Another_Life_to_Live

Another Life to Live Student Athletes Deserve More than Scholarships: A Look into the Finances of Major College Sports Programs Student-athletes at major Division I-A colleges and universities do more than attend classes, practices, and compete against other teams. They generate revenue. Intercollegiate sports have developed into a highly specialized, multi-million dollar entertainment industry that rides on the shoulders of student-athletes. This industry has in turn resulted in substantial rewards for big time athletic programs and the NCAA. According to an NCAA survey conducted in 1998, sixty-seven percent of Division I-A football programs showed an average profit of $3.9 million with many of the largest programs far exceeding that figure (Netzley). Add in revenue from other sports and the NCAA took in $267 million in 1997-1998 (NCAA). Universities do not hide the importance they place on successful sports programs. In 1997, Steve Spurrier, head football coach at the University of Florida, signed programs, sports, ncaa, million, game, university, universities, martinez, championship, winning, two, student-athletes, spurrier, salary, revenue, national, months, major, industry, football, florida, equivalent, earn, division, contract, bowl, athletic, year, while, value, two-and-a-half, turn, tremendous, took, time, tickets, third, teams, talk, take, survey, successful, substantial, student, steve, specific, specialized, sixty-seven, six-year