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The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football
AN EXPLOSIVE AND REVELATORY PORTRAIT REPORTED FROM DEEP BEHIND THE SCENES OF BIG-TIME NCAA COLLEGE THE PASSION, THE THRILLING ACTION—AND THE SHOCKING REALITIES THAT LIE BENEATH THIS COLOSSAL, MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL has never been more popular—or more chaotic. Millions fill 100,000-seat stadiums every Saturday; tens of millions more watch on television every weekend. The 2013 Discover BCS National Championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama had a viewership of 26.4 million people, second only to the Super Bowl. Billions of dollars from television deals now flow into the game; the average budget for a top-ten team is $80 million; top coaches make more than $3 million a year; the highest paid, more than $5 million.
But behind this glittering success are darker “athlete-students” working essentially full-time jobs with no share in the oceans of money; players who often don’t graduate and end their careers with broken bodies; “janitors” who clean up player misconduct; football “hostesses” willing to do whatever it takes to land a top recruit; seven-figure black box recruiting slush funds. And Despite the millions of dollars pouring into the game, 90 percent of major athletic departments still lose money. Yet schools remain caught up in an ever-escalating “arms race”—at the expense of academic scholarships, facilities and faculty.
Celebrated investigative journalists Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian were granted unprecedented access during the 2012 season to programs at the highest levels across the country at a time of convulsive change in college football. Through dogged reporting, they explored every nook and cranny of this high-powered machine, and reveal how it operates from the inside out. The the system through the eyes of athletic directors and coaches, high-flying boosters and high-profile TV stars, five-star recruits and tireless NCAA investigators and the kids on whom the whole vast enterprise depends.
Both a celebration of the power and pageantry of NCAA football and a groundbreaking, thought-provoking critique of its excesses, The System is the definitive book on the college game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL has never been more popular—or more chaotic. Millions fill 100,000-seat stadiums every Saturday; tens of millions more watch on television every weekend. The 2013 Discover BCS National Championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama had a viewership of 26.4 million people, second only to the Super Bowl. Billions of dollars from television deals now flow into the game; the average budget for a top-ten team is $80 million; top coaches make more than $3 million a year; the highest paid, more than $5 million.
But behind this glittering success are darker “athlete-students” working essentially full-time jobs with no share in the oceans of money; players who often don’t graduate and end their careers with broken bodies; “janitors” who clean up player misconduct; football “hostesses” willing to do whatever it takes to land a top recruit; seven-figure black box recruiting slush funds. And Despite the millions of dollars pouring into the game, 90 percent of major athletic departments still lose money. Yet schools remain caught up in an ever-escalating “arms race”—at the expense of academic scholarships, facilities and faculty.
Celebrated investigative journalists Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian were granted unprecedented access during the 2012 season to programs at the highest levels across the country at a time of convulsive change in college football. Through dogged reporting, they explored every nook and cranny of this high-powered machine, and reveal how it operates from the inside out. The the system through the eyes of athletic directors and coaches, high-flying boosters and high-profile TV stars, five-star recruits and tireless NCAA investigators and the kids on whom the whole vast enterprise depends.
Both a celebration of the power and pageantry of NCAA football and a groundbreaking, thought-provoking critique of its excesses, The System is the definitive book on the college game.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2013
290 people are currently reading
3524 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Benedict
38 books173 followersJeff Benedict conducted the first national study on sexual assault and athletes. He has published three books on athletes and crime, including a blistering exposé on the NFL, Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL, and Public Heroes, Private Felons: Athletes and Crimes Against Women. He is a lawyer and an investigative journalist who has written five books.
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October 8, 2013
When I picked up THE SYSTEM: THE GLORY AND SCANDAL OF BIG-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian off the shelf at my favorite bookstore I flashed back to the early 1970s when I was an academic tutor for the football program at a division one school. As I thumbed through the book’s pages it was a natural for me to purchase it as I wanted to explore how collegiate football had changed over the decades and see if the abuses I witnessed decades ago still existed. I am sorry to say many of the things discussed by the authors were similar to situations I had encountered. I worked for one of the top coaches in the collegiate game and I was responsible for tutoring football players in the “jock dorm” each night and I had double duty before midterm and semester exams. I was told on many occasions that “resources” were available to make sure players passed their courses. The purpose of this review is not to report on my experiences, but to see what Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian uncovered in their thorough and eye opening portrait of college football as the 2013 collegiate season commenced.
The book outlines many important issues that haunt college football. The authors cover well known scandals that have been reported in the last ten years. The “tattoo” problem at Ohio State under Jim Tressel in addition to other NCAA violations that led ultimately led to Tressel’s firing is explored in detail. The problems that enveloped Penn State because of the Jerry Sandusky situation is presented very clearly as to who was to blame for the university cover up of sexual abuse of youngsters put in Sandusky’s charge. Events at the University of Miami that highlighted the problem of boosters and their influence and impact on college football programs are dissected and what emerges is a widespread problem that existed throughout the country and was not endemic just too a few schools. Recruiting methods reflect a college game that at times is out of control. Offers of money, sex, cars and other amenities are very prevalent but are to be expected when universities are forced to hire coaches, many of which are fully aware of what boosters and others are offering recruits, to compete in what has become a multi-million dollar industry.
