The Greed of College Football
What the hell are we doing, college football? College football is again being hijacked by TV broadcast contracts, forcing schools to move and play in a different conference, even if the school is literally across the country, for fear of being left out of the loot that comes with it. The Pac-10 or Pac-12, or whatever that conference is now, has been left in the dark. Imagine this, Oregon traveling to New Jersey to face Rutgers in a conference match up. Why? Because of the money that drives college football.
But what about all the other collegiate sports? This whole conference realignment nonsense does not suit any other sport outside of maybe college basketball, and who the hell wants to watch a glorified high school basketball on television? Well, the answer is millions of people do, in the name of gambling (a story for another time), but outside of a rare trip the Carrier Dome (I know that’s not the name and I don’t care), it’s not for me, Clive. All these other sports suffer. They don’t get chartered planes -instead, they get that sketchy white Caravan driven by the team manager, with the school name stenciled on the side of it, with something like five rows of seating and no room for luggage. And it’s all because schools “can’t afford it.” It’s weird what schools can build to attract recruits for football though, huh? Sweet new locker rooms and new training facilities, all for the money maker - football.
Weird how, despite all this cash coming in, there isn’t enough money for the athletes who break their bodies for the schools. Weird how college football coaches make millions of dollars and when they decide to quit, get a buy out (transfers in college athletics a story for another time). It’s even weirder how coaches and administrators clutch their pearls when the topic of compensating players is even brought up. And spare me the “they get a scholarship” argument. It’s antiquated and “student athlete” is a BS made up term that the NCAA came up with so they wouldn’t have to pay athletes. (Also, on a side note, dear politicians, keep your beaks out of athletics - college and professional - and instead, focus and do the f**king job you were elected for. Thanks.)
There is a simple solution to all this, you know: Separate out college football from all other sports. Make four mega conferences. It will solve the silly Oregon going to New Jersey to play women’s volleyball scenario.
Think about the marginalized sports, folks. I know college football is king, but there are so many other athletes that deserve a lot better than this. And I know that there is a trickle down effect (theoretically) for these other sports to exist because of the money that football makes. But let’s get real. The greed is no longer hidden, it’s blatant. And the players should no longer be considered amateurs. They haven’t been for a long time.