OTish - WaPo story on Athletic departments out of control spending.

Submitted by Bigku22 on
I've seen numerous stories on the ridiculous spending of college athletic departments recently, Bacon has covered it for UM as well. This Washington Post article references Michigan and the increases under Brandon. Even a bigger disgrace to me is a college like Rutgers who runs at a deficit and has to charge students outlandish fees to fund their athletic department. At this point I feel college athletic departments are fueled by a higher level of greed and corruption than Wall Street. Players put their mental and physical wellbeing at risk, but can't be compensated, while athletic departments are paying 6 figure salaries to admins. Disgraceful. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/as-college-sports-revenues-spike-…
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Sopwith

December 30th, 2015 at 12:39 PM ^

I think the national and international coverage are top notch, not quite as expansive as NYT, but better overall on political coverage. I can't speak to the entertainment, sports, or local sections as I don't read those.

Because you don't agree with the editorial staff's politics doesn't make a newspaper a rag, that's a standard brainless political trope.

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Tyrone Biggums

December 30th, 2015 at 11:35 AM ^

I think it's hard to find an AD staff that can make profitable and attractive product. There are only about 20 FBS schools that are able to pull this off. Without a strong Football program it's damn near impossible. What are schools supposed to do? The market rate for a great football coach is 3 million+ not including the assistants. The salary problem is societal, ADs aren't any different than any other business. 

http://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2014/dec/22/jim-moran/mor…

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drzoidburg

December 30th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^

Um, those other aren't "profitable" only because they intentionally overpay staff they don't remotely need, and build shit like $10 million golf club renovation and $200 million luxury boxes I have a number of preferable solutions: get rid of 20 of those marketing assclowns and in their place do any of the following: Pay the starting 22 $100,000 a year, Schedule an SEC opponent every year Or nix the golf renovation and pay the starters like $1,000,000 / schedule 4 SEC opponents / cut ticket prices by $100 Or some combination thereof

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sdogg1m

December 30th, 2015 at 11:39 AM ^

Athletics are meant for competition and to bring out the best in the players. We, the fans, all want to see and support a winner and departments are forced by us to be creative in fielding a winner. Until fans start placing less of emphasis on college athletics and look for something else to gauge our interests then these athletic departments will have to engage in their own competitions.

 

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drzoidburg

December 30th, 2015 at 7:27 PM ^

Did you even read the article? WTF does "fielding a winner" have to do with 60 support staff standing in the alabama team photo? Or 200+ full time workers in the UM AD, many making 6 figures? Coaches and workout facilities and help with recruiting makes some sense at least, but the rest of that is just extreme nepotism taking advantage of the real workers

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Tyrone Biggums

December 30th, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^

There have actually been quite a few peer reviewed studies on the subject of happiness recently that have shown that beyond having enough money to meet your basic needs (shelter, food, family..) money does not make you happier. In fact social happiness decreases beyond critical income levels.

Biggie was right. Mo money, mo problems.

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bluepow

December 30th, 2015 at 3:04 PM ^

I would say in the modern era the number is about what, maybe $70,000 (obviously tons of factors)?  Beyond that there is incrementally more comfort and fun for sure but there is also a lot more distraction and likely more stress from an occupation that pays handsomely.  Time is money as they say; I personally read that as: with more time I got Mo Money.  Money living that is.

Of course I live in an old miner's cabin on the flanks of the Continental Divide; perhaps not for everyone but great for me; hell, I am about to go out for a ski tour right now.  Bottom line: to each their own but focus on what counts and use the dollar, don't be used by the dollar.

For me what counts is the longstanding passionate tradition of Michigan Football.  Dollars play no role in that, in fact they often distract from it.  Maryland.  Rutgers.

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MGoBender

December 30th, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^

Spending is out of control, but I don't see the "oh, the poor athletes" argument.

It is the athletes that beneift most from this outrageous spending. 

You'll retort with "Look at the coaches salaries, look at the admin salaries."

Most coaches and admins are former athletes.  Student athletes aren't just getting a scholarship, world class facilities to eat, sleep, play and train in, free food and clothing, world class training, bowl game gift bags with $350 Best Buy gift cards.  They are also getting unique "internships" in college athletics.  They are getting experience that could open doors later on.  

Regular students and recent-grads take on poorly paying jobs all the time if it means that it could open doors later.

