The scandal that led to the firing of Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice is only the latest indicator of the sorry state of big-time college sports. It has nothing to do with education, and everything to do with entertainment and business. Everybody involved (in running the programs, tournaments, bowl games, TV) makes a killing - except the entertainers (oops, I mean the "student-athletes"). The fact that the NBA allows college basketball players to turn pro after their freshman year speaks volume about whether it has anything to do with education. Only about 20 schools derive some net income from intercollegiate athletics. All the other schools lose money on sports, the biggest losers being the students who have to pay a hefty "athletic fee". As for the "student-athletes", a few manage to turn pro or make a living from sports. Most end up with nothing - no compensation for performing, no education, no prospects.
If this is really amateur sports, why are coaches in
basketball and
football paid such salaries?
College Sports Gone Wild
