Abstract
In this essay, the writer notes that as the January college football bowl season begins, talk will inevitably resurface about the millions of dollars in appearance fees that universities are paid to play in these games, and how none of that money makes its way to the players. The writer points out that the issue of paying Division I college athletes has been discussed for years, and seems to come to the forefront of national sports and higher education dialogue when big-money games like football bowls are played, or when players are sanctioned for illegally taking money from boosters. The writer maintains that as long as college sports continue to bring in big money, the notion of paying college athletes will persist. The writer concludes that the goal of college athletics should not be to provide modest compensation to athletes for four years - it should be to allow young people to pursue their degrees while playing sports.

Outline:
Athletics are not Cash Cows
Making Scholarships More Meaningful
Conclusion

From the Paper
"One of the problems with the argument for paying student athletes is that a key tenet of the argument -- that universities make millions off of their athletics programs -- is not universally true. In fact, many schools have growing deficits. Big-time sports schools such as the University of Michigan or Ohio State may make millions from their football teams and basketball teams, but for every Michigan there is a Middle Tennessee State or a Florida International, whose football team posted a record of 0-12 this year. There are many football and basketball teams that do not sell out their arenas or receive lucrative television or radio contracts, and paying their athletes would be a significant burden. Even a small stipend for all athletes would add to these growing financial deficits."

Tags:student, graduate, degree, players

Abstract
This paper discusses the differences in salaries of coaches of major college sports teams in big schools, coaches for major sports in small schools, and coaches for all other types of college sports teams. The author analyzes coaches' salaries across gender, race, and conference and argues that there is a need for change in pay inequity. He posits that the playing field should be more even in Division I football, and that the barriers that have kept minorities and females underrepresented in NCAA coaching ranks need to be removed. The essay concludes with a list suggested implementations for these proposed changes.

Outline:
Findings About Salaries
Across Gender
Across Race
By Conference
The Need for Change
Implementation

From the Paper
"There is a sharp divide in coach salaries in football. Division I is divided into two tiers. In the top tier are the teams in the major conferences. These conferences comprise the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) teams and, along with Notre Dame, account for the top 66 schools. The other conferences contain 54 schools. Division I football is the most lucrative coaching position in college athletics. The average salary is $1.232 million for 2008 (Coaches Hot Seat, 2008). The average coach for a BCS conference school (plus Notre Dame) is $1.874 million. Coaches in non-BCS conferences average $448,055.
"Attempting to analyze these numbers by gender and race is impossible due to insufficient information. There are no female coaches, and out of 119 schools there are only seven black head coaches, as of 2007 (Gray 2007). With 2008 salary numbers, and one coach no longer in his position (Karl Dorrell, ex-UCLA), black coaches average around $1.2 million. This does not appear incongruous given their respective experience and track records."

Tags:coaching ncaa football bcs race, female coaches

Abstract
This paper discusses the issue of whether college athletes should be paid to play their sports. Included in this paper are interviews from numerous college athletes. The paper contends that college athletes should not be paid to play their respective sport for the simple reason that their current incentive package is more than enough payment for the job that they do. Scholarships, housing, plus the potential income that comes with a college degree are more than adequate payment for college athletes.

From the Paper
"It seems that with every new year comes a plethora of new hot topics which overrun the news and dominate the print media. This year being no different, college athletes have become the target of many an ambitious sports analyst and have become the object of affection for numbers of respected penmen. With the recent explosion in the popularity of intercollegiate athletics, the question is being raised over whether or not the actual athletes who participate in these high stakes contests should receive a piece of the profit. High revenue athletes at the college level receive a scholarship, an opportunity, and so much more. To suggest that what they receive is not enough would be pure lunacy."

Tags:basketball, football, ncaa

Abstract
This paper outlines the issues involved in college drinking problems. The paper provides statistics which illustrate the gravity of the situation. The effects of binge drinking on a student's academic performance and physical well-being are discussed. Suggestions are offered of how to curb this problem and how to reduce the tragedies associated with binge drinking among college students.

From the Paper
"There are a multitude of issues related to binge drinking among college students. Statistics regarding binge drinking among college students magnify the gravity of the problem. At least two out of every five U.S. college students regularly binge drink, resulting in approximately 1,400 student deaths yearly, a distressing number of assaults and rapes, a shameful amount of vandalism, and countless cases of academic suicide."

Tags:university, alcohol, drugs, fraternities, parties, football, academic, violence

Abstract
This paper reports on the controversy regarding college football playoff games to determine the annual champions. According to the paper, fans are clamoring for playoffs to determine the national college football champions, but league commissioners have rejected a number of plans. The paper suggests making some changes now in order to provide the fans with what they want, similar to the World Series, in which playoffs determine the best.

From the Paper
"If there is a Super Bowl for the championship of professional football, there should be the equivalent- a BCS playoff system- to create the best college football team in the U.S. It would eliminate the petty bickering that goes on constantly among the various conferences and divisions as to which team is truly the most outstanding. The problem with creating a playoff event or events is that the powers of the NCAA and various leagues and conferences don't want it. "College football will stay with the controversial BCS championship format through the 2013 season and maybe much longer" (Hayes 64). One problem about..."

Tags:bowl games, sports fans, playoff proposals

Abstract
This paper describes the current method used to select a national champion in the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football and explains the structure of college football programs. The paper also explains the two main controversies that surrounds this selection process.

Overview and Structure
Money
Controversy

From the Paper
"The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is the current method used to select a national champion in NCAA Division I football. The NCAA declares no national champion and has no playoff system. The series has its genesis in the controversies of the 1990s, when there was sometimes no clear national champion, in part because there was no national championship game. Rankings obtained from polls of either coaches or sports writers were used during this time. When both sets of rankings produced the same number one team, that team was considered the consensus best in the country. Aside from not specifically crowning any team "national champion", the system often produced two different number one teams, both claiming to be the best. The NCAA sought to rectify this problem by creating a national championship game, and what followed was a series of attempts to create a system whereby the top two teams met in that game."

Tags:organization, rankings, championship

Abstract
This paper describes college football's bowl games. Additionally, the author explains in detail the ranking system in which a team qualifies to enter a bowl game, called the Bowl Champion Series ranking system. The author argues that the Bowl Champion Series ranking system must be changed and amended. This would be better for post season play. The paper concludes that if the changes are made, the old excitement of football games would come back as well.

From the Paper
"What, for instance would happen if there were three undefeated teams; one would not be able