The discussion of violations in the tutoring program struck home for me. I remember the words of the head coach I worked for; “Steve, I have this here linebacker and he has to pass” and the coach reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a wad of game tickets for me to sell and he also told me to charge the Athletic Department whatever amount was necessary to make sure his boys passed their courses. The authors delineate the problems of the tutoring program at a number of institutions and for me some of the issues dealing with academic cheating that were present in the 1970s remain the same. The authors offer a great of evidence as it explored the number of criminal acts that college football players commit. Rape, drugs, violent acts are all part of the picture. In addition, when football players commit some of these acts in many cases universities do not cooperate and try to avoid responsibility when dealing with NCAA investigations. What concerns me is that universities became aware of criminal records of recruits before they enrolled, and then appear surprised when these same individuals committed the same types of acts in college.
To the authors credit not everything in the book is negative. Benedict and Keteyian focus some of their attention on individual portraits of young men, coaches, and universities that present uplifting stories. The discussion of the BYU program under coach Bronco Mendenhall gives one hope that not all college programs are unethical. The discussion centering on Towson University is also exemplary as are other examples that are provided.
The book not only deals with events related to campus life but it has a wonderful chapter on ESPN and its “Game Day” program. The reader is taken inside the recruitment of announcers and how telecasts are put together. The authors also explore the financial commitment that the networks have made as well as how profitable it has become for the networks in addition to universities as the football programs bring in millions of dollars each year. The sums involved are enormous which explains why the college game has become so cut throat. The book closes with a chapter dealing with Nick Saban and his Alabama football team. The chapter presents a positive spin on how Saban developed his coaching philosophy and how it is employed at Alabama.
Alabama and the other 119 division programs are part of the national spectacle of college football and a game that has allowed universities to use the success on the grid iron as a source of revenue to benefit both athletic and academic programs. Though the book does explore some wonderful stories of achievement and success on a personal level by those involved in the game, the authors note a great deal of caution as they close the book by summing up the issues that still plague college football, “One could almost forget the unremitting pressure, the scandals haunting the sport-the bidding wars for top recruits; the booster payoffs; the horrific injuries; the academic cheating; the rising tide of criminal acts; the brute fact that the young men who sacrificed on the field were interchangeable pieces who have received none of the billions of revenue the game generated.” (386) For those looking for an inside look at these issues as the NCAA battles to try and weed out certain individuals and practices, THE SYSTEM is the perfect book for you.
The book outlines many important issues that haunt college football. The authors cover well known scandals that have been reported in the last ten years. The “tattoo” problem at Ohio State under Jim Tressel in addition to other NCAA violations that led ultimately led to Tressel’s firing is explored in detail. The problems that enveloped Penn State because of the Jerry Sandusky situation is presented very clearly as to who was to blame for the university cover up of sexual abuse of youngsters put in Sandusky’s charge. Events at the University of Miami that highlighted the problem of boosters and their influence and impact on college football programs are dissected and what emerges is a widespread problem that existed throughout the country and was not endemic just too a few schools. Recruiting methods reflect a college game that at times is out of control. Offers of money, sex, cars and other amenities are very prevalent but are to be expected when universities are forced to hire coaches, many of which are fully aware of what boosters and others are offering recruits, to compete in what has become a multi-million dollar industry.
The discussion of violations in the tutoring program struck home for me. I remember the words of the head coach I worked for; “Steve, I have this here linebacker and he has to pass” and the coach reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a wad of game tickets for me to sell and he also told me to charge the Athletic Department whatever amount was necessary to make sure his boys passed their courses. The authors delineate the problems of the tutoring program at a number of institutions and for me some of the issues dealing with academic cheating that were present in the 1970s remain the same. The authors offer a great of evidence as it explored the number of criminal acts that college football players commit. Rape, drugs, violent acts are all part of the picture. In addition, when football players commit some of these acts in many cases universities do not cooperate and try to avoid responsibility when dealing with NCAA investigations. What concerns me is that universities became aware of criminal records of recruits before they enrolled, and then appear surprised when these same individuals committed the same types of acts in college.
To the authors credit not everything in the book is negative. Benedict and Keteyian focus some of their attention on individual portraits of young men, coaches, and universities that present uplifting stories. The discussion of the BYU program under coach Bronco Mendenhall gives one hope that not all college programs are unethical. The discussion centering on Towson University is also exemplary as are other examples that are provided.
The book not only deals with events related to campus life but it has a wonderful chapter on ESPN and its “Game Day” program. The reader is taken inside the recruitment of announcers and how telecasts are put together. The authors also explore the financial commitment that the networks have made as well as how profitable it has become for the networks in addition to universities as the football programs bring in millions of dollars each year. The sums involved are enormous which explains why the college game has become so cut throat. The book closes with a chapter dealing with Nick Saban and his Alabama football team. The chapter presents a positive spin on how Saban developed his coaching philosophy and how it is employed at Alabama.
Alabama and the other 119 division programs are part of the national spectacle of college football and a game that has allowed universities to use the success on the grid iron as a source of revenue to benefit both athletic and academic programs. Though the book does explore some wonderful stories of achievement and success on a personal level by those involved in the game, the authors note a great deal of caution as they close the book by summing up the issues that still plague college football, “One could almost forget the unremitting pressure, the scandals haunting the sport-the bidding wars for top recruits; the booster payoffs; the horrific injuries; the academic cheating; the rising tide of criminal acts; the brute fact that the young men who sacrificed on the field were interchangeable pieces who have received none of the billions of revenue the game generated.” (386) For those looking for an inside look at these issues as the NCAA battles to try and weed out certain individuals and practices, THE SYSTEM is the perfect book for you.
May 31, 2014
The Seedy Underbelly of College Football
My dad, the consummate sports fan, wanted me to read this because the writers investigate football programs at schools where I've attended or worked. I didn't read the entire book but focused on those schools only. I'd had a suspicion there was corruption in college football, and some of these reports confirmed it. But the sportswriters also revealed honest coaches, administrators, and athletes striving to do their best.
