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Billion-Dollar Ball: A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football
“A penetrating examination of how the elite college football programs have become ‘giant entertainment businesses that happened to do a little education on the side.’”—Mark Kram, The New York Times
Two-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Gilbert M. Gaul offers a riveting and sometimes shocking look inside the money culture of college football and how it has come to dominate a surprising number of colleges and universities.
Over the past decade college football has not only doubled in size, but its elite programs have become a $2.5-billion-a-year entertainment business, with lavishly paid coaches, lucrative television deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. Profit margins among the top football schools range from 60% to 75%—results that dwarf those of such high-profile companies as Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft—yet thanks to the support of their football-mad representatives in Congress, teams aren’t required to pay taxes. In most cases, those windfalls are not passed on to the universities themselves, but flow directly back into their athletic departments.
College presidents have been unwilling or powerless to stop a system that has spawned a wildly profligate infrastructure of coaches, trainers, marketing gurus, and a growing cadre of bureaucrats whose sole purpose is to ensure that players remain academically eligible to play. From the University of Oregon’s lavish $42 million academic center for athletes to Alabama coach Nick Saban’s $7 million paycheck—ten times what the school pays its president, and 70 times what a full-time professor there earns—Gaul examines in depth the extraordinary financial model that supports college football and the effect it has had not only on other athletic programs but on academic ones as well.
What are the consequences when college football coaches are the highest paid public employees in over half the states in an economically troubled country, or when football players at some schools receive ten times the amount of scholarship awards that academically gifted students do? Billion-Dollar Ball considers these and many other issues in a compelling account of how an astonishingly wealthy sports franchise has begun to reframe campus values and distort the fundamental academic mission of our universities.
Two-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Gilbert M. Gaul offers a riveting and sometimes shocking look inside the money culture of college football and how it has come to dominate a surprising number of colleges and universities.
Over the past decade college football has not only doubled in size, but its elite programs have become a $2.5-billion-a-year entertainment business, with lavishly paid coaches, lucrative television deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. Profit margins among the top football schools range from 60% to 75%—results that dwarf those of such high-profile companies as Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft—yet thanks to the support of their football-mad representatives in Congress, teams aren’t required to pay taxes. In most cases, those windfalls are not passed on to the universities themselves, but flow directly back into their athletic departments.
College presidents have been unwilling or powerless to stop a system that has spawned a wildly profligate infrastructure of coaches, trainers, marketing gurus, and a growing cadre of bureaucrats whose sole purpose is to ensure that players remain academically eligible to play. From the University of Oregon’s lavish $42 million academic center for athletes to Alabama coach Nick Saban’s $7 million paycheck—ten times what the school pays its president, and 70 times what a full-time professor there earns—Gaul examines in depth the extraordinary financial model that supports college football and the effect it has had not only on other athletic programs but on academic ones as well.
What are the consequences when college football coaches are the highest paid public employees in over half the states in an economically troubled country, or when football players at some schools receive ten times the amount of scholarship awards that academically gifted students do? Billion-Dollar Ball considers these and many other issues in a compelling account of how an astonishingly wealthy sports franchise has begun to reframe campus values and distort the fundamental academic mission of our universities.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2015
57 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
December 15, 2015
Just got tired of reading about how big, bad college football was ruining the academic goals of higher education. At this point, I've read enough to know this, and to believe the basic arguments thereof. This did not offer much insight beyond that.
Beer and Circus was a similarly themed book from years ago. While that book seems to be more generalized, whereas this was more focused on football, I felt that the narrow focus on football in this book actually made it less interesting to me. The overall impact of college athletics on college academics seems to be one that needs a "big picture" view, and this narrow focus on football leaves too many loose strands for me to question. What about the other sports?
In any case, I wasn't so engaged with this book as to be motivated to come up with good questions about it or related to it.
Beer and Circus was a similarly themed book from years ago. While that book seems to be more generalized, whereas this was more focused on football, I felt that the narrow focus on football in this book actually made it less interesting to me. The overall impact of college athletics on college academics seems to be one that needs a "big picture" view, and this narrow focus on football leaves too many loose strands for me to question. What about the other sports?
In any case, I wasn't so engaged with this book as to be motivated to come up with good questions about it or related to it.
August 28, 2024
There has been plenty of literature on corruption and cheating in College Football, however “Billion Dollar Ball” takes a different approach. Focusing more on the education side, this book looks at the hypocrisy of the massive investment in educational resources for student athletes, unavailable to regular students. The examination of Title IX and its relation to football is particularly interesting. However, the unanswered question remains, what is the monetary value of athletics to a school?
October 6, 2015
The author interviews an assortment of staff associated with the industry of college football and crunches the revenue numbers to reach the not terribly surprising conclusion that big-time football programs have become an unregulated entity onto their own, with not the most flattering of results. At many places the athletic departments operate independently of the rest of the university and are subject to little or no oversight. Although college presidents have preached the mantra of reform for decades, few have been courageous enough to challenge high-profile, highly paid coaches and the corruption in academics and finance march on. Those that do have the gumption to initiate change or exert discipline do so at peril to their employment and even safety.
Basically the major powers are beholden to no one except the TV networks or private benefactors like Phil Knight of Nike who keep flooding the system with the dollar bounty to enable such operations. As long as the money spigot flows unabated there is probably no hope for reform. Congress even made some feeble gestures to address the issue but got slapped down by football-crazed constituents, so you can guess the outcome of that effort.
Among the stops Gaul made in his tour were Alabama, Oregon, and Texas. All are good test cases of how pervasive the dollar/football/media fusion has become and the power wielded by coaches and boosters.
One positive side benefit of the hysteria is the elevating of women's sports because of Title IX regulations which apply to gender equality. Women's rowing programs were among those that prospered and flourished because of such legislation.
