How to Fix the Mess of College Sports

"Here's an idea for overhauling the mess that is money in college sports: For every dollar that a university athletic department spends on coaching salaries fatter than a duke's inheritance, or locker rooms as luxurious as Hadrian's villa, a dollar should go toward academic funding-to faculty salaries, library maintenance, and other necessities that benefit all students, athletes included. Such an arrangement might help reform a truly broken system, which demands compulsive, destructive overspending-on coaching, facilities, and more-in a cycle of one-upsmanship."

"The money comes from media rights-such as the College Football Playoff's $1.3 billion yearly deal with ESPN-along with ticket sales, corporate sponsors, donor gifts, and, in some cases, student fees and state funds. These schools tend to spend most of (and, in some cases, more than) what they take in-on waterfalls and golf simulators, on $700 showerheads, on wood-paneled locker rooms with custom pool tables, and, most disproportionately, on a handful of coaches."

For every dollar spent by university athletic departments on excessive coaching salaries or luxurious facilities, a dollar should be redirected to academic funding such as faculty salaries, library maintenance, and other student services. College football is the largest revenue driver, with roughly $11.7 billion shared among 136 top-tier schools in 2024, fueled by media rights, ticket sales, corporate sponsors, donor gifts, student fees, and state funds. Many programs spend most or even more than their revenues on extravagant facilities and a few highly paid coaches, creating a cycle of one-upmanship. Overspending criticism often targets athletes seeking pay rather than administrative spending choices.

Read at The Atlantic