I liked the different perspectives presented, and it was interesting that I found myself believing the words of a maligned booster more than the coach or athletic director at one school. I was horrified by a sexual assault case involving a football player and a tutor.
I particularly enjoyed the insight into rehabbing an underperforming program at Washington State University. First, the athletic director left Oregon for farming before heading to WSU:
In Moos's final press conference at Eugene, a reporter asked him why on earth he'd walk away from one of the premier programs in college athletics to work with cows. Moos famously said, "I guess I'm at a point in my life where I'd rather step in it than put up with it."
Then Moos goes after a top coach, Mike Leach, who like most football coaches has a potty mouth, but unlike most coaches, is rather innovative:
NCAA rules prohibit official workouts for football players during the eight-week period from January 1 through the start of spring practice in late February. Every BCS program gets around this rule by holding what are called "voluntary" workouts. What made Leach's approach unusual was the timing of these so-called voluntary sessions -- late at night (from ten to midnight).
"Everywhere I've ever coached, no one does this. People do conditioning at six in the morning. Leach's philosophy is that no one is ever in the fourth quarter of a game at six in the morning. The fourth quarter happens late at night."
Exactly! I love that forward thinking. But I don't love the blatant disregard for "voluntary" workouts. No coach in Division I athletics understands the true meaning of that word, and their bulldozing over student-athletes' free time can be abusive.
"These workouts are voluntary," Leach said. "But here's the thing. The starting lineup is voluntary, too. If you think you are going to dick off and do some half-ass bullshit, the starting lineup is voluntary, too."
This book truly gives an insider perspective to the fascinating world of college football.
My dad, the consummate sports fan, wanted me to read this because the writers investigate football programs at schools where I've attended or worked. I didn't read the entire book but focused on those schools only. I'd had a suspicion there was corruption in college football, and some of these reports confirmed it. But the sportswriters also revealed honest coaches, administrators, and athletes striving to do their best.
I liked the different perspectives presented, and it was interesting that I found myself believing the words of a maligned booster more than the coach or athletic director at one school. I was horrified by a sexual assault case involving a football player and a tutor.
I particularly enjoyed the insight into rehabbing an underperforming program at Washington State University. First, the athletic director left Oregon for farming before heading to WSU:
In Moos's final press conference at Eugene, a reporter asked him why on earth he'd walk away from one of the premier programs in college athletics to work with cows. Moos famously said, "I guess I'm at a point in my life where I'd rather step in it than put up with it."
Then Moos goes after a top coach, Mike Leach, who like most football coaches has a potty mouth, but unlike most coaches, is rather innovative:
NCAA rules prohibit official workouts for football players during the eight-week period from January 1 through the start of spring practice in late February. Every BCS program gets around this rule by holding what are called "voluntary" workouts. What made Leach's approach unusual was the timing of these so-called voluntary sessions -- late at night (from ten to midnight).
"Everywhere I've ever coached, no one does this. People do conditioning at six in the morning. Leach's philosophy is that no one is ever in the fourth quarter of a game at six in the morning. The fourth quarter happens late at night."
Exactly! I love that forward thinking. But I don't love the blatant disregard for "voluntary" workouts. No coach in Division I athletics understands the true meaning of that word, and their bulldozing over student-athletes' free time can be abusive.
"These workouts are voluntary," Leach said. "But here's the thing. The starting lineup is voluntary, too. If you think you are going to dick off and do some half-ass bullshit, the starting lineup is voluntary, too."
This book truly gives an insider perspective to the fascinating world of college football.
July 10, 2020
The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian.
I’ve never been one to want to look in someone else’s medicine cabinet. But this book does that by looking at those issues in college football that few want to know about or discuss. And surprisingly I am glad I read it.
There are 27 loosely connected chapters in the book covering very serious issues in the 2012 college football season. This was a watershed timeframe in many regards. The Penn State scandal, the concussion scandal, etc.. This read will make anyone shake their head in dismay. But in the seven years since this book was written the NCAA juggernaut is bigger than ever. So without further adieu here are the best chapters.
The Closer: The Life of a College Football Hostess.
This was one of the most enlightening chapters in the book. I had no idea that this was a common thing. Attractive college girls, primarily in the South’s Power Five conferences, are used as bait to recruit prospective underage football players, most often junior and seniors in high schools. There is not much left to the imagination of what some college coaches and athletic directors expected these hostesses to do in the name of recruiting.
The Coach Part II. Terminated
This chapter follows the disturbing behavior of Mike Leach, Texas Tech’s head coach for 10 seasons and all time winningest coach. We learn of Leach’s verbal and psychological abuse of Adam James — having the player isolated in a dark shed and closet during several practices — all because James told a team doctor that he had a concussion which meant he couldn’t practice for a week. Leach felt Adam was soft and disliked the player’s father. The father, Craig James, was an ESPN analyst so he used his national prominence position to pressure the university, rightly so, to fire Leach. An out-of- control coach. Perhaps the best written chapter in the book.
The Victim.
This chapter covers the gang rape committed by four Brigham Young Football Players against Jane Brown a minor who attended a party and refused drinks but apparently was drugged. Brown bravely reported the rape to police. The football players were eventually dismissed from the team but not convicted by the jury. The reason — they had suffered enough and lost their scholarships! What about Jane Brown the obvious victim. This was the most outrage inducing chapter in the book — hands down. Although short it is highly reminiscent of ‘Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town’ by John Krakauer.
The Booster. What $248 Million Will Buy You?