Unfortunately, there are many Division I programs such as New Mexico St. that attempt to compete with the talent and finance stocked programs and have to resort to raising student fees to finance their teams in order to stay afloat. Despite dismal results they persist in their folly, largely to the detriment of the school overall. Any outcry against remaining in the talent arms race gets dismissed with the shallow rebuttal that " football is good for the school image and gives the school good publicity." In theory that raises the profile by attracting more students. Students who no doubt can enjoy lesser facilities and scholarship money while the star athletes enjoy their lives of royalty.
Very readable, excellent mix of analysis and data.
Basically the major powers are beholden to no one except the TV networks or private benefactors like Phil Knight of Nike who keep flooding the system with the dollar bounty to enable such operations. As long as the money spigot flows unabated there is probably no hope for reform. Congress even made some feeble gestures to address the issue but got slapped down by football-crazed constituents, so you can guess the outcome of that effort.
Among the stops Gaul made in his tour were Alabama, Oregon, and Texas. All are good test cases of how pervasive the dollar/football/media fusion has become and the power wielded by coaches and boosters.
One positive side benefit of the hysteria is the elevating of women's sports because of Title IX regulations which apply to gender equality. Women's rowing programs were among those that prospered and flourished because of such legislation.
Unfortunately, there are many Division I programs such as New Mexico St. that attempt to compete with the talent and finance stocked programs and have to resort to raising student fees to finance their teams in order to stay afloat. Despite dismal results they persist in their folly, largely to the detriment of the school overall. Any outcry against remaining in the talent arms race gets dismissed with the shallow rebuttal that " football is good for the school image and gives the school good publicity." In theory that raises the profile by attracting more students. Students who no doubt can enjoy lesser facilities and scholarship money while the star athletes enjoy their lives of royalty.
Very readable, excellent mix of analysis and data.
January 6, 2016
Well researched book...unfortunately it was hitting too close to home as I was reading and getting more and more frustrated with the business that has become college football. Don't get me wrong, I love to watch football and cheer loudly for the home team but I am often torn between being disgusted by the excess and seeing first hand the short straw that the academic side of things draw in the battle for dollars.
October 8, 2015
Albeit a bit dry, this extremely well-researched book is an eye-opening examination of the economics and politics surrounding the industry of college football.
Author, Gilbert Gaul breaks down each aspect of the business end of the game that has contributed to what college football is, today.
Gaul has done his homework. He spent countless hours speaking to the people who are IN THE KNOW about the inner workings of this sport, as well as college football’s relationship with other NCAA varsity sports. Gaul looked and spoke with representatives from various schools and organizations across the country, but he stayed focused on the 5 “power conferences” in Division-I football – SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12.
As I said, Gaul’s focus was on the power conferences. In turn, he looked at the biggest football programs in the nation – Texas, Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, Boise State, Michigan, etc.
More than a decade ago, America’s largest and most prestigious universities were already spending ten times more on football players than on their smartest, most ambitious students. Penn State, for example, game $2,250 scholarships to the students in its Honors College. By comparison, a football player on a full scholarship received $25,000 in aid, and this gap has only widened. Today, a football scholarship costs about $50,000, while an Honors College Scholarship is $4,500.
At this point, and for the rest of the book, I kept thinking, “Why are we putting so much emphasis on education and academics at the elementary and secondary level?” Twenty plus years ago, the trend was to teach “Whole Language” (as opposed to phonics), then we went to “No Child Left Behind,” and now, Common Core. After reading this book, I have to wonder why we even bother.
A “new” financial model for college football shows that the largest and richest programs pocket about $2.5 billion from television broadcasts, luxury suite rentals, seat donations, and corporate advertising, while others scrap by to make ends meet.
The flood of cash – nearly all tax free, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of senators and congressman from football-mad states – had also fundamentally altered the core mission of these schools. Now, instead of touting their educational offerings, they now promoted their football programs because football was exciting and attracted media attention.
To justify “football” spending, the presidents of these fine, upstanding universities developed a business model to turn their athletic departments into separate businesses and their athletic director’s to fund for themselves. In other words, athletic departments, and more specifically, football teams, would have to pay their own way. Be careful what you wish for!
So, like professional sports, it is now tough for a regular person to afford to attend a ballgame because one of the ways these schools make money is by asking their fans to pay a “Voluntary Seat Donation” to secure premium seating. At Texas, to get four seats on the 50-yard line, you will pay approximately $20,000. At Georgia, you will pay a seat fee at [a minimum] of $250 for a not-so-great seat.
Television has also played an increasingly important role. In the late 70’s, the IRS decided that college football powers should not have to pay taxes on the broadcast fees from networks. Their logic was that watching a game on TV was the same as watching it in person. The IRS didn’t tax the games, themselves, so why tax the broadcast(s)? However, the NCAA limited the number of times a school could appear on TV. Interestingly enough, in 1984, the Supreme Court decided that the NCAA limits violated antitrust provisions freeing the major football conferences to start to negotiate with TV networks on behalf of member schools. In 2013, the Big 12 passed along $21 million to Texas, with most of that coming from television fees.
Football powers also collected millions in royalties and licensing fees whenever their logos were printed on items. Millions more poured in from corporate advertising.
As of 2012, the most profitable college football teams were (in order): Texas, Michigan, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Notre Dame, LSU, and Arkansas.
Texas has a motto: “We eat what we kill.” It means that Texas spends every penny it takes in from football and other sports. If that means spending $200,000 or more on its football players (yes, you read that right) to keep them happy and fit, so be it.
Football also [often] pays for non-revenue sports such as track & field, field hockey, women’s rowing, etc.
The costs associated with administrative overhead at these universities are astronomical!!!!!
