Is anyone else following the saga of NCAA?

[Doug M.]

My apathy for almost any pro/college sport is staggering. I agree with the description of watching paint dry. I have not watched any in 40+ years. The damage that sports do to college academics is significant; the idea that they are a net positive financially is BS. Any good accounting will show that these activities are a heck of money loser. My wife, a retired professor, did a deep dive on the budget damage and was aghast at the losses. And the idea that a coach is the highest paid state employee (which is true here) is just obscene.

 

[ladder13]

Roger Goodell makes $64,000,000 a year to hold up jerseys.

 

[Onomea]

...My wife, a retired professor, did a deep dive on the budget damage and was aghast at the losses...

Doug, I find that very interesting and would like to understand it better. Is this true — college athletics as a net drain on the overall operating budget for a college — something that is true in aggregate? I mean, if one adds up all the college operating budgets and all the costs of all the athletics and all the revenue the athletics generate for all the four year colleges in the US, one gets a net loss?

Or, is it true of most specific colleges. Say, for example, the College of William & Mary?

And I would assume "minor" athletics like field hockey or fencing operate at a financial loss.

It seems for football powerhouses like Ohio State or Alabama, though, surely the revenue generated must be a net plus for the college?

 

[DWalt]

This is a discussion about which colleges profit and those which don't. Do Colleges Make Money From Athletics? | BestColleges

 

[Onomea]

That's an interesting article, DWalt. Thanks!

So, if most schools lose money on sports, why do they have them? A reason I read a long time ago was that the old college rah-rah spirit facilitates fundraising with alumni.

 

[DWalt]

My main concern is the ascendency of private equity firms as "acquirers" of the large college sports programs. These guys are slick. House v. NCAA settlement paves way for private equity to infiltrate college football as landscape evolves - CBSSports.com We can all root for the CAS Buckeyes and the CAS Longhorns. They aren't called Corporate Raiders for nothing. Look at what they did to Red Lobster.

 

[robvious]

well at least it will be out in the open... and they will have to pay taxes on it...

 

[Doug M.]

Doug, I find that very interesting and would like to understand it better. Is this true — college athletics as a net drain on the overall operating budget for a college — something that is true in aggregate?

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I am not a numbers guy, but my understanding has long been that the fiscal loss issues are at least generally true. There may be outliers, but I admit I have not paid much attention lately.

What most people don't perceive is the "hidden" costs of program support. At least in general, the costs of the logistical support that is necessary to run a program are pretty stout.

I taught college for a year, and some of the stories I heard from athletes about how they were exploited and how the program (not just football, and not just the men) interfered with academics were disappointing.