By Dallas Cothrum
3:00 pm. January 16, 2024 CST
As an academic in recovery, it amazes me that it was athletics that most replaced institutions of higher learning. Not so long ago, athletics was still envisioned as something akin to “physical school,” a form of exercise and camaraderie to develop healthy, thriving students. But on some of the force’s convention campuses, something else has appeared: the industrial-soccer complex.
This professional endeavor overshadows everything else on those campuses: especially academics, but also all the other sports combined and even the good fortune of entire communities. Nick Saban’s retirement from the University of Alabama last week threatens not only the football team, but also the university and the local and national economy.
How is it possible that they are overpaid and underpaid at the same time?
Of course, it is academically unsound and outrageous that someone in coaching at a public institution is the highest-paid employee. Schools, however, are in the business of attracting and retaining students as well as growing their brand and endowment. Saban contributed mightily to those factors.
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It turns out that wonderful football coaches are much harder to locate than chemists, historians, or school presidents. More importantly, they can also generate a lot more money for schools and, surprisingly, replace a school’s educational future.
We all contribute to this. Draft rosters begin rating players as early as seventh grade, and the best school recruiting season is analyzed as deeply as the NFL draft. The resolve to compensate players through name, symbol, and likeness agreements, as well as very open-ended movement regulations, have made the game absolutely professional. However, few people complain about it and millions of people do.
The football-industrial complex is not new. In 1982, the president at Texas A&M University, the great historian Frank Vandiver, was shocked when the institution hired Jackie Sherrill for $1.6 million over six years, paying the coach more than he made.
When asked how he felt about receiving a lower salary than the football coach, Vandiver, a sports fan, told Sports Illustrated, “When I came home after what happened and told my family, they were excited. . . They thought that I still got the praise I so richly deserved.
He added: “I think the disparity between what an outstanding chemistry teacher gets and what a football coach gets can allow one to become distorted. The professor can win a Nobel Prize and replace the course of human affairs. But perhaps we want to perceive: “That football will allow us to keep the money that will keep the professor’s labs open. We want football here, for what it offers, for the interest of our institution and as a reference. Plus, people want a great football program. “
That was 4 decades ago. Not much has changed, unless there is more at stake.
Saban earned about $121 million in his 17 years at Alabama, $11 million this year with bonuses, according to The Tuscaloosa News.
In 2022, Alabama’s football program grossed $130. 9 million and made a profit of $18. 5 million, according to Sports Illustrated. The Alabama Soccer Shopping Complex had a profitability that helped fund other sports; Football is useful in women’s and Olympic sports.
Through SportsKeeper, he valued Alabama’s soccer program at $1 billion. Companies valued at a billion dollars are called unicorns because of their rarity. Its executives earn much more than Saban and have inventory options. It produces a lot of value, just like the CEOs of giant corporations. do.
Saban has been a reduced price and better than any other in university departments. He won 87% of his games with nine convention titles and six national titles. He coached 76 first-team All-Americans and 44 players selected in the NFL’s first round. The only Heisman Trophy winners in college history have played for him: 4 of them.
Success in the box has come to college. When Saban arrived in 2007, the number of registrations was 25,000. By the time he left, that number had risen to about 40,000. This comes at a time when a sign-up cliff threatens establishments. And enrollment is declining. International scholars, who pay higher tuition fees, now make up the majority of scholars. Moreover, the average standardized test scores of those scholars surpass Saban’s reign. Of course, the football coach can’t get credit for all those academics. It increases, but in fact contributed to the synergistic combination of prestige, tuition, funding, and student success.
Closer to home, officials at Texas Christian University witnessed a tailwind after their football team’s participation in the 2023 national championship. Applications and interest from prospective scholars have risen sharply, with 31% of “early decision” applicants saying TCU is their first choice. according to the university’s website.
TCU Rector Victor J. Boschini Jr. said, “There is no doubt that the impact on the functionality of our soccer program this year will benefit TCU’s educational project for years to come. “
Time will tell if the small football nations, like TCU and Southern Methodist University, can compete in the growing football-industrial complex at larger schools.
Saban’s influence is not limited to campus. From 2007 to 2022, Tuscaloosa County grew more than 32%, adding about 58,000 residents, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. John’s. By comparison, the state’s population grew only 8. 6 percent in the same period, and the U. S. ‘s grew by 11. 7 percent.