T. Boone Pickens and Phil Knight each donated hundreds of millions to their alma maters, Oklahoma State and Oregon respectively, to turn them into National Championship contenders. What might have once been a scandal, seems mild compared to all of the other chapters of transgressions highlighted in the book. But interesting nonetheless.
The Tutor: Friends with Benefits
This chapter covers the sexual assault of University of Missouri tutor by football player Derrick Washington. Similar story to the earlier chapter entitled ‘Victim’. Equally as disturbing. According to statistics presented in this book college football players commit sexual assaults at 3x the rate of the general male population.
4.5 stars. This is an informative book and one of the best on college football. It is organized a little oddly in that threads keep resurfacing and my interest did began to wane a little at the very end. But the largely invisible and seedy aspects of the “industry” are indeed exposed and the book as a whole is engaging albeit a bit maddening. And make no mistake college football is a multi-billion dollar industry. For example the University of Texas Longhorns, for several years running, annually made over $100 Million profit just from their football program. And that is just one of the many programs across the country.
I’ve never been one to want to look in someone else’s medicine cabinet. But this book does that by looking at those issues in college football that few want to know about or discuss. And surprisingly I am glad I read it.
There are 27 loosely connected chapters in the book covering very serious issues in the 2012 college football season. This was a watershed timeframe in many regards. The Penn State scandal, the concussion scandal, etc.. This read will make anyone shake their head in dismay. But in the seven years since this book was written the NCAA juggernaut is bigger than ever. So without further adieu here are the best chapters.
The Closer: The Life of a College Football Hostess.
This was one of the most enlightening chapters in the book. I had no idea that this was a common thing. Attractive college girls, primarily in the South’s Power Five conferences, are used as bait to recruit prospective underage football players, most often junior and seniors in high schools. There is not much left to the imagination of what some college coaches and athletic directors expected these hostesses to do in the name of recruiting.
The Coach Part II. Terminated
This chapter follows the disturbing behavior of Mike Leach, Texas Tech’s head coach for 10 seasons and all time winningest coach. We learn of Leach’s verbal and psychological abuse of Adam James — having the player isolated in a dark shed and closet during several practices — all because James told a team doctor that he had a concussion which meant he couldn’t practice for a week. Leach felt Adam was soft and disliked the player’s father. The father, Craig James, was an ESPN analyst so he used his national prominence position to pressure the university, rightly so, to fire Leach. An out-of- control coach. Perhaps the best written chapter in the book.
The Victim.
This chapter covers the gang rape committed by four Brigham Young Football Players against Jane Brown a minor who attended a party and refused drinks but apparently was drugged. Brown bravely reported the rape to police. The football players were eventually dismissed from the team but not convicted by the jury. The reason — they had suffered enough and lost their scholarships! What about Jane Brown the obvious victim. This was the most outrage inducing chapter in the book — hands down. Although short it is highly reminiscent of ‘Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town’ by John Krakauer.
The Booster. What $248 Million Will Buy You?
T. Boone Pickens and Phil Knight each donated hundreds of millions to their alma maters, Oklahoma State and Oregon respectively, to turn them into National Championship contenders. What might have once been a scandal, seems mild compared to all of the other chapters of transgressions highlighted in the book. But interesting nonetheless.
The Tutor: Friends with Benefits
This chapter covers the sexual assault of University of Missouri tutor by football player Derrick Washington. Similar story to the earlier chapter entitled ‘Victim’. Equally as disturbing. According to statistics presented in this book college football players commit sexual assaults at 3x the rate of the general male population.
4.5 stars. This is an informative book and one of the best on college football. It is organized a little oddly in that threads keep resurfacing and my interest did began to wane a little at the very end. But the largely invisible and seedy aspects of the “industry” are indeed exposed and the book as a whole is engaging albeit a bit maddening. And make no mistake college football is a multi-billion dollar industry. For example the University of Texas Longhorns, for several years running, annually made over $100 Million profit just from their football program. And that is just one of the many programs across the country.
October 19, 2013
Avid college football fans will like The System, which is a well-reported book that examines college football from many different angles. Casual fans will probably like a few chapters, and be nauseated by the man-crushes on manly-men coaches and the accolades showered on their doting, ever-supporting wives. Women in general get short-shrift in this book. Too often they are victims of sexual assault from athletes. The phrase “rape culture” isn’t mentioned, yet the book does devote a couple of chapters about it. But maddingly, it devotes chapters on how super-duper-awesome ESPN’s College Gameday is. (Seriously, the main host (can’t remember his name) stays up until 3 in the morning to fine-tune the obvious, dull-witted opening? Side note – the dude’s seriously ripped, as evidenced by a picture of him in a t-shirt.)
The book is written by Armen Keteyian and some other dude. Keteyian has done HBO Real Sports and something called 60 Minutes Sports. Not surprisingly, the book consists of bite-sized chapters that are roughly equivalent in length to a TV news magazine segment. Like any news magazine, some segments are better than others. The level of quality never wavers – these guys are old-fashioned shoe-leather reporters. But they choose sides. And typically, they choose the side of whomever granted them an interview. A guy is accused of sexual assault, but the accuser doesn’t talk to the reporters but the accused does. So the accused is seen as the victim.
Still, there are some real gems. The chapter “The Closer,” which details how undergraduate women in Tennessee who were hired by the athletic department to help lure recruits. Lane Kifflin is portrayed in a rather unfavorable light. There are lots of chapters on Mike Leach. I still think he’s a jerk, but I’m more sympathetic. But I’m also sympathetic to the wide receiver who quit his super-macho program because he thought it was bs. The authors think he’s a wuss, but I think he’s one of the few sensible people in the book. Ultimately that’s the problem with this book. The authors might point out the flaws, but they’ve bought into “the system.” Normal people would see Nick Saban as an insufferable micromanaging control freak, but he wins championships, so it’s all good – in this book, anyway.
