Envy and jealousy: the view from Seat 37F edition

Over at fanblogs.com, War Eagle Atlanta shares with us a nice, dry observation on the relationship between Corch Meyers and the local media:

… Meyer then ordered Dooley and three other writers to print the remarks. I say ‘ordered’ rather than requested because none of them wanted to have to start paying for their own tickets to Florida Field.

Well played, sir.

Maybe the laws of supply and demand cease to exist on your campuses.

The only thing that surprises me about this reasoning is how long it’s taken for somebody to present it.

… William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland and co-chairman of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, said his group was conducting a yearlong study on spending in college athletics. The Knight Commission was formed in 1989 to ensure that college athletics “operate within the educational mission of colleges and universities.” The Knight Commission expects to release its report on spending next spring.

Kirwan said many colleges put themselves in their current financial predicaments because of excessive spending.

“In a lot of ways, I see parallels between the implosion of our economy and the excessive spending in college athletics,” Kirwan said. “There was an assumption that housing prices would always go up and up. You could buy a house and everybody assumed its value would increase. Intercollegiate athletics has lived in this fantasy world and assumed corporate sponsorships and TV contracts would always go up. Now we’re finding out that’s not the case. I think we’ve dug ourselves a huge hole.”

Yeah, aside from those new BCS and SEC and Big Ten TV contracts, it’s all going to hell in a hand basket out there.  The big programs can afford the salary increases.  It’s the schools that spend money they don’t have, living beyond their means, that have the problems.

According to a recent study by the Chronicle of Higher Education, USC coach Pete Carroll was the highest-paid employee of a U.S. private university in 2006-07. The report said Carroll made $4.4 million that year, about four times as much as USC president Steven B. Sample. The report also found that most of the 10 highest-paid university presidents at schools with Division I football programs made about half of what their schools’ football coaches were being paid.

“There was such an outrage about what corporate CEOs were making and now people are looking at what coaches are making compared to other university personnel, and I think there’s the same concern,” Kirwan said. “I think it’s an outrageous situation…”

The amusing thing about his rant is that it’s the presidents who are electing to pay these monies out to their coaches.  (Kirwan’s flagship school, for example, is currently on the hook for a $1 million payment to a head coach-in-waiting if Friedgen doesn’t retire by 2012.)  Nobody is holding a gun to their heads.  Certainly if you’re a college president who’s signing off on a paycheck to some coach that’s for a considerably greater amount than what you’re getting to cash yourself each month, that’s gotta suck.  However, if you’re willing to put up with the consequences, there’s a pretty obvious solution to your plight.

Not that any of ’em have the guts to go through with that.  So, instead, we’ll hear more proposals designed to circumvent the free market – revenue sharing (playoffs!) so that the smaller schools can better afford to waste their money and antitrust exemptions so that presidents can collude on what they pay coaches.  Because there’s nothing sadder than a university president with an inferiority complex.

His master’s voice

I like Ivan Maisel.  He’s a good writer who tries to avoid spouting the company line when he can – not an easy task when you’re employed at the WWL.  So I got a kick out of this exchange yesterday:

Chris (Phoenix)

Ivan,So, you say it’s a control issue. What role (if any) do you see ESPN playing in the implementation of at least a Plus 1 format which would use the set up we already have and substitute the current NCG with a set of winners from a BCS National Semi-Final? As ESPN is distributing the $$$ for the conferences to control, I would think that The Worldwide Leader has a say, no?

Ivan Maisel

(2:30 PM)

Valid question, Chris, and if I didn’t work here, I’d answer it.

That’s pretty good.  As is Maisel’s summary of what the BCS/playoff battle comes down to:

Arthur (Atlanta)

When folks in the media say that “money” is the reason why we will never see a college football playoff, explain exactly what that means. Are the BCS conferences making too much now and are afraid a playoff would pay them less, or is it more giving up control/power than just strictly dollars and cents?

Ivan Maisel

(2:01 PM)

I can tell you what I mean when I write/say it: not the money per se but the CONTROL of the money. The BCS allows the commissioners of the major conferences to control the money, just as they did under the bowl system. If the NCAA ran a playoff, as they do in every other sport, then the commissioners and their members fear that they would lose control of the money.

First step to greatness

Shorter John Adams:  That Tennessee can’t sign a quarterback recruit to save its life is a sure indicator that the program is headed in the right direction. (h/t Team Speed Kills)

The toughest job in college football

How would you like to be stuck with the task of convincing people to give money to the Kansas State football program?