In the Saban era, Tuscaloosa County’s population was 5,433 fewer citizens than the city of Dallas, with its anemic five percent growth.
Again, a single football coach is rarely to blame for all this growth, but it does raise the question of whether the city of Dallas concentrates more on football and less on horse-drawn carriages.
On January 17, 1961, in his last address to Americans, President Dwight Eisenhower warned Americans about the military-industrial complex. The conjunction of a giant peacetime army and a defense industry was new in American history. While this was necessary, Eisenhower warned of the economic, political, and spiritual costs that would be attached to it. He said: “We will have to keep an eye on its serious implications. Our work, resources, and livelihoods are all involved; The same is true for the same configuration of our society.
The university athletic society is at a crossroads. How can small schools like SMU and TCU compete and excel with football powerhouses whose values are close to those of larger companies? Can regional schools like the University of North Texas or Texas State University be in the same league?
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Dallas Cothrum, contributing columnist. Dallas Cothrum is president of Milrose-based Masterplan, the largest planning and permitting company in Texas. He is a member of the Tyler Basketball Officials Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Officials Association Hall of Honor. He is a contributing columnist for the Dallas Morning News.
Settle by the fireplace for a “sweet” pairing experience
Settle by the fireplace for a “Sweets” pairing experience
Settle by the fireplace for a “Sweets” pairing experience
Settle by the fireplace for a “Sweets” pairing experience
Get ready to unleash the power of the riff at The Bearded Monk’s epic 8th Annual Stout and Shout! Join us for a night of rock and roll metal vibes, paired with a mind-blowing selection of rare and unique stouts we’ve been hoarding all year. Stay tuned for the draft and band lists – your taste buds and ear drums are in for a serious treat! Save the date, and let’s kick off the new year with a bang.
Get ready to unleash the force of the riff in the epic eighth edition of The Bearded Morntnk!Join us for a night of rock and rollrnt with steel vibes, combined with a mind- wide variety of exclusive and uncommon outlets that we’ve been accumulating all year. Keep an eye out for drafts and band lists rnt – your taste buds and eardrums will be a real treat!Save the date\rnt and start the new year in style.
Sign up for a fun day of painting at Peticolas Brewing on January 21, from 2:00 p. m. M. A 4:00 p. m.
Bring out your artistic side while enjoying a good beer or a cold drink!Attfinishees will receive step-by-step instructions on how to create their own masterpiece and take it home at the end of the night.
Tickets are $37 per person. Your price ticket will include a complimentary drink, art classes, and all art supplies.
Buy your tickets below:
Link to the tickets:
https://www. tarabergeyart. com/event-details/paint-and-sip-at-peticolas-brewing
Come and register for a fun day of painting at Peticolas Brewing rnJanuary 21\, 2:00 p. m. – 16:00.
Bring out your artistic side while enjoying a good beer or a cold drink!Attfinishees will receive step-by-step instructions on how to create their own masterpiece and take it home at the end of the night.
Tickets are $37 per person. Your ticket will come with a complimentary drink, art classes, and all art supplies
Purchase your tickets below:
Link to the tickets:
https://www.tarabergeyart.com/event-details/paint-and-sip-rntat-peticolas-brewing
Join us at the lobby lounge bar to chat about La Pulga’s history and enjoy complimentary premium samples of the tequila on display. Participation is free, 21Array Valet parking is free.
Meet the Creator. This exclusive series takes place at Toro Toro Fort Worth on the last Thursday of every month from five p. m. to 7 p. m. , where visitors can sample award-winning spirits, enjoy delicious craft cocktails and satisfying hour food, and receive information about the distillery presented in the evening.
Join us at the lobby lounge & bar for a lively discussion onrnt the history of La Pulga and to sip on complimentary\, premium samples of rntthe featured tequila. Free to attend\, 21+. Complimentary valet.
Meet the Creator. This exclusive series takes place at Toro Toro Fort Wrntorth on the last Thursday of every month from five p. m. to 7 p. m. , where visitors can sample several award-winning spirits and savor delicious cocktails and satisfying hourly prices, and learn more about the evening’s featured distillery.
