The “college” football season is in high gear, with ever bigger dollars flowing through what is actually a business. As a result–and also to raise their profile in attracting more students and fans–ever more schools are joining the bigtime (expensive) competition. Paradoxically, this is occurring even as participation rates in high-school football have declined noticeablyContinue reading “Gridiron Riches Aren’t for Everybody on Saturdays”
Tag Archives: NCAA
Moneyball 101: Reloading and Releaguing College Football
“College football” is not only more like a professional game at its higher levels these days, but it is also as much of a business story as a sports one. At the moment, the phenomenon of NIL (name-image-likeness) payments to the athletes is focusing attention on Texas Tech University. For years, Texas Tech has hadContinue reading “Moneyball 101: Reloading and Releaguing College Football”
Tight End of the College Sports Craze
Sometimes journalists look for the opposite of the silver lining. That’s the case with this month’s New York Times report on how the now-giant business of “college” football has tightened the home-rental markets in university towns hosting big sports events. Viewed commercially, one great aspect of the NCAA-bred fandom is that it has spread wealthContinue reading “Tight End of the College Sports Craze”
Title IX’s Ticket to Training Camp
The big business of college sports in the U.S. is for the better or worse, and has many causes and consequences. One reason that the two highly commercial features of most programs–football and men’s basketball–are such big tickets is that they not only carry their own ever-heavier weight but also that of most of theContinue reading “Title IX’s Ticket to Training Camp”
Tim W. Ferguson 