Last year Football Bowl Subdivision college football programs produced over $1 billion in net revenue. Record-breaking television contracts were announced. Despite the enormous revenue, college football is in upheaval. Schools are accused of throwing their academic mission aside to fund their football teams. The media and fans are beating the drum for athletes to be paid. And the conferences are being radically revised as schools search for TV money. Saturday Millionaires shows that schools are right to fund their football teams first; that athletes will never be paid like employees; how the media skews the financial facts; and why the TV deals are so important. It follows the money to the heart of college football and shows the real game being played, covering such areas as:
Myth #1: All Athletic Departments Are Created Equal
Myth #2: Supporting Football Means Degrading Academics
Myth #3: College Football Players Could Be Paid Like Employees
Myth #4: Football Coaches Are Overpaid
Myth #5: A Playoff Will Bring Equality to College Football
Myth #6: Only a Handful of Athletic Departments Are Self-Sustaining
The business of college football is unlike any other business. Saturday Millionaires takes you behind the scenes and teaches you how to understand the industry from the inside out, touching on such subjects as conference realignment, pay-for-play, conference television networks and where all those millions go at the end of the day.