The book is written by Armen Keteyian and some other dude. Keteyian has done HBO Real Sports and something called 60 Minutes Sports. Not surprisingly, the book consists of bite-sized chapters that are roughly equivalent in length to a TV news magazine segment. Like any news magazine, some segments are better than others. The level of quality never wavers – these guys are old-fashioned shoe-leather reporters. But they choose sides. And typically, they choose the side of whomever granted them an interview. A guy is accused of sexual assault, but the accuser doesn’t talk to the reporters but the accused does. So the accused is seen as the victim.
Still, there are some real gems. The chapter “The Closer,” which details how undergraduate women in Tennessee who were hired by the athletic department to help lure recruits. Lane Kifflin is portrayed in a rather unfavorable light. There are lots of chapters on Mike Leach. I still think he’s a jerk, but I’m more sympathetic. But I’m also sympathetic to the wide receiver who quit his super-macho program because he thought it was bs. The authors think he’s a wuss, but I think he’s one of the few sensible people in the book. Ultimately that’s the problem with this book. The authors might point out the flaws, but they’ve bought into “the system.” Normal people would see Nick Saban as an insufferable micromanaging control freak, but he wins championships, so it’s all good – in this book, anyway.
August 6, 2015
I am a huge college football fan, and the sport is a major reason I love fall so much and commands much of each of my Saturdays during the season. So I may be predisposed to like this book in the first place. I found the structure interesting, the stories compelling, and the opinions and facts fascinating. It did a lot to change my perception of my own alma mater's football team, BYU, and its coach. Bronco's re-prioritizing of the team's goals following the rape case against some BYU football players was a strong factor in this, as well as the influence for good he was in the lives of the two best defensive players BYU had in my time there, Kyle Van Noy and Ezekiel Ansah. I was proud to have these people representing my school and am totally ok with winning games being Bronco's fifth priority.
Beyond that, the book changed my perceptions of some of the events surrounding the OSU scandals that played into the intense schadenfreude I felt as they had unfolded years ago. As a Michigan fan, OSU makes me sick, but the book humanized many of the people involved for me and made me feel more than a little guilty about how happy I'd been when the school was hit by sanctions. Though I still don't feel bad for the Sweater Vest.
I enjoyed following Mike Leach from his days at BYU through to the rebuild currently going on at WSU. I was out of the country and didn't follow the sport at all from 2008–2010, so the book filled me in on a lot of things I vaguely knew about (ie, Kiffin at Tennessee, Leach's TTU departure) but wasn't here for. It was also fun to read about many of the games I watched and attended after returning to the states.
Finally, the book made me think long and hard about the culture of the sport I love. A system in which student athletes get away with sexual assaults and in which school admins favor the athletes in the investigations. A system which makes billions off of athletes it in turn suspends for receiving $10 for dinner. A system in which people think it's ok to send death threats to a high school senior for decommitting from a school or ratchet up economic pressure on the kid's family to funnel him to a certain team. A system in which rampant criminal behavior often goes unpunished (looking at you in particular, Florida State). A system in which coaching salaries and expenditures on facilities have never been higher, while schools simultaneously lose funding, cut teacher salaries and raise tuition.
I am pumped for the new college season to begin. But I will most definitely be looking at the game through different lenses after reading this book.
Beyond that, the book changed my perceptions of some of the events surrounding the OSU scandals that played into the intense schadenfreude I felt as they had unfolded years ago. As a Michigan fan, OSU makes me sick, but the book humanized many of the people involved for me and made me feel more than a little guilty about how happy I'd been when the school was hit by sanctions. Though I still don't feel bad for the Sweater Vest.
I enjoyed following Mike Leach from his days at BYU through to the rebuild currently going on at WSU. I was out of the country and didn't follow the sport at all from 2008–2010, so the book filled me in on a lot of things I vaguely knew about (ie, Kiffin at Tennessee, Leach's TTU departure) but wasn't here for. It was also fun to read about many of the games I watched and attended after returning to the states.
Finally, the book made me think long and hard about the culture of the sport I love. A system in which student athletes get away with sexual assaults and in which school admins favor the athletes in the investigations. A system which makes billions off of athletes it in turn suspends for receiving $10 for dinner. A system in which people think it's ok to send death threats to a high school senior for decommitting from a school or ratchet up economic pressure on the kid's family to funnel him to a certain team. A system in which rampant criminal behavior often goes unpunished (looking at you in particular, Florida State). A system in which coaching salaries and expenditures on facilities have never been higher, while schools simultaneously lose funding, cut teacher salaries and raise tuition.
I am pumped for the new college season to begin. But I will most definitely be looking at the game through different lenses after reading this book.
January 4, 2018
Just the college football book I've been looking for. Cuts out the commentary and opinions, and reports the facts. Excellent background and stories, well-documented; perfect for those who didn't follow Sports Radio last four yeArs.
June 23, 2020
As we watch college students return to school for "voluntary" workouts while Covid-19 rages on, this book remains important. Though it is focused on college football of nearly a decade ago, not so much has changed. The BCS is now the CFP, Saban is still king in Alabama, Leach has moved to Mississippi, Mark Emmert is still the director of the NCAA, and College Gameday continues to grow.
