Well we can laugh at AL but IIRC, they get more from the federal govt. than they pay in taxes, whereas the reverse is true for states like CA and NY (probably IL too).
So in a sense, we're subsidizing this deal, unless Alabama goes to so many major bowls under Saban's tenure that the university gets surplus revenues from the football program to fund not only other sports but free up money for academic programs.
Then the state is able to move some of the money which would have gone to the university to maybe other public universities or other state programs.
I wonder if perennial powerhouse state universities are able to do anything like this, regardless of how much they pay out to coaches.
wco81 wrote:I heard Alabama was offering like $50 million to Saban.
How is that even possible?
That's got to make him the most highly-paid state employee in the nation.
AL could do better with its education system. It's probably ranked in the bottom quintile.
It's easy to pony up that cash for a football coach when you're paying teachers minimum wage
As it goes in Horse Feathers:
"Professor Wagstaff, we can't afford to keep the football team and run the College!"
"Well, that cinches it: tomorrow we start tearing down the college."
"But, Professor, where will the students sleep?"
"Where they always sleep: in the classroom."
OK so it may not be exactly accurate, but it's close enough!
There's a great Rocky and Bullwinkle where Bullwinkle goes to college to play football, and to pay for the football expenses, the university (WhatsamattaU?) fires the English Department.
I would imagine the Bama athletic department is using its own funds or funds separate from the academic side of the university to pay for this. Public U coaches are state employees but I think in most cases their salaries are offset by revenues from athletics, since the players are paid off the books
