🏈 Nick Saban's obscene new salary blurs the line between college and pros

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Suddenly those fat contract extensions Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald and Chris Collins signed look, well, adorable.

Collins got Brad Underwood money, about $3 million a year, to tick past the new Illinois basketball coach.

A source said Fitzgerald was boosted into the $3.5 million-to-$4 million range. That's serious cabbage until you consider it's roughly what Nick Saban will be paid to coach spring football at Alabama.

USA Today reported Saban will be paid $11.125 million this season under a three-year extension the university board of trustees' compensation committee approved Tuesday. That figure includes a $4 million signing bonus.

How much would the board have authorized had the Crimson Tide actually stopped Deshaun Watson on Clemson's winning touchdown pass in the national title game?

Saban had been making a reported $6.9 million per season, a figure most of America already found obscene. Alabama deemed it obscenely low.

Economists will no doubt defend Saban's salary, noting that Alabama's football team brings in revenue surpassing $100 million a year, according to Forbes, and posted a $46 million profit in 2015.

Given those figures, you can't call Saban a bad investment.

The issue here is college football officials (coaches, athletic directors, playoff executives) want the sport's salary structure — no salary for the players, crazy cash for the coaches — to remain intact. Players do receive a scholarship, room and board, clothing, food and a stipend, plus mentorship and career training.

Many believe that's still not a fair deal. And if you're someone who defends the current system by saying there's not enough money to go around, those on the other side can hold up a sign that says, "$11,125,000."

Saban's salary is another reminder of the blurred line between college and pro ball.

Nick Saban's obscene new salary blurs the line between college and pros

 

[18Champs]

Saban had been making a reported $6.9 million per season, a figure most of America already found obscene.

And these examples are found where?

Many believe that's still not a fair deal.

And these people are found where?

Saban's salary is another reminder of the blurred line between college and pro ball.

OK, that's the title of the article. The examples to support this are found where?

 

[Tidestalker]

The great college coaches would be crazy to test the NFL. Good gig when you get things rolling! Some friends of mine clown the better college football/hoops coaches for not trying the pros... WHY?! Making great money, less stress, and these coaches are immortalized. I give props to people that know what they're good at and continue to thrive. Enjoy being successful and keep it pushing. RTR

 

[TUSKtimes]

Another hit piece fainting righteous indignation. I've read several of these and they fail to make abundantly clear that the 11 million mark is a one-year deal that includes a 4 million dollar bonus and the contract drops considerable. Creative writing and most don't notice. But even if that was the high water mark for the length of the contract, so what? How would that compare to the same contract in basketball, football, and baseball? What can you buy for around 10 mil a year?

Every season Saban is the reason for the season, the most valuable player, the most important piece of the puzzle. 10 mill will get you a decent player for that price range in the NBA and MLB, at times, it might get you a journeymen. Suh is making over 26 million dollars a year. How has his presence brought the Miami Dolphins any closer to a world championship? It hasn't brought Miami any closer to a division championship. How many pro players are out there in sports making 11 mil and up and what is their actual worth in championships and wins? That's about low man on an NBA team.

These pro franchises have "fun money" to spend because they are filthy rich. Well, many university boosters are rich and they love to share in the name of sport. The indignation is ridiculous when you measure properly the true value of sport related accomplishment. That's the bottom line in all their finance ledgers. "Just win baby."
That alone should determine the market and whether it was and is a good investment.

 

[alagator]

Let's remember, this is the Chicago Tribune. When it came to Harbaugh's salary, here's their take on his seven million dollar year.

One of the arguments for shelling out big bucks for Harbaugh is that a winning football team will encourage enough contributions from devoted Michigan alums to easily cover the money paid to Harbaugh. Insofar as this is the case, taxpayers are picking up a large chunk of Harbaugh's salary.

The point here is sufficiently straightforward that even a Republican member of Congress should be able to understand it. The University of Michigan is a tax-exempt institution. This means that people who make contributions to the university get to deduct these contributions from their taxable income.

Since most of the money the university gets comes from people in the highest tax bracket, the government is effectively paying 40 cents of each dollar that these people contribute to the university, in the form of lower taxes. If all of Harbaugh's $7 million salary were covered by donations from high-income individuals, the government effectively would be subsidizing his pay to the tune of $2.8 million.
​

I'm guessing @It Takes Eleven might smirk at this, a bit.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Let's remember, this is the Chicago Tribune. When it came to Harbaugh's salary, here's their take on his seven million dollar year.

One of the arguments for shelling out big bucks for Harbaugh is that a winning football team will encourage enough contributions from devoted Michigan alums to easily cover the money paid to Harbaugh. Insofar as this is the case, taxpayers are picking up a large chunk of Harbaugh's salary.

The point here is sufficiently straightforward that even a Republican member of Congress should be able to understand it. The University of Michigan is a tax-exempt institution. This means that people who make contributions to the university get to deduct these contributions from their taxable income.

Since most of the money the university gets comes from people in the highest tax bracket, the government is effectively paying 40 cents of each dollar that these people contribute to the university, in the form of lower taxes. If all of Harbaugh's $7 million salary were covered by donations from high-income individuals, the government effectively would be subsidizing his pay to the tune of $2.8 million.
​

I'm guessing @It Takes Eleven might smirk at this, a bit.

A very tenuous connection, I agree. Athletic revenues were around $170MM in 2015 (their line item includes parking income along with athletics, so it might be a little high), but a school like Michigan generates billions in revenue (including over $3 billion from its health care operations). It's a drop in the bucket of how they operate.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Let's remember, this is the Chicago Tribune. When it came to Harbaugh's salary, here's their take on his seven million dollar year.

One of the arguments for shelling out big bucks for Harbaugh is that a winning football team will encourage enough contributions from devoted Michigan alums to easily cover the money paid to Harbaugh. Insofar as this is the case, taxpayers are picking up a large chunk of Harbaugh's salary.

The point here is sufficiently straightforward that even a Republican member of Congress should be able to understand it. The University of Michigan is a tax-exempt institution. This means that people who make contributions to the university get to deduct these contributions from their taxable income.

Since most of the money the university gets comes from people in the highest tax bracket, the government is effectively paying 40 cents of each dollar that these people contribute to the university, in the form of lower taxes. If all of Harbaugh's $7 million salary were covered by donations from high-income individuals, the government effectively would be subsidizing his pay to the tune of $2.8 million.
​

I'm guessing @It Takes Eleven might smirk at this, a bit.

The author of this article knows nothing of Gift Tax rules or the rules of tax deductible donations capped at 50% of the donors AGI... Meh, whats a good story from any major news publication these days based on facts?... worthless

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

This is why so many Americans have lost the love for the media.

Defending one high salary while bashing another a couple years later? Most people call that disingenuous... Fake news.

 

[planomateo]

Show me a pro team that's won 4 of the last 8 championships...

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

Show me a pro team that's won 4 of the last 8 championships...

Boom.