The first universities to say they would welcome students back this fall were the ones that rely heavily on the football programs, such as Notre Dame, and it looks like recent Covid outbreaks at prominent schools, such as LSU and Clemson, have done little to change the System and its powerful force propelling it forward.
If you are interested in reading about the connections, networks, power brokers and pawns who keep the System chugging on full speed ahead, there are some important lessons to learn from this book - and it will change the way you watch (or don't) college football.
The first universities to say they would welcome students back this fall were the ones that rely heavily on the football programs, such as Notre Dame, and it looks like recent Covid outbreaks at prominent schools, such as LSU and Clemson, have done little to change the System and its powerful force propelling it forward.
If you are interested in reading about the connections, networks, power brokers and pawns who keep the System chugging on full speed ahead, there are some important lessons to learn from this book - and it will change the way you watch (or don't) college football.
October 30, 2024
This book is a detailed look at the state of college football in the time period of 2011-2013 written by two investigative reporters. The book is incredibly interesting in light of the recent NIL agreements with college athletes. I was informed, entertained, pleasantly surprised, and deeply disturbed by the excellent reporting of the two authors. The pageantry of Saturday's Big Games are only a small representative sample of the work, dedication, sacrifice, cheating, and scandal that occurs leading up to our viewing entertainment.
September 2, 2025
epic. i love football. i love scandal. i love when a book is ab a bunch of different things and people but keeps coming back to one person (mike leach). this was really good. loses a star bc it’s over 10 years old so i cared less ab the people bc they aren’t the ones im as familiar w. but still epic
October 30, 2013
One must really like football to wade through the entire four quarters, and seemingly, several overtimes for this bruising linebacker of a book.
Exacting, researched detail, yes, but, I felt like throwing a Delay of Game flag as this tome slogged on. Through court cases, coach hires, recruiting hostess stories it was as if there were too many TV time-outs.
Get ready for hard hits and fasten your helmet chin strap as you take to the gridiron for this saga.
Exacting, researched detail, yes, but, I felt like throwing a Delay of Game flag as this tome slogged on. Through court cases, coach hires, recruiting hostess stories it was as if there were too many TV time-outs.
Get ready for hard hits and fasten your helmet chin strap as you take to the gridiron for this saga.
July 23, 2020
Great perspective on the business of College Football. Hard to read this and not admit it's a large locomotive that's moving at a high rate of speed with a good chance of coming off the rails at some point. I love college football, spend most of my Saturday's in the Fall in front of the TV or attending a game. Some of the problems that the game is creating need to be addressed and this book does a great job exposing those.
December 3, 2018
this book is really amazing
February 18, 2022
It probably speaks more to my cynicism that I felt let down by this book since it was more light-handed than I expected. The title does, after all, say glory AND scandal. Those reading this looking for an expose into college football will be only partially satiated. Benedict does go into some depth about the demigod-like lives of both players and coaches and the extraordinary lengths organizations go into protecting the college football machine. But Benedict also highlights the ways in which this same machine not only manufacturer world-class entertainment but how college football positively shapes the mental attitudes of players, particularly those players that did not grow up in a stable environment. The question that is left unasked is: Is it worth it?
My favorite chapter was that about Coach Mike Leach and WSU WR standout Marquees Wilson. Wilson decides to leave the team, is suspended for breaking team rules, and then writes an open letter citing how the Leach of the other WSU coaches mistreat players. Fresh off the heals of PSU and even the Texas Tech controversy with Leach and TE Adam James, the college world went berserk. Wilson would eventually recant his letter stating that the public's interpretation to the letter was wrong and their reaction was overblown. Leach would be cleared. This is my favorite chapter because it demonstrates the absolute craziness of our ultra public lives. In a world where one guy can make the right statement to bring awareness to important issues, it's also a world where one guy can make the wrong statement and ruin lives. I'm not saying one is right and the other is wrong - it just helps me recognize that just because something is trending, just because something sounds right, doesn't mean it's so.
The scandals that were highlighted were relative to player payouts, special treatment on campus and in the eyes of the law. None of it was all that surprising....though I did gasp at what a juror said about: something like, "they already lost their scholarships, they've suffered enough". This was in regards to a sexual assault case. Truly appalling.
Although I went to Univ of Maryland, I became an Auburn Tigers fan because of my wife. While the Terps always struggled, I came to the Tigers in 2003 where they just kept winning! It was thrilling. Ever since I've watched all the games and come to love the SEC passion for college football. Having been a fan during the time of this book was certainly intriguing to me. I remember many of the ESPN College Gamedays during these controversial times. To read some of the behind-the-scenes was enlightening.
I'm a little shocked Auburn's Cam Newton scandal wasn't more discussed. But I'm not shocked that Nick Saban comes off like a living diety. There is plenty to like about Nick Saban (and I'm sure there are things fans wouldn't like)....but as an Auburn fan.....one just gets tired of hearing it.
My favorite chapter was that about Coach Mike Leach and WSU WR standout Marquees Wilson. Wilson decides to leave the team, is suspended for breaking team rules, and then writes an open letter citing how the Leach of the other WSU coaches mistreat players. Fresh off the heals of PSU and even the Texas Tech controversy with Leach and TE Adam James, the college world went berserk. Wilson would eventually recant his letter stating that the public's interpretation to the letter was wrong and their reaction was overblown. Leach would be cleared. This is my favorite chapter because it demonstrates the absolute craziness of our ultra public lives. In a world where one guy can make the right statement to bring awareness to important issues, it's also a world where one guy can make the wrong statement and ruin lives. I'm not saying one is right and the other is wrong - it just helps me recognize that just because something is trending, just because something sounds right, doesn't mean it's so.