The comparison and analysis between large and small schools, in regards to the number of varsity sports offered, as well as the number of athletes participating was intriguing. Some schools, like Texas, are very focused on what sports programs they offer, while others, such as tiny Haverford College, offer more opportunities for athletes interested in playing sports at the college level. Schools in the Ivy League have a motto – “Education through athletics.” They believe that if you think you can play a varsity sport, they want to give you that opportunity.
Now, think about what I’ve already written. Athletics and Academics are considered separate entities within a university, and are therefore, receiving separate funding. Next, I read that “football is an important part of Penn State’s educational missions, and as such, it is considered a charitable activity, and is protected from paying taxes.” Who makes up this BS?
To be fair, the IRS tried to tax (in this case) football seat donations in the mid-80’s, but was blocked by CONGRESS! Congress passed legislation in 1988 allowing college football fans to deduct 80% of the cost of their “donations.” FYI: That works out to approx. $250 million annually in lost taxes, or $2.5 billion over 10 years, according to the US Treasury Dept. estimates!
Where revenues go was riveting. For people who think they’re helping a student go to school? Probably not. Most of the top football schools spend 10% or less on scholarships. No, most of your “donation” is allocated to salaries, debt, and that infamous administrative overhead.
The analysis for the rationale of hiring head coaches and paying them obscene amounts of $$$$ was mind-blowing! We now have overinflated egos who are paid overinflated salaries, and for what? Don’t get me wrong. I like college football, but I think our priorities are skewered. No wonder college athletes think they should be paid!
One interesting comparison: the CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail J. McGovern, is paid $500,000 to oversee a $3.2 billion organization. Nick Saban (Alabama) is paid $6.5 million to run an $82 million football business. Ask yourself whether coaching college football is really that much harder than running a huge complex charity that supplies half of the nation’s blood and responds to hurricanes, fires, and other disasters.
The discussion regarding the University of Akron and their football program was most interesting, as I live and work close to Akron. Further reading about Larry Kehres and his role at Division-III, University of Mount Union, was inspiring and the most positive story to come out of this book!
The chapter dealing with “Walkers” and their responsibilities was absorbing, but not surprising. While the rest of the student body is expected to assume some responsibility and show up for class on their own, football players are treated like they are in elementary school.
I learned more about Title IX than I ever thought I needed / wanted to know. Women’s Rowing? Really?
The debt that universities are willing to go into to fund state of the art educational / tutoring facilities for their “student athletes” (and I use this term, loosely) is
mind-boggling. These kids are here to play football. Why waste money on a super nice learning facility that they are not going to appreciate?
While we love football in Ohio, we have NOTHING on football in the South! “It’s almost a Civil War mentality – civic pride.”
“Media Days” was educational. One kid, Griffin Hamstead, age 15, was there promoting his product. He’s the author of a blog called “Teens for Tennessee,” which showcases opinion, statistics, and random musings on the University of Tennessee football team.
The section dealing with “The Color of Money,” and more specifically licensing of merchandise in regards to items “tied” to the University of Alabama was captivating, and a little freaky. It also made me think a lot about questions that I and fellow Ohio alumni have about Ohio State University and the use of our logo (as ruled in a court of law) and what type of royalties our school (Ohio) might be receiving.
Every few years, college presidents do realize that they have created a monster, and in turn, conduct a study for how to fix things in the world of college football. They realize they need to be disciplinarian, but nobody is brave enough to take the first step off that platform, so they shelve the study, and a few years later, the process starts all over again. However, towards the end of this book, one university president / chancellor makes a different suggestion. Whether the idea will ever take root is anyone’s guess.
In the end, there are over 100 Division-I schools. The 5 power conferences, mentioned earlier, consider themselves the elite of the elite, and have positioned themselves to try and block any interloper(s) from invading their sacred space. Case in point: Boise State.
Gaul: The notational idea that college football is still a game, as opposed to an elaborately rich entertainment is rapidly receding from the American landscape of sports.
In July of 2014, Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) held a hearing. During this time, he said, “Playing college sports is supposed to be an avocation. There’s a growing perception that college athletics, particularly Division-I football and basketball, are not avocations at all. What they really are is highly profitable enterprises. This country is now so soaked in the culture of ESPN, … it’s undermining our values. I’ll tell you one thing for sure: I think it’s undermining our commitment to education.” Ding, Ding, Ding! Bingo! I doubt anything will ever change, but at least one senator gets it!
Finally, I disagree with the idea that college athletes should be paid. They receive a lot of benefits that the average student can only dream about. They have no idea how the other 99% + (Ohio State has 0.02% of their undergraduates participating in sports) of their classmates live.
At the end, Gaul provides a great theory that could prove right for the future. It will be interesting to see what path college football takes.
Author, Gilbert Gaul breaks down each aspect of the business end of the game that has contributed to what college football is, today.
Gaul has done his homework. He spent countless hours speaking to the people who are IN THE KNOW about the inner workings of this sport, as well as college football’s relationship with other NCAA varsity sports. Gaul looked and spoke with representatives from various schools and organizations across the country, but he stayed focused on the 5 “power conferences” in Division-I football – SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12.
As I said, Gaul’s focus was on the power conferences. In turn, he looked at the biggest football programs in the nation – Texas, Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, Boise State, Michigan, etc.
More than a decade ago, America’s largest and most prestigious universities were already spending ten times more on football players than on their smartest, most ambitious students. Penn State, for example, game $2,250 scholarships to the students in its Honors College. By comparison, a football player on a full scholarship received $25,000 in aid, and this gap has only widened. Today, a football scholarship costs about $50,000, while an Honors College Scholarship is $4,500.
At this point, and for the rest of the book, I kept thinking, “Why are we putting so much emphasis on education and academics at the elementary and secondary level?” Twenty plus years ago, the trend was to teach “Whole Language” (as opposed to phonics), then we went to “No Child Left Behind,” and now, Common Core. After reading this book, I have to wonder why we even bother.
