The Business of College Football - Part 1

Big Time Ball

In the first part of this series about the money matters behind college football programs, NBR correspondent Jeff Yastine looks at the impact football has on the finances of a large school, Texas Tech University.



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External Links/Articles*

• Horrow Sports Ventures
  Horrow Sports Ventures is a South Florida based firm that is "a facility development advisor to professional sports teams and leagues, universities, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations." The company's president, Rick Horrow, is interviewed in Jeff Yastine's report.
• Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
  The Knight Commission was created by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which is dedicated to improving journalism and communities. The commission monitors and reports on "progress in increasing presidential control and academic and financial integrity of athletics programs."
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
  The NCAA promotes, governs, and adminsters college sports for all of its member colleges, universities, and conferences. This links to a January 8, 2005 press released issued by the NCAA titled, "NCAA President Calls for Value-Based Budgeting for Intercollegiate Atlhetics Programs." The page also contains a link to the video of the NCAA President's speech.
• The Sport Journal
  The Sport Journal is a publication of the United States Sports Academy, which is "an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university" located in Daphne, Alabama. This links to a 2006 paper published in the journal titled, "The Impact of Elite Individual Athletic Performance on University Applicants for Admission in NCAA Division I-A Football."
• Texas Tech Athletics
  Texas Tech's football program is profiled in part one of Jeff Yastine's series. This links to the official website of Texas Tech Athletics where, among other things, you can find information about Red Raiders football.
• Texas Tech University - Operating Budget (PDF Document)
  Texas Tech's football program is profiled in part one of Jeff Yastine's series. As a state university, Texas Tech is required to report its budget to the public. This links to a copy of the university's operating budget for fiscal year 2008. In it, you can find information about the cost of intercollegiate athletics.
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) (PDF Document)
  This links to a 2003 working paper authored by Brad Humphreys of UMBC's Department of Economics. The paper is titled, "The Relationship Between Big-Time College Football and State Appropriations to Higher Education."
• U.S. Department of Education
  This links to Equity in Athletics data provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education. It offers a tool you can use to get data about the money earned and money spent on athletic programs at any public institutions. Simply enter the university you are interested in in the last search field on the screen.

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.