Sports Business Journal: “College Football: The Cost of Winning”

Sports Business Journal staff writer Ben Portnoy delved into the complicated and ever-changing “business” of college football in his examination of the teams that participated in the College Football Playoff over the past decade. Portnoy cites data from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database extensively among the expense trends over that decade: more lucrative coaching salaries, the increase in number of coaches from 10 to 11, the growth in the non-coaching personnel for operations and recruiting, and staggering coaches’ severance packages.

From the article: “I think what we’ve seen in terms of the increased spending in football has been the growth of football coaching salaries for the 11 countable coaches,” said Knight Commission CEO Amy Perko when asked why price tags in college football have ballooned. “The data shows that the salaries and benefits for those 11 coaches have been growing at least two times faster than scholarships — and in some cases, three times faster. Severance packages have tripled since the CFP began. And then you have the growth in football-specific staff.” 

Read More Here ($).