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“[U]nless a scandal of truly herculean proportions engulfs the nation’s consciousness…”

… say Richard Vedder and Matthew Denhart in Forbes, nothing will change in the supremely scummy world of big-time university sports.

Wannabe schools in the shadows of the Ohio States of the world often lose $15 million a year or more on sports, usually directly or indirectly financed by socking it to students, a large portion of whom do not share the enthusiasm of some alumni and others for whom sports is a passion. Even at these schools, it is difficult to find a football coach who earns less than $200,000 a year. Fans often claim these salaries are driven by market forces. Yet one doubts that a properly functioning market would ever provide such high compensation to the chief executive of a company that loses millions annually.

But back to that unless. I doubt it’s unless a herculean scandal occurs. It will occur; and it won’t happen at just one school. There will be, simultaneously, herculean scandals at, say, five schools. The national headlines, for weeks on end, will feature universities — universities — buried in piles of pig shit. People will definitely notice.

And what will happen?

They’ll replace the head of the NCAA with another guy just like whatzisface.

Margaret Soltan, June 8, 2011 5:50PM
Posted in: sport

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2 Responses to ““[U]nless a scandal of truly herculean proportions engulfs the nation’s consciousness…””

  1. Alan Jacobs Says:

    Agreed. I cannot imagine any circumstances whatsoever that would substantially alter Americans’ love for college sports and willingness to tolerate systemic corruption. If it were discovered that every single Division 1 athletic program in the country ran its own meth lab staffed by teenaged slaves, would attendance at the next big football game even take a temporary dip? I seriously doubt it.

  2. Margaret Soltan Says:

    Alan: LOL.

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