The scandals that were highlighted were relative to player payouts, special treatment on campus and in the eyes of the law. None of it was all that surprising....though I did gasp at what a juror said about: something like, "they already lost their scholarships, they've suffered enough". This was in regards to a sexual assault case. Truly appalling.
Although I went to Univ of Maryland, I became an Auburn Tigers fan because of my wife. While the Terps always struggled, I came to the Tigers in 2003 where they just kept winning! It was thrilling. Ever since I've watched all the games and come to love the SEC passion for college football. Having been a fan during the time of this book was certainly intriguing to me. I remember many of the ESPN College Gamedays during these controversial times. To read some of the behind-the-scenes was enlightening.
I'm a little shocked Auburn's Cam Newton scandal wasn't more discussed. But I'm not shocked that Nick Saban comes off like a living diety. There is plenty to like about Nick Saban (and I'm sure there are things fans wouldn't like)....but as an Auburn fan.....one just gets tired of hearing it.
September 3, 2022
Loved the insights into so many behind the scenes stories about college football. A lot of dark tales made for a mostly depressing view of the issues college football faces - from bribery to player arrests to recruiting tactics, but there were a few fun and positive stories peppered in between. The authors clearly love the game, so they write passionately about what is broken and needs corrected. That said, this is also a journalist approach, so they don’t offer solutions, more like a snapshot in time of where the sport was about ten years ago. I hope things have changed for the better and I look forward to learning more about college ball after reading this!
September 12, 2025
As college football is in full swing I figured I’d get around to reading this one on the shelf. It is very well researched and provides a good perspective into many of the overshadowed aspects of college football. Published in 2013, I wonder what it would say now in the era of NIL?
If you are a big fan of the pirate that is Mike Leach highly recommended there are three chapters that take a deep dive on him and the situation at Texas tech and Washington state getting him after the fact.
During the time the book was published the Alabama dynasty was in full swing and covers Nick Saban’s philosophy regarding building the most successful college football program of all time.
If you are a big fan of the pirate that is Mike Leach highly recommended there are three chapters that take a deep dive on him and the situation at Texas tech and Washington state getting him after the fact.
During the time the book was published the Alabama dynasty was in full swing and covers Nick Saban’s philosophy regarding building the most successful college football program of all time.
December 22, 2018
Normally - this isn't really my subject. But a friend raved about this so much on his goodreads that I thought I should check it out. I'm glad I did. I became fascinated by the world of college football while reading this. I was expecting a full blow expose about how much the NCAA totally takes advantage of the athletes and all the regular complaints - but actually - it was not that way but instead an engaging look at the business of the programs. At the end of this book I felt like it was kind of like reading a well written New York Times Magazine article or The Atlantic or something - where I wasn't sure exactly how I felt about the whole problem because so much of the problem was explained by all sides. I am much more knowledgeable about this and yet my opinion on the whole thing is still kind of up in the air.
August 7, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ A great look at the underbelly of college football. I liked that some chapters stood alone and others followed along with key players in ~the system~. I learned a lot about Mike Leech and BYU that I wasn’t expecting. I preferred the chapters that got into the day to day grind of running an athletics program from an AD or booster’s POV. The stories about the students were heartbreaking. Of course biased but I wished there was more SEC content. And shout out my athletics tutoring experience was nothing like this book.
TW: a few graphic descriptions of sexual assault
TW: a few graphic descriptions of sexual assault
December 10, 2022
You might like this book if you like college football. If you don’t like college football, this book will be so boring.
If you like college football, you’ll be a bit yawn-y about how old the book is (10 years old, which means nothing about NIL, transfer portals, etc.)
Minus points for the 4+ times the authors kept luridly clarifying to the reader that a 20-something college coed “was a stunning platinum blonde that drew eyes everywhere she went”. It just kept coming up, and you kept thinking “Ok, this 1,000% was written by a couple of semi-horny 50-year-old dudes”
If you like college football, you’ll be a bit yawn-y about how old the book is (10 years old, which means nothing about NIL, transfer portals, etc.)
Minus points for the 4+ times the authors kept luridly clarifying to the reader that a 20-something college coed “was a stunning platinum blonde that drew eyes everywhere she went”. It just kept coming up, and you kept thinking “Ok, this 1,000% was written by a couple of semi-horny 50-year-old dudes”
September 11, 2025
Another interesting book. I thought the construction of this one was odd. It felt more like a series of vaguely connected but separate newspaper articles that had been assembled into a book. No complaints with the content though, I learned a ton and especially liked the sections focusing on Mike Leach. This book was written in the 2011-12 season and it’s interesting to imagine what stories could be written given the NIL and realignment issues of the modern era.
February 14, 2023
A collection of several different stories surrounding college football. Admittedly, I skipped a few I wasn't interested in. Awesome stories about Mike Leach and Nick Saban. Interesting to see how much money revolves around the sport. I crushed this one, I'll be honest.
April 6, 2023
3.75
Read for sport class and actually quite interesting at times.
The quizzes over it were #hard though
Read for sport class and actually quite interesting at times.
The quizzes over it were #hard though
January 24, 2020
Solid read. I like the way the authors delivered a lot of the stories - it was clear they had information “from the horse’s mouth” on some topics. I also appreciated how they would return to certain stories, e.g. crazy-ass Mike Leach, throughout the book.
There are certainly some chapters I breezed through, but I tried to put on an objective lens and think it’s because they featured conferences and teams I don’t care about.
All told, I learned what I already knew - there are great coaches that care, dirtbag coaches that will throw players and staff/team helpers under the bus, ADs that have no real power, a lot of testosterone/alcohol/ignorance/inflated egos among the players, and a NCAA office that continues to be in over its head.
