Why There’s Never Enough Money in College Sports

"We're our own worst enemy"

Author

Steve Ulrich
August 28, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

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AUGUST 28, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
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🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Why There’s Never Enough Money in College Sports. Democratic Senator Warns of ‘Power 2' Owning College Sports. NCAA, Venmo Partner to Combat Harassment of College Athletes. Photo Finish.

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TOP STORY

1. Why There’s Never Enough Money in College Sports: ‘We’re, At Times, Our Own Worst Enemy’

by Scott Dochterman and Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic

“In 2004, on the heels of his football program’s third consecutive top-10 finish and second shared Big Ten title, Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby reluctantly chose to make Kirk Ferentz one of college football’s highest-paid coaches rather than lose him to a traditional power or the NFL.

“I don’t know that a football coach should be making five times what a university president makes,” Bowlsby, who later served as Big 12 commissioner for 11 years, said at the time. “But the only thing worse than being in the arms race is not being in the arms race.

According to NCAA financial numbers obtained by The Athletic through state open-records requests, college athletic departments have generated money — and spent it — at an eye-poppingly escalating rate from when Ferentz earned his first big contract.”

» Why It Matters. “And unlike traditional businesses, there are no shareholders in college athletics who earn dividends or demand repayment for their investment. Whatever departments take in, they spend.”

» Between The Lines. “With revenue increases far outpacing the rate of inflation (56 percent) between 2005 and 2023, it may seem unnecessary for schools to gamble on different types of financial liability and massive program upheaval just to keep up with their neighbors. Yet, driven by the paranoia and mistrust that permeates the industry, that’s exactly what they’ve done and will continue to do. It’s never enough.”

» What They’re Saying. “I’m not sure anyone is looking out for the greater good of an industry and thinking more creatively how we can create a more sustainable model because what we are currently doing is not sustainable.” - Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey

2. Democratic Senator Warns of ‘Power 2' Owning College Sports If NCAA-Backed SCORE Act Becomes Law

by Eddie Pells, Associated Press

“A Democratic U.S. lawmaker sent a letter to leaders at the more than 350 Division I schools across the country Monday, warning of a two-tier college sports system with haves and have-nots if a proposed bill to regulate the industry passes without changes.

In the letter, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking member of a committee that oversees college sports, says the SCORE Act would “incentivize a Power 2 conference system that will create inequities for other conferences and leave behind small to mid-sized schools.”

» Driving The News. “The House is expected to vote on the SCORE Act next month. It would provide the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption, override state laws designed to regulate name, image, likeness payments and prevent athletes from becoming employees of their universities.”

» What They’re Saying. “Ultimately, the broad antitrust exemption in the SCORE Act would widen existing inequities among schools and conferences, creating long-term instability for schools of all sizes,” Cantwell said.

» Worth Noting. “The SCORE Act would need the backing of at least seven Democrats in the Senate to pass as a standalone bill, though there’s a chance it could be attached to a larger piece of must-pass legislation, which would diminish their chances of making substantive amendments.”

3. NCAA, Venmo Partner to Combat Harassment of College Athletes

by David Purdum, ESPN

“The NCAA and online payment service Venmo announced a partnership Tuesday aiming to combat abuse and harassment of college athletes, some of whom have reported receiving unwanted requests for money from losing bettors and solicitation for inside information.

The NCAA-Venmo partnership features a dedicated hotline for athletes to report abuse and harassment, education on account security, and increased monitoring. Venmo's security team will monitor social media trends and events during games, such as last-second missed field goals, that have triggered surges in unwanted interactions.”

» Driving The News. “David Szuchman, senior vice president of Venmo's parent company, PayPal, told ESPN that the unwanted requests for money sent to athletes are infrequent on the platform but still "unacceptable." He believes college athletes belong in a unique subset of Venmo customers who deserve a higher level of monitoring and protection.”

» What They’re Saying. "This is a really unique and interesting population," Clint Hangebrauck, NCAA managing director of enterprise risk, said of student-athletes. "How do we let them operate in a way where they can feel like any other college kid but also have those enhanced measures around them to make sure they have a safe experience on their platforms?"

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5. Photo Finish

A one-in-a-million shot of Jasmine Paolini in action at the U.S. Open. (Ray Giubilo)

I know Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged or whatever, but this might be the most perfectly-timed sports photograph ever taken and deserves our full attention. I may have just found my Halloween costume.

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