A “new” financial model for college football shows that the largest and richest programs pocket about $2.5 billion from television broadcasts, luxury suite rentals, seat donations, and corporate advertising, while others scrap by to make ends meet.
The flood of cash – nearly all tax free, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of senators and congressman from football-mad states – had also fundamentally altered the core mission of these schools. Now, instead of touting their educational offerings, they now promoted their football programs because football was exciting and attracted media attention.
To justify “football” spending, the presidents of these fine, upstanding universities developed a business model to turn their athletic departments into separate businesses and their athletic director’s to fund for themselves. In other words, athletic departments, and more specifically, football teams, would have to pay their own way. Be careful what you wish for!
So, like professional sports, it is now tough for a regular person to afford to attend a ballgame because one of the ways these schools make money is by asking their fans to pay a “Voluntary Seat Donation” to secure premium seating. At Texas, to get four seats on the 50-yard line, you will pay approximately $20,000. At Georgia, you will pay a seat fee at [a minimum] of $250 for a not-so-great seat.
Television has also played an increasingly important role. In the late 70’s, the IRS decided that college football powers should not have to pay taxes on the broadcast fees from networks. Their logic was that watching a game on TV was the same as watching it in person. The IRS didn’t tax the games, themselves, so why tax the broadcast(s)? However, the NCAA limited the number of times a school could appear on TV. Interestingly enough, in 1984, the Supreme Court decided that the NCAA limits violated antitrust provisions freeing the major football conferences to start to negotiate with TV networks on behalf of member schools. In 2013, the Big 12 passed along $21 million to Texas, with most of that coming from television fees.
Football powers also collected millions in royalties and licensing fees whenever their logos were printed on items. Millions more poured in from corporate advertising.
As of 2012, the most profitable college football teams were (in order): Texas, Michigan, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Notre Dame, LSU, and Arkansas.
Texas has a motto: “We eat what we kill.” It means that Texas spends every penny it takes in from football and other sports. If that means spending $200,000 or more on its football players (yes, you read that right) to keep them happy and fit, so be it.
Football also [often] pays for non-revenue sports such as track & field, field hockey, women’s rowing, etc.
The costs associated with administrative overhead at these universities are astronomical!!!!!
The comparison and analysis between large and small schools, in regards to the number of varsity sports offered, as well as the number of athletes participating was intriguing. Some schools, like Texas, are very focused on what sports programs they offer, while others, such as tiny Haverford College, offer more opportunities for athletes interested in playing sports at the college level. Schools in the Ivy League have a motto – “Education through athletics.” They believe that if you think you can play a varsity sport, they want to give you that opportunity.
Now, think about what I’ve already written. Athletics and Academics are considered separate entities within a university, and are therefore, receiving separate funding. Next, I read that “football is an important part of Penn State’s educational missions, and as such, it is considered a charitable activity, and is protected from paying taxes.” Who makes up this BS?
To be fair, the IRS tried to tax (in this case) football seat donations in the mid-80’s, but was blocked by CONGRESS! Congress passed legislation in 1988 allowing college football fans to deduct 80% of the cost of their “donations.” FYI: That works out to approx. $250 million annually in lost taxes, or $2.5 billion over 10 years, according to the US Treasury Dept. estimates!
Where revenues go was riveting. For people who think they’re helping a student go to school? Probably not. Most of the top football schools spend 10% or less on scholarships. No, most of your “donation” is allocated to salaries, debt, and that infamous administrative overhead.
The analysis for the rationale of hiring head coaches and paying them obscene amounts of $$$$ was mind-blowing! We now have overinflated egos who are paid overinflated salaries, and for what? Don’t get me wrong. I like college football, but I think our priorities are skewered. No wonder college athletes think they should be paid!
One interesting comparison: the CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail J. McGovern, is paid $500,000 to oversee a $3.2 billion organization. Nick Saban (Alabama) is paid $6.5 million to run an $82 million football business. Ask yourself whether coaching college football is really that much harder than running a huge complex charity that supplies half of the nation’s blood and responds to hurricanes, fires, and other disasters.
The discussion regarding the University of Akron and their football program was most interesting, as I live and work close to Akron. Further reading about Larry Kehres and his role at Division-III, University of Mount Union, was inspiring and the most positive story to come out of this book!
The chapter dealing with “Walkers” and their responsibilities was absorbing, but not surprising. While the rest of the student body is expected to assume some responsibility and show up for class on their own, football players are treated like they are in elementary school.
I learned more about Title IX than I ever thought I needed / wanted to know. Women’s Rowing? Really?
The debt that universities are willing to go into to fund state of the art educational / tutoring facilities for their “student athletes” (and I use this term, loosely) is
mind-boggling. These kids are here to play football. Why waste money on a super nice learning facility that they are not going to appreciate?
While we love football in Ohio, we have NOTHING on football in the South! “It’s almost a Civil War mentality – civic pride.”
“Media Days” was educational. One kid, Griffin Hamstead, age 15, was there promoting his product. He’s the author of a blog called “Teens for Tennessee,” which showcases opinion, statistics, and random musings on the University of Tennessee football team.
The section dealing with “The Color of Money,” and more specifically licensing of merchandise in regards to items “tied” to the University of Alabama was captivating, and a little freaky. It also made me think a lot about questions that I and fellow Ohio alumni have about Ohio State University and the use of our logo (as ruled in a court of law) and what type of royalties our school (Ohio) might be receiving.
Every few years, college presidents do realize that they have created a monster, and in turn, conduct a study for how to fix things in the world of college football. They realize they need to be disciplinarian, but nobody is brave enough to take the first step off that platform, so they shelve the study, and a few years later, the process starts all over again. However, towards the end of this book, one university president / chancellor makes a different suggestion. Whether the idea will ever take root is anyone’s guess.
