I disagree with pretty much every position in this article as a matter of opinion. However, I disagree with this part as a matter of fact:
"Yet if you look at all those powerhouse [college football] programs across the country, only seven or eight actually rake in money."
I've now heard this point made by several individuals and it's simply not true. Purely in terms of revenues versus costs, the majority of division 1A programs in the country make money. For 76 of the 120 div 1A programs, revenues exceeded costs as reported to the government in 2008. In many cases (20+), the profits are significant -- 10's of millions of dollars. Football programs make it possible for other non-revenue generating sports to exist.
Also, I can anecdotally say that having gone to a school with a decent football team, it has kept me in touch with a number of my friends, provided a rallying point for alumni, and will play a role in my future giving to my alma mater.
His numbers are pretty specific, making me think he is drawing on specific studies which naturally he doesn't cite in a short interview. (Likely the citations are in the book... which doesn't help us.)
And that's the first off-the-books cost that occurs to me, a college sports ignoramus, to look for. So now I know that those statistics are at least incomplete for the purposes of examining the overall picture; but can I even trust the statistics provided? I suspect that further investigation would reveal many more expenses and costs, and few revenues.
"Yet if you look at all those powerhouse [college football] programs across the country, only seven or eight actually rake in money."
I've now heard this point made by several individuals and it's simply not true. Purely in terms of revenues versus costs, the majority of division 1A programs in the country make money. For 76 of the 120 div 1A programs, revenues exceeded costs as reported to the government in 2008. In many cases (20+), the profits are significant -- 10's of millions of dollars. Football programs make it possible for other non-revenue generating sports to exist.
The raw data can be found here: http://www.ope.ed.gov/athletics/
Also, I can anecdotally say that having gone to a school with a decent football team, it has kept me in touch with a number of my friends, provided a rallying point for alumni, and will play a role in my future giving to my alma mater.
Edit: For clarification...