Yes, spending is out of control, but I really tire of notion that these athletes are beign taken advantage of.  

 

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superstringer

December 30th, 2015 at 1:48 PM ^

There is a difference between "taken advantage of" and "realizing full market value." Because they are not grtting the latter. Remove the articial restraints on paying them, and how much does the average Bama DL player get? A lot more than he gets now.

Thats why the NCAA is so anti-capitalism. But instead run by the guys at the top getting rich offof everyone else. Its really akin to communism, in a way.



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MGoBender

December 30th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^

If the NCAA wasn't "anti-capitalism" then we would only have football and men's basketball.  That would literally be it.  No hockey (even if a few teams are in the black, not enough for competition), no baseball, no softball, no soccer.  No anything else.  I don't want to live in that world.

I'd argue that an average football player that is unknown outside his team's fanbase is getting full market value, if not more.  It's the top 1-3% that might not be getting full market value.  For those, I say let them benefit financially from their likeness and autographs.  I feel that's an easy fix and is fair.

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drzoidburg

December 30th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^

That is the other side of the argument that's rarely explored - the punter or 3rd string QB getting a $50k scholarship. Of course though, if they were a regular student, the value of that scholarship is diminished thru grants (if poor background) or parents paying their way (if rich). Then there is the question of whether their sports management degrees are worth much at all. Ultimately though, i have to conclude that if a team of 80 players brings in $30 million, the starters are definitely under-compensated I also have to ask if it would be so terrible if Michigan didn't have a rowing team or tennis team. You know, all of 20 people show up to these even though they're free. This isn't high school.

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DairyQueen

December 30th, 2015 at 3:04 PM ^

The university is a corporation. At both the athletic and academic levels.

Tuition has increased (as student loan debt passes 1.2 Trillion --can't claim bankruptcy btw), uni administrators and coach salaries have sky-rocketed, and diversity has actually DECREASED at Michigan since the 1990s.

However, universities like UM are more profitable than ever. At the expense of the middle-class american people and debt.

It's not all the colleges or Michigan in particular. It has to do with the United States particular brand of capitalism and economic system (corruption/de-regulation/DC-to-Wall-Street/uninformed American voters), and it's underlying logic.

 

In short, the spending is there because the profits justify it.

End of story.

That's what capital markets do. (which isn't inherently good or bad)

And this is one of the most fundamental shortcomings of capitalism (not that I'm against capitalism as a whole--but it's funny I feel the need to append that), i.e. the ends justify the means, i.e. morality and ideals are thrown by the wayside.

It can have terrible consequences (and often does).

 

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drzoidburg

December 30th, 2015 at 7:15 PM ^

i have no idea what you're talking about "expense of the middle class." That multi-billion fundraiser came from donors. Public spending is now almost down to single digit % of the budget. Yes, the academic admin hires and salaries have become bloated, but nowhere near at the level of a Harbaugh, who is responsible for the success of a *much* smaller department that isn't even part of the college mission statement The students are there for a degree and are not being exploited to nearly the extent of a football player...who brings in on average about $400,000 a year. In fact, thanks to generous college grant, i didn't even have to take out a loan. That would *never* happen if what you say is true, and it's just a bloodsucking corporation. College loan debt is largely a product of state and private schools with no endowment to speak of

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Toasted Yosties

December 30th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^

what will be the impact? I've read articles with various views on what might happen with changes regarding cable TV packages and what not, but not so much on how it will impact the incomes and cashflows of athletic programs. I'd assume it would be hard on every program, devastating to ones spending money to build their programs to elite status. Will we simply see less stadium- and facility-building projects, a reduction in non-revenue sports, or perhaps the scrapping of football programs at smaller schools?

I'll take my answer off the air.

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drzoidburg

December 30th, 2015 at 7:05 PM ^

That florida state bitch saying it's no diff from any other corporation...that is exactly the problem and why people like her have no place at public universities. They don't even realize these places are by definition *NON PROFIT* and therefore NOT like corporations in any way This will bite them in the ass when the courts rule in favor of the players. Who can forget statements like that or by the clemson coach about "entitlement." The "arms race" and rampant exploitation has been their own doing If admin spending was like back in the 90s and rutgers et al weren't reaching into the dwindling academic coffers, no one would even notice

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