In the end, there are over 100 Division-I schools. The 5 power conferences, mentioned earlier, consider themselves the elite of the elite, and have positioned themselves to try and block any interloper(s) from invading their sacred space. Case in point: Boise State.
Gaul: The notational idea that college football is still a game, as opposed to an elaborately rich entertainment is rapidly receding from the American landscape of sports.
In July of 2014, Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) held a hearing. During this time, he said, “Playing college sports is supposed to be an avocation. There’s a growing perception that college athletics, particularly Division-I football and basketball, are not avocations at all. What they really are is highly profitable enterprises. This country is now so soaked in the culture of ESPN, … it’s undermining our values. I’ll tell you one thing for sure: I think it’s undermining our commitment to education.” Ding, Ding, Ding! Bingo! I doubt anything will ever change, but at least one senator gets it!
Finally, I disagree with the idea that college athletes should be paid. They receive a lot of benefits that the average student can only dream about. They have no idea how the other 99% + (Ohio State has 0.02% of their undergraduates participating in sports) of their classmates live.
At the end, Gaul provides a great theory that could prove right for the future. It will be interesting to see what path college football takes.
May 22, 2017
Gaul argued that college football is hugely profitable for a few elite football schools in premier conferences, but leaves much to be desired for fans, smaller schools, football schools outside of elite conferences, players’ education, and collegiate educational priorities in general. A huge support system goes into maintaining big football programs, from arms race in coaching salaries to funding women’s rowing to meet Title IX requirements to tutors and walkers to make sure football players meet grade requirements. Big elite football schools focus on their football programs, which pays for other sports but offers less of them total. Places like Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Notre Dame, LSU, and Penn State operate with different rules for the football program than the rest of the universities.
The book breaks down issues into separate chapters. Chapter one analyses the “Guilded Age” of College Football, with the top programs at the top spending every dime they make on football programs, such at Texas who’s athletic department is “we eat what we kill”, meaning everything goes back to football. Chapter two looks at how football programs are considered charities, meaning they can strong arm customers into “donating” to keep their seats for tax writeoffs, as well as give perks to those who donate more. Chapter three details how football head coaches are often the highest paid public employee of a university and that their salaries keep spiking in order to keep up with elite football universities. Chapter four demonstrates the vast support network for football players, including tutors to boost grades, walkers to make sure students get to class, and rule bending for football players, and in some extreme cases, no show classes for football players. Chapter five moves into the Southern domination of college football, noting how much of an institution places like Alabama or Texas are. Accordingly, the football programs are aggressive about protecting their logos and colors, to the point of threatening and sometimes actually suing small businesses who use them. Chapter six shows the boom of women’s rowing programs over the last ten years, in places that don’t seem like natural rowing power houses, but is important to meet Title IX of having equalish number of women’s athletics to men’s. Finally, chapter seven illustrates that university presidents realize the extent of the runaway problem of collegiate athletics unbalancing educational priorities yet do little to stop or reform it.
Key Themes and Concepts
-The main problem is that athletic programs have been allowed to operate as independent semiautonomous to larger universities, meaning elite football programs spend to their hearts content and are hugely profitable, but it also means the vast majority of football programs have to be subsidized in order to keep up with the top 10.
The book breaks down issues into separate chapters. Chapter one analyses the “Guilded Age” of College Football, with the top programs at the top spending every dime they make on football programs, such at Texas who’s athletic department is “we eat what we kill”, meaning everything goes back to football. Chapter two looks at how football programs are considered charities, meaning they can strong arm customers into “donating” to keep their seats for tax writeoffs, as well as give perks to those who donate more. Chapter three details how football head coaches are often the highest paid public employee of a university and that their salaries keep spiking in order to keep up with elite football universities. Chapter four demonstrates the vast support network for football players, including tutors to boost grades, walkers to make sure students get to class, and rule bending for football players, and in some extreme cases, no show classes for football players. Chapter five moves into the Southern domination of college football, noting how much of an institution places like Alabama or Texas are. Accordingly, the football programs are aggressive about protecting their logos and colors, to the point of threatening and sometimes actually suing small businesses who use them. Chapter six shows the boom of women’s rowing programs over the last ten years, in places that don’t seem like natural rowing power houses, but is important to meet Title IX of having equalish number of women’s athletics to men’s. Finally, chapter seven illustrates that university presidents realize the extent of the runaway problem of collegiate athletics unbalancing educational priorities yet do little to stop or reform it.
Key Themes and Concepts
-The main problem is that athletic programs have been allowed to operate as independent semiautonomous to larger universities, meaning elite football programs spend to their hearts content and are hugely profitable, but it also means the vast majority of football programs have to be subsidized in order to keep up with the top 10.
Read
February 23, 2025Interesting read. Honestly don’t know enough about college football to comment on it. Gave me a bit of perspective on the sport as I want to get more into it.
January 5, 2016
“Billion-Dollar Ball” by Gilbert M. Gaul, published by Viking.
Category – Sports/Football Publication Date – August 25, 2015.
This book is a must for any college football fan.
This book is an investigative look at college football by a two time Pulitzer Prize winner. Gilbert M. Gaul looks into the many questions the majority of us have wondered about.
The reader will be staggered at the amount of money (billions) that are generated by the elite college football programs, and the truly unbelievable salaries of college coaches and their assistants. These monies are generated by TV revenues, especially ESPN who OWNS just about every Bowl game.
The incredible cost of attending a college game, especially if one is a holder of season tickets or purchaser of a luxury box, not only is one paying a high price for their seats but they also must donate to a college fund in order to be eligible for these seats. One must also question why the cost of seats is tax deductable.