Discover the Flavors and Sounds of the Lowcountry with Explore Charleston while Garden
Experience the Flavors and Sounds of the Lowcountry with Explrntore Charleston as Garden
Located on the shores of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a nationally identified exhibit garden. Spanning more than 66 acres, the Arboretum features rotating exhibits 4 times a year, offering stunning colors for visitors from March through November. With 19 finely manicured lawns, seasonal festivals and activities, a powerful lawn control program, school programs for adults and youth, and the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, there’s something for everyone at the Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for a destination for a family adventure, a leisurely nature stroll, a romantic date, a wedding, or any other special event, the Dallas Arboretum is the place to be. Reservations are required for members and non-members.
The Dallas Arboretum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Join us for an exquisite treat at CHOCOLATE AND ART SHOW, DALLAS edition, with a warm invitation. Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 18 and Friday, January 19, 2024.
Immerse yourself in the colorful world of Dallas’ emerging artists, photographers, and creators. Our occasion features a varied diversity of attractions, including live painting, captivating live music, engaging face painting, live on-site portraits, and a delicious abundance of loose chocolate!
The show runs from 7:00 p. m. to 1:00 a. m. m. y is intended exclusively for other persons over the age of 21. Get ready to be captivated by over a hundred of Texas’ most prominent emerging artists, photographers, and chocolatiers. Witness the magic of artists and painters portraying frames in action.
To sweeten the deal, give the gift of chocolate treats and take advantage of free parking. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the arts and savor chocolate decadence at its finest!
Join us for an exquisite experience at the CHOCOLATE AND ARTrnt SHOW\, DALLAS edition\, extending a warm invitation to you. Mark your calrntendar for Thursday\, January 18\, and Friday\, January 19\, 2024.
Imrntmerse yourself in the vibrant world of Dallas’ finest emerging artists\, prnthotographers\, and creators. Our event offers a diverse range of attractiorntns\, including live body painting\, captivating live music\, engaging facernt-painting\, on-the-spot live portraits\, and a delightful abundance of frernte chocolate!
The show runs from 7:00 p. m. to 1:00 a. m. M. Y is exclusively for seniors 21 years of age or older. Get ready to be captivated by more than 100rnt of Texas’ most notable emerging artists, photographers, and chocolatiers. Witness the magic of live portrait artists and painters in action.
To sweeten the deal, receive complimentary chocolate treats and take advantage of free parking. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the arts and savor chocolate decadence at its finest!
Join us for an exquisite treat at CHOCOLATE AND ARTrnt SHOW\, DALLAS Edition, and we extend a warm invitation to you. Mark your calendarrntrend for Thursday\ January 18\ and Friday\ January 19\ 2024.
Immerse yourself in the colorful world of Dallas’ emerging artists, photographers, and creators. Our event features a diverse diversity of attractions, including live painting, captivating live music, engaging face painting, and live on-site portraits, and a delicious abundance of cold chocolate!
The show runs from 7:00 p. m. to 1:00 a. m. M. Y is exclusively for seniors 21 years of age or older. Get ready to be captivated by more than 100rnt of Texas’ most notable emerging artists, photographers, and chocolatiers. Witness the magic of live portrait artists and painters in action.
To sweeten the deal, receive complimentary chocolate treats and take advantage of free parking. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the arts and savor chocolate decadence at its finest!
Doors: 7 p. m.
Show: p. m.
Like a phoenix emerging from the flames of artistic fervor, Elvis Costello and The Imposters will take to the stages of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, taking enthralled audiences on an odyssey that will begin on January 8. 2024, in the enchanting kingdom of Tallahassee, Florida, and ends Feb. 2, near Cape Fear, North Carolina. Truly, when the sun rises over the horizon, this formidable company will remove the darkness from the musical firmament.
Doors: 7 p. m.
Show: p. m.
Like a phoenix emerging from the flames of artistic fervor, Elvis Costello and The Imposters will invade the stages of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, taking degentleed on an odyssey starting January 8, 2024, in the enchanting kingdom of Tallahasse, Florida and closing on February 2, 2024, near Cape Fear, North Carolina. rntTruly, as the sun rises over the horizon, this formidable trrntoupe will soften the musical firmament.