The Craziness of College Athletics
I am a college sports addict. I’ve been known to watch the men’s or women’s national championship golf matches on the Golf Channel. That’s in addition to football, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. Truth be known, it’s what I wanted to do when I came out of law school. Actually, I wanted to be President of the NCAA before, during, and after attending law school. As I look back on 25 years of my career, I can’t be more thankful that I found another path.
Recently, the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles both announced they would be joining the Big Ten Conference. If you don’t follow college sports, the Big Ten encompasses the upper Midwest into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. So, the addition of two Southern California teams/universities is a big move. And you might ask why?
I tell my son when he asks questions of me that the answer to most inquiries is a simple concept… Money. The same is true here.
Television revenues for the Big Ten, with a new contract to be announced, could be as much as $100 million per school per year. The Pac12 Conference, where USC and UCLA are leaving, is about $35 million per school per year. And now you can understand the same answer that I give to my son.
The landscape of college sports is changing so quickly. As someone who loves it, it makes me a little sad. But in the same vein, if you’re not willing to adjust, you’ll be left behind. And quickly. I hope we don’t forget about the student-athlete to make all of this possible. I’m not talking about paying them money as much as I am about the challenges of travel, actually going to class, and just good life balance. I can’t imagine being an Athletics Director today and trying to figure all of this out and at the same time keep the student athletes’ best interest at heart. What a challenge.
What I do know is as much as 45 years ago, when I would go to the game holding my mom and dad’s hands, is not even in the same universe as now when I take my son to college athletic events. Adjustments are hard. But like the rest of the world, keeping your options open and thinking forward will always give you the best result.
