Lamm at Large

LAMM AT LARGE: You have to spend to win in college football

todayDecember 9, 2021

Background

Billy Napier’s first press conference as the Gators’ head football coach sounded like all the other first press conferences of all the other newly hired coaches.

I hope whoever wrote the original script is being paid royalties.

The gist of the message from the new coach is always “we need more people, better facilities and more money.”

Napier is asking for a payroll for himself, his assistant coaches and other staffers of nearly $20 million. Think about that. Of course he wants the school to continue upgrading facilities.

The facilities at the top programs are ridiculous. The athletes — well, at least the football players — are treated like royalty.

Schools spend all of this money knowing the odds are 50-50 they’ll be chasing a new coach with 3-4 years and paying the fired coach millions of money not to coach.

The spending spree will continue as long as alumni and boosters are willing to foot the bill through contributions and the TV networks continue to pay more and more.

How much is winning worth? I don’t see an ending in sight.

Written by: Taylor Doll


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Lamm at Large

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