3.5 stars.
There are certainly some chapters I breezed through, but I tried to put on an objective lens and think it’s because they featured conferences and teams I don’t care about.
All told, I learned what I already knew - there are great coaches that care, dirtbag coaches that will throw players and staff/team helpers under the bus, ADs that have no real power, a lot of testosterone/alcohol/ignorance/inflated egos among the players, and a NCAA office that continues to be in over its head.
3.5 stars.
October 22, 2013
Very good book for casual football fans like me. It delves deep into topics like recruiting, boosters, the Gameday crew, and how coaches are chosen. I learned new nuggets, too - 'janitors' are specialists that work for the football program, but usually funded by boosters to fix any player problems that crop up (legal issues, pregnancies, professors expecting attendance, etc). 'Hostesses' are good-looking college girls who are paid to flirt with high-ranked high school prospects and lead them to believe that they will have a relationship with them if the recruit attends their school.
I loved that the book concentrated a good portion on BYU and Michigan football. I have lots of respect for Bronco Mendenhall, seemingly the only coach for whom winning football games isn't priority #1.
I was a little disappointed with the (lack of) a consistent thread in the book. I expected to read more about the scandal portion, but it instead was more a miscellany of various topics that college football fans would find interesting.
I loved that the book concentrated a good portion on BYU and Michigan football. I have lots of respect for Bronco Mendenhall, seemingly the only coach for whom winning football games isn't priority #1.
I was a little disappointed with the (lack of) a consistent thread in the book. I expected to read more about the scandal portion, but it instead was more a miscellany of various topics that college football fans would find interesting.
February 19, 2015
(Audiobook). Given that I am a huge football fan, this was an easy one to pick up. While it wasn't completely shocking (having watch enough Sportscenter and read enough sporting news pages), this book did provide some very brutal insight into a major American pastime. Anyone who still holds out that College Football is somehow more pure a sport than the brutality of the professional game should just read this book and disabuse themselves of that notion immediately. College football is about a cutthroat and dirty a business as anything else in the sporting/entertainment world. The players, the coaches, the fans, etc...it is fun and exhilarating, but it is far from the idealized vision of the old days. Is it a system that can go on like it is? No, it cannot. This is a through and well-documented book. A must read for any sports fan. The narrator was quite good and fairly engaging.
September 9, 2016
This is a behind-the-scenes look at college football, with chapters focused on players, coaches, athletic directors, boosters, NCAA investigators, recruits, tutors, etc. Certainly eye-opening, and at times shocking, this book exposes a lot of the scandals associated with college football. In addition, it also talks about some of the positives of the game, and reminds the reader of why this is such a popular sport in America. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the coaches (Mike Leach, Nick Saban, Bronco Mendenhall), the journey of BYU walk-on Ziggy Ansah, and what it takes to produce ESPN College GameDay. Overall, this was an interesting book that illuminated some of the darker aspects of college football, with stories that weren't always pleasant, yet also spoke to the excitement and thrill of football at the collegiate level.
December 7, 2015
I think this book is a must-read for any serious college football fan. I loved it because it brought to my attention serious issues in the world of college athletics that I was oblivious to before.
After finishing, I couldn't help but feel a lack of sympathy for any big time program. It also strengthened my opinion that something is seriously wrong with denying players any type of share in the astronomical amount of revenue pouring into these schools. While reading, you can't help but feel there is a conflict of interest for the parties who are raking in the money and at the same time are preaching the integrity of amateurism in the sport.
Some chapters are fun to read, and some are heavy, but all were enlightening.
After finishing, I couldn't help but feel a lack of sympathy for any big time program. It also strengthened my opinion that something is seriously wrong with denying players any type of share in the astronomical amount of revenue pouring into these schools. While reading, you can't help but feel there is a conflict of interest for the parties who are raking in the money and at the same time are preaching the integrity of amateurism in the sport.
Some chapters are fun to read, and some are heavy, but all were enlightening.
October 15, 2013
This was a highly readable book about the best and worst in college football today. The book is not thesis driven but rather narrative driven with each chapter representing a different story at a different college football program. Some of the chapters do intersect, such as those dealing with BYU, Nick Sabin, and Mike Leach. For anyone interested in college football, this book provides a great deal of the inside scoop. And, what would a book about college football be without a chapter on College Gameday, the greatest show on TV and the primary reason why I even have television at all. I am in love with Lee Corso!
July 11, 2020
I suppose I already knew much of the story behind college football in the modern world, but I was grateful to have several pieces put together in this fine book. With conference realignment seemingly paused for a moment, this book reminds of the power that the "system" seems to have. College sports departments appear to have sold their souls to something bigger and more corrupting than apparent on the surface. I wish the authors would have spent more time exploring the influence of ESPN as an institution in this environment.
October 31, 2013
I gave this book 4/5 stars because it told the reality of the multi million dollar college football industry. The two authors were ex-college football coaches who had inside access to everything that happened on and off the field. They told stories about everyone from the coaches of the big teams to the janitors who had to clean up after them and the scandals that happened on the side. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that some of the events they told about I already knew about, making the book kind of predictable.
March 22, 2014
After a couple of chapters, I found myself wondering if I'd ever be able to watch a college football game again. (And I have to admit, as much as I love the game, I'm glad my boys haven't shown any interest in playing.) Overall, this is a hard-hitting look at college ball, peeking into a lot of dark corners and raising some uncomfortable questions. But there are some uplifting stories too, like Kyle Van Noy's at BYU, that make for a bit of light in the shadow.
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