You may also have wondered what kind of courses these student athletes are taking and, what degrees they are working towards.
Many great questions and many great answers, a highly readable book that will be of great interest to the sports fan.
Category – Sports/Football Publication Date – August 25, 2015.
This book is a must for any college football fan.
This book is an investigative look at college football by a two time Pulitzer Prize winner. Gilbert M. Gaul looks into the many questions the majority of us have wondered about.
The reader will be staggered at the amount of money (billions) that are generated by the elite college football programs, and the truly unbelievable salaries of college coaches and their assistants. These monies are generated by TV revenues, especially ESPN who OWNS just about every Bowl game.
The incredible cost of attending a college game, especially if one is a holder of season tickets or purchaser of a luxury box, not only is one paying a high price for their seats but they also must donate to a college fund in order to be eligible for these seats. One must also question why the cost of seats is tax deductable.
You may also have wondered what kind of courses these student athletes are taking and, what degrees they are working towards.
Many great questions and many great answers, a highly readable book that will be of great interest to the sports fan.
June 5, 2016
This book was exactly as my daughter stated and she accurately predicted how I would evaluate it. It contains some very interesting and noteworthy facts which should rightfully trouble a football fan at one of the major schools. But the author here has an agenda that permeates throughout and detracts from what should have been a neutral and unbiased account. Go watch lacrosse or women's rowing if you want but I'll still favor watching USC v Notre Dame on Thanksgiving weekend any year...
September 17, 2015
This was a very well written and extensively researched book. I am interested in the subject matter but I think it would hold most people's attention. It talks about big time college football and the effect it has on universities, faculty, and athletes. It is a pretty grim picture and this book really highlights the destruction of the concept of the scholar-athlete in the revenue sports.
September 16, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It confirms many things that I already suspected, but I did not know the magnitude of the problem.
September 6, 2017
I found in reading this book that while I appreciated the author's wit, the author's politics had a clear negative side for me. A great deal of the vitriol that the author shows for the context of college football appears to be his socialist leanings and his opposition to capitalism and the workings of college football as a market. Now, plenty of criticisms could be made about college football [1] and its nature as a cartel, but this author's problems appear to be of a different nature than my own are. That does not mean that this is a bad book. It is, in fact, a pretty good book, and certainly an entertaining read about a corrupt business that takes odd and surprising angles. That said, everything the author says has to be read with a critical eye, as the author's worldview and approach are ones that cannot simply be trusted or taken at face value. If you have critical feelings about college football as a business and the way that academic institutions prostitute themselves for revenue sports, this is a good book to read, but be prepared to have some critical feelings about the author as well.
In terms of its contents, this is a book of slightly more than 200 pages of material that begins with a look at Penn State and the author's thoughts on real universities. After that the author bloviates about this being the guilded age of college football and comments that college football is an unusual charity with its demand for seat deposit donations in order for people to obtain season tickets. The author then turns to a look at colleges paying their coaches not to coach--here's looking at you, Charlie Weis, who turned the enviable trick of being paid not to coach by both Notre Dame and Kansas. The author takes a walk through a university campus with someone who is hired to help college athletes go to class and then looks at why the SEC wins at football so much. The book then closes with a look at how women's rowing provides key numbers of female athletes to balance out football teams for Title XI purposes and a look at how college presidents fumbled the chance for reform of the athletic systems. The book then comments on the fate of poor little colleges that spend a lot of money to keep up with the Joneses and notes on sources as well as acknowledgements and an index.
The author clearly prefers an egalitarian model where universities recruit only serious students and eschew the changes that result from corporate sponsorship and fund their sports in an egalitarian fashion. If we wanted our universities to have a socialist and egalitarian mindset, that would not be a bad thing--clearly the author wishes to be consistent with his worldview, even if it's one I don't agree with. Even for those who do not like the mindset of the author, though, there is clearly something wrong when taxpayers and students are supporting through increased fees mediocre to poor football teams that should be competing on lower and less demanding levels. The question is, what do we want college football to look like, and who has the power to do anything about it? So long as people watch games and buy tickets and jerseys and cheer on teams, not much is likely to change. Whether or not that is a good thing is up to each and every person to decide for themselves. I see no problem with college football being a big business, so long as we are all aware of the dangers to players and everyone is compensated fairly for their efforts. The author, though, seems to have a different goal in mind in seeking to delegitimize college sports because it is such a profitable business.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
In terms of its contents, this is a book of slightly more than 200 pages of material that begins with a look at Penn State and the author's thoughts on real universities. After that the author bloviates about this being the guilded age of college football and comments that college football is an unusual charity with its demand for seat deposit donations in order for people to obtain season tickets. The author then turns to a look at colleges paying their coaches not to coach--here's looking at you, Charlie Weis, who turned the enviable trick of being paid not to coach by both Notre Dame and Kansas. The author takes a walk through a university campus with someone who is hired to help college athletes go to class and then looks at why the SEC wins at football so much. The book then closes with a look at how women's rowing provides key numbers of female athletes to balance out football teams for Title XI purposes and a look at how college presidents fumbled the chance for reform of the athletic systems. The book then comments on the fate of poor little colleges that spend a lot of money to keep up with the Joneses and notes on sources as well as acknowledgements and an index.
