Some FBS Schools Will Drop Football, That May Be a Good Thing

Idaho is dropping down to FCS. Faculty at both UMass and Eastern Michigan have recommended that step as well, if not dropping college football altogether. This is the first trickle of what could become a flood outside the Power 5.

The cost of college athletics, particularly football, is rising. That expenditure is not sustainable. At many places, cutting or relegating football programs may be for the best.

Athletic departments have become perpetually expanding industrial complexes. Costs have skyrocketed. Most of that change has gone to salaries (more employees and higher compensation) and facilities. The MAC is suffering because, at many schools, coaching the football team is only a $400-500K per year job. Costs will continue to rise in coming years.

Transportation and ancillary expenditures won’t become less expensive. Medical research into football will only increase the safety requirements and insurance. College sports will reach some form of amateurism settlement. That will involve paying the labor force and paying to protect the labor force in case of injury. The multi-billion-dollar industry may even be taxed.

Overall revenue has increased. Power 5 conferences have acted to concentrate that revenue and close off access to it. The rest of FBS is basically playing for a token “group of six” bowl spot.

Outside the Power 5, that means costs are being lumped onto the students. Of the 231 public universities in USA Today’s data, 151 received 50 percent or more of their revenue from subsidies. Those subsidies can, and often do, come from student payments of more than $1,000 per year.

This comes at a time when the university model is under threat. State governments have cut education funding to higher universities. Universities send that cost on to their students, who have amassed more than $1.3 trillion in student loan debt.

One would hope the American public would appreciate the public university system as perhaps our democracy’s finest achievement. Quality, competitive, and affordable education for all is imperative for social mobility. But, the reality is we’ll be redefining what “college” means. So, it’s hard to see why sports should be sacrosanct.

Some colleges benefit from football. Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame build their brands through football. Nick Saban’s success has had a knock on effect for academics at Alabama.

Many don’t. 31 of U.S. News’ Top 50 national universities don’t have FBS football. A number of the 19 that do aren’t good at it. Does anyone choose Eastern Michigan over Wayne State because the Eagles’ football team plays in the MAC?

EMU students would fight back if the university decided to fleece them of $1,000 per year to spend millions funding basic research and other expenditures to enhance the school’s academic status. It’s not clear why they should be content doing so.

We can expect a number of FBS also-rans to drop football or drop down to FCS in the intermediate future, unless the big schools suddenly decide to redistribute much of the revenue. Given the strain and costs to the universities themselves, that may be the best outcome for all involved (besides athletic department employees and bowl execs).