

College football is more profitable than Microsoft or Google - sharkweek
http://consultantsmind.com/2012/12/02/college-football/

======
ahi
A few college football programs are more profitable than Microsoft or Google.
The vast majority of them just throw lots of money down the drain chasing
alumni donations that will never come.

~~~
001sky
NB: don't be confusing a "marketing spend" with product sales. Schools "make
money" on kids paying tution, not sports. They would have to spend this money
otherwise on junk-mail or fancy dorms.

~~~
ahi
If a school can't get it's students and alumni to the games, what are the
chances it's a wise "marketing spend"?

~~~
001sky
I think you are missing the media vector: who do you think is watching the TV
and reading about the team the papers? And also the parents of the
Athletes?I'm not trying to argue with you, but I've seen the math. Most
student/faculty have a naive (at best) understanding about the University as a
business (albeit a non-profit one). Do you have any idea how much colleges
spend on marketing? Sports is a drop in the bucket vs financial aid (often 1/3
of aggregate billed tuition is comp'd).

~~~
ahi
I am an alum of a successful D1 school with no football program, an alum of a
successful D1 school with a football program (UMich) and live in a town of a
D1 school with a money pit of a football program (Eastern Michigan). For every
big name program, there's a dozen that are a waste of time and money. For the
record, college football is almost the only thing that will get me watching
tv. I like it, but most schools shouldn't bother.