The author clearly prefers an egalitarian model where universities recruit only serious students and eschew the changes that result from corporate sponsorship and fund their sports in an egalitarian fashion. If we wanted our universities to have a socialist and egalitarian mindset, that would not be a bad thing--clearly the author wishes to be consistent with his worldview, even if it's one I don't agree with. Even for those who do not like the mindset of the author, though, there is clearly something wrong when taxpayers and students are supporting through increased fees mediocre to poor football teams that should be competing on lower and less demanding levels. The question is, what do we want college football to look like, and who has the power to do anything about it? So long as people watch games and buy tickets and jerseys and cheer on teams, not much is likely to change. Whether or not that is a good thing is up to each and every person to decide for themselves. I see no problem with college football being a big business, so long as we are all aware of the dangers to players and everyone is compensated fairly for their efforts. The author, though, seems to have a different goal in mind in seeking to delegitimize college sports because it is such a profitable business.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
April 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this book because the subject matter is so important, especially today. Gaul masterfully takes you inside some of the most prominent stadiums, sports facilities, and coaches' minds (as well as some you've never heard of). He describes how football has evolved over the past few decades into a behemoth generating billions of dollars for universities, the media, and so many others in the sports world. I enjoyed how he made this book personable. You really felt like you got to know the characters with a behind-the-scenes look at the nitty gritty of the football industry. It was eye-opening to discover just how much this industry has bent the rules in its favor. Title IX rules have pushed schools to amass huge women's rowing teams to balance out the three-deep positions they need for football. Football tickets are tax-exempt and Congress essentially treats football like it has non-profit status. Stadiums have been re-designed with more luxury as the years go by to help football programs' bottom line. The disparity between P-5 conferences and the rest is unseemly. And smaller schools still pour buckets of money into football because they believe so passionately in the idea of football. The only thing I didn't love was Gaul's take on players. He doesn't think that they're being short-changed by the way the industry is set up, which I find to be a massive oversight after he outlines just how unjust and, in some instances corrupt, the system is. There is a very odd discrepancy between how much players are pampered as student athletes (state-of-the-art athletic centers with huge screens for watching film, an army-load of tutors, class "checkers", etc.) and the inherent inequity of students playing a game that everyone else (i.e. TV studios, NCAA execs, college coaches, etc.) benefit off of. Despite scholarships and fancy campus buildings though, it's undeniable that there is a billion-dollar industry that skirts regulations that no other industry can, and the ones putting in the labor are not the ones receiving that money at the end of the day.
May 22, 2024
Whether you are a die-hard college football fan, academic, or business enthusiast, Pulitzer Prize-winner Gilbert Gaul will likely blow your mind with his revelations of how Division 1 football has been operating on college campuses across the country the past few decades. It's fair to say that many already see big football colleges as simply the minor leagues for the National Football League. Don't let D1 schools fool you into thinking their football players are student-athletes, with the primary focus being on "student." These athletes are arguably now more professional than amateur - look no further than the value of their scholarship, "cost of attendance" grants, and other compensation they inevitably receive. More importantly, Gaul delves deep into how Division 1 athletic departments - with football being the money train - have become a multi-million dollar business operating self-sufficiently opposite the educational arm of the host university. The concept of the student athlete - along with colleges being primarily known for their educational mission - is forever dead throughout much of Division 1 member schools, as most of this country now adheres to the dominant theology of American Football.
October 17, 2018
As a newcomer to American football, I have been intrigued by the popularity college game. How could so many people pay so much to watch amateur sportsmen at work? This book doesn’t perhaps answer that question, but it does show that college football is a highly professionalised game which lacks only the real payment of players. And it certainly shows how much the athletic departments of universities are paid.
The book explores the relationship between universities and their football teams. Whilst not asked explicitly, the question is which is more powerful, the college president or the athletic department director. It would seem to be the latter. The book also explores the academic outcomes for athletes and other students. It is interesting to note that in a good number of colleges the general student fee can subsidise the athletics.
Overall, this is a well-written and fascinating book. The only disappointment for me is Gaul does not talk to any football athletes past or present - although women’s rowers do get some words.
The book explores the relationship between universities and their football teams. Whilst not asked explicitly, the question is which is more powerful, the college president or the athletic department director. It would seem to be the latter. The book also explores the academic outcomes for athletes and other students. It is interesting to note that in a good number of colleges the general student fee can subsidise the athletics.
Overall, this is a well-written and fascinating book. The only disappointment for me is Gaul does not talk to any football athletes past or present - although women’s rowers do get some words.
October 30, 2019
A pretty interesting read. I used to be much more into college football than I am now, but definitely learned a bunch about the business side of things that I hadn't learned before. The timing of the end of the book for me was very coincidental as it was the day that it was officially decided that NCAA players will be able to profit for their likeness and I certainly will pay more attention in the future to how it all plays out. Maybe its my bias of being a UConn fan/alumnus, but I felt that the story of the end of the Big East was severly missing in this book. The author mentioned many many times the 5 money conferences but failed to once mention that only a few years prior it was 6 conferences and that over a period of years beginning with Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech leaving the Big East for the ACC in 2004 and 2005 the conference was shifted and changed a number of times until it dissolved as a football conference. I understand that much of the end of the conference truly ties to basketball, but certainly the events leading up to that were very football related.
May 24, 2022
(Audiobook) Think college football is still a game? Well, it never rarely was, but this work will introduce the reader to just how much money is involved and that the programs are just as concerned with money and revenue as they are with wins and TDs. This work was written nearly 19 years ago, but the money concerns are all too relevant. Now with NIL and the weakness of the NCAA, it only figures to get worse. Love the game, but if you can’t see the money and greed…we’ll, can’t help you. This would be a good start for reading to learn.
Of note, as big a fan of the sport as I am, I didn’t realize the connection between women’s crew and college football. (Connection: Title IX concerns, so to balance numbers between football scholarships and gender, women’s crew helps make up the difference.)
See, when you read, you learn something new every time.
Of note, as big a fan of the sport as I am, I didn’t realize the connection between women’s crew and college football. (Connection: Title IX concerns, so to balance numbers between football scholarships and gender, women’s crew helps make up the difference.)
See, when you read, you learn something new every time.
