schools than the school is compelled to field & sponsor a football team.

At least the NBA started a D/G League minor league. The NFL makes out like a bandit by having the NCAA provide them a minor league system completely free of charge.

If it were up to me, football & basketball would have minor leagues & farm systems similar to baseball & hockey (soccer too in Europe). Some great pro players come from the college ranks, but by far, most talent is drafted out of HS and sent straight to the minors. It's much more honest about who is amateur vs pro, and the schools still get collegiate competition worth getting excited over - i.e., school spirit, donor funds.

How do NCAA Football television revenues compare to those of the NFL? I would be curious as to how television revenues at major NCAA Universities compare to annual endowments for those same institutions.

Don't like the high salaries paid to college coaches? Blame the demand for college sports.

But the sports industry has been able to use tribalism to gear up demand for their product.