The Arms Race in College Coaching

[OmahaBlueDog]

<<While Calipari met with Memphis officials earlier Monday, representatives for both sides were working out details of an agreement. Sources told ESPN.com that the offer is believed to be for eight years and around $35 million.>>

<<Florida's Billy Donovan is currently the highest-paid coach in the country, securing a deal for $3.5 million per year after his second national championship.>>

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4026848

<<Sen. Charles Grassley, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance committee, has called for colleges to be more transparent about their finances. The Internal Revenue Service last year asked 400 colleges for detailed financial information in an effort to check compliance with regulations related to their tax-exempt status.

The highest paid employee at any of the schools in the study was Pete Carroll, head football coach at the University of Southern California. He earned $4.4 million -- more that quadruple the annual compensation of Steven Sample, USC's president. A USC spokeman said Mr. Carroll, whose team finished third in most college football rankings this year, would have no comment.>>

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123534056703543691.html


With college coaching having crashed through the $4M, and moving headlong toward the $5M salary barrier, one wonders how long we can keep this up? How will schools be able to compete in this marketplace? If so, will it seriously degrade funding for professorial salaries, library acquisitions, and other much needed capital improvements to campuses? Or, is it simply something we shouldn't worry about -- is this an age in which wealthy alumni will simply provide the funding (as appears to be the case at UK) to associate their names with the prestige of a winning sports program? What about the smaller schools around the nation? Can they keep up in this spending race?

[MadHound]

1. Considering the ad revenue, TV revenue, tournament revenue, product revenue,

And the increase in enrollment that major college sports programs bring in, I think that this can continue for awhile.

[cobalt1999]

2. Schools should pay whatever they want as long as they don't use tax funds

For example, the University of Florida athletic department isn't funded by any tax dollars. Their athletic department lives on contributions, licensing, and ticket income. They are self-funding.

It's a model all schools should follow.

[Oregone]

4. What sort of sucks though

Is when one program is so over-funded that it strangles the life out of others (which eliminates opportunities for people involved in those sports to get scholarships). Overfunding of certain programs, paired with Title 9, has kill off a lot of other men's sports (wrestling, namely, and baseball a bit).

I realize its all a business and about the money. Sometimes though, it can lead to less people in all having educational opportunities.

[NightWatcher]

3. hey Congress, stay the fuck outta my college sports

havent you messed up everything you've touched

[msongs]

5. meanwhile students are dropping out left & right because colleges charge HIGH tuition nt

[damntexdem]

6. Arms race in college sports? I thought that student athletes were limited to two arms each!

I mean, even with steroids, they still should have no more than two arms.

;-)

[alfredo]

7. Calipari is either going to move to U of K to fill Gillispie's vacant position

or he is putting pressure on Memphis to sweeten his pay package.

[sweetpotato]

8. Big time college sports -

Like SEC or ACC football pay for themselves.

I work at a major southern university - our athletic department was able to give money to the school - they had an overage!

Coaches salaries come from athletic department revenues, not state appropriations.

[RT Atlanta]

9. Just Win Baby!

n/t