January 11, 2024
I highly recommend this book. Right from the start I knew this book was a fit for me because I play football and love football, I love to read football books as they can help me and give me tips. First, the book includes so many tips and things to know about football it gave me lots of info. I enjoyed the part where Texas and LSU were fighting to increase their stadium. It was also really cool as the book used many styles like simile and metaphor which helped me in school. It was also cool how I learned more about coaching and how important coaching is to a football team. Overall, I learned from this book that coaching a football team is the most important thing in football as you have to draft and sign players and set up the practices. I have also learned to respect the coaches and just have fun playing football.
September 28, 2017
Very interesting read, pretty quick and hits on a number of different examples. The part on the University of Alabama going after a local baker and artist were really indicative of the times.
I'm curious how college football does long term; it seems the rise in the popularity of the NFL lead to a huge spike in revenues and interest in college football. If the NFL continues to decline - and a part of that decline is a decline in the pool of available talent - what will be the knock-0n effect for college football? Currently the Top 25 seems weak and not very deep; they have so many bowl games that teams with losing records get invited now. I think it's only going to get worse and eventually there will be 10 top teams and then everyone else.
I'm curious how college football does long term; it seems the rise in the popularity of the NFL lead to a huge spike in revenues and interest in college football. If the NFL continues to decline - and a part of that decline is a decline in the pool of available talent - what will be the knock-0n effect for college football? Currently the Top 25 seems weak and not very deep; they have so many bowl games that teams with losing records get invited now. I think it's only going to get worse and eventually there will be 10 top teams and then everyone else.
October 15, 2025
Great read and insight from an author that is not part of the college sports machine. The chapter about women's rowing teams and their relation to football scholarships was fascinating. The author had multiple epilogues at the end because college football is always changing. Good job by the author to get financial data and interviews with key athletics administrators and presidents to back up the stories being told.
Similar to this book, I previously enjoyed The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football which is another good read about college football.
Similar to this book, I previously enjoyed The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football which is another good read about college football.
April 22, 2019
If you love college football, you will love reading this book. I don't know if I should hate or love ESPN! I don't know if I should just shrug my shoulders and say "life isn't fair" or if I should care about the small schools that don't have a prayer as far as competing! I have always thought it is amazing that I could get so excited about games where people basically knock each other silly, but now it is amazing to realize the dollars behind these same games. BUT football is king....I live in the south....I will continue to keep going to these games I love as long as we can find a way! I guess you can say I am part of the problem!
Hook 'em Horns!
Hook 'em Horns!
August 17, 2021
As a college football fan, I found this read both eye-opening and convicting. The underbelly of College football is so steeped in greed, commercialism and spending ridiculous amounts of money (all the while not sharing the revenue with the University the team symbolizes) I find myself concerned for the future of the sport.
I love College football, the teams, traditions, rivalries and tribalistic loyalty espoused by students. I love the passion fans have for their university. But I am saddened by the dark side, the big business that is ultimately guiding, and killing, the sport I love.
If you are a College Football fan like me, read this!
I love College football, the teams, traditions, rivalries and tribalistic loyalty espoused by students. I love the passion fans have for their university. But I am saddened by the dark side, the big business that is ultimately guiding, and killing, the sport I love.
If you are a College Football fan like me, read this!
August 20, 2018
I don't understand how you can have a book about all the money being made by these football programs and not address the exploitation of football players who give life and limb for entertainment. This book is about the halves vs. the have nots: big rich football programs vs. academics and small program schools. The author seems to think any money spent on players outside of their work on the field is extravagant. He does not go into the concussion problem or how the players fair after leaving the schools. This was not what I was looking for.
October 18, 2023
Mr. Gaul sheds light on the dark side of college football and the way it takes priority over academics at universities. His research is pretty thorough, although he got two basic facts wrong about football, which a fact checker would have caught. Vince Dooley did not coach Georgia Tech and the Alabama goal line stand was in 1979, not 1980. The book is dated 2015, so it would be interesting to know Gaul’s views on Name Image and Likeness. I recommend the book if you want to get upset about colleges misusing their funds.
February 3, 2020
As a huge fan of college football & an educator in higher ed, this book caught my attention. It was interesting reading about the creative financial strategies used in athletic departments across the country. In light of the new legislation from California to pay student-athletes, they are generating a lot of revenue for the institutions. If you love collegiate sports, I highly recommend this book.
June 5, 2020
So much to say after reading this, but I'll keep it short. I enjoyed the overview about the power conferences and the interviews with the people he was able to talk to. I understand the chapter about women's rowing, but it was boring. The book jumped all over the place and had a clear author's bias, but again, the info was solid once you saw past that. The Power Conferences in college football keep getting richer and the have nots will stay that way. There it is in a nutshell.
July 25, 2020
I have recently had a hard time with college football. Going to a game, T-shirts and other stuff has went through the roof price wise. I also don't know if I agree with paying players as I had to pay off loans from going to school. I also had no idea how much "support" players got to pass classes. As a regular student I had few options available. I hate the idea that my money went to cover the football team. This book has good research, it's up to the reader to form their opinions.
September 22, 2021
For a fan of college football, this is an interesting take and side of the game that we generally don’t consider. The way college football operates is fascinating, and in the years since this book was written, has only grown more complex. If you are one that enjoys college football or the business side of sports, this is a must read. It’s the “behind the curtain” look at a sport and industry that only runs a few months out of the year, and yet attracts billions of dollars.
December 14, 2017
An account of the big money culture that pervades college football, this was an interesting look at the circumstances that created the often detrimental dependence of universities on their football programs. Definitely thought-provoking albeit clearly biased against those who overly value the role that college football plays in the university experience.
March 4, 2019
First of all - revealing and surprised. I have never explored football outside NFL but this books have introduced me to college football but also its excesses and how it is impacting what a university or school stands for in the first place. A good read
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