Moneyball

Think college football is amateur athletics. Thing again. Perhaps the players aren't getting paid, but everyone else is and well, according to this carefully researched and well written story from ESPN.com's Mike Fish.

The story fails to make one connection so I will. It begins by noting that Texas coach Mack Brown is currently the highest paid college coach in the land. Then halfway through the story it notes that Texas, far and away, "generated the most football revenue last season, according to survey data that schools are required to file with the federal government." That income came to $87.6 million. Ohio State was a distant second with $68.2. The distance in dollars between Texas and Ohio State is greater than the distance between Ohio State and the school that finished 10th on the list: South Carolina ($57.1 million). Your team generates that much income and you deserve the big bucks.

I was somewhat shocked and dismayed, however, that, at many schools, assistant football coaches have a salary higher than the school's president.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to my South Florida correspondent for alerting me to this story. It's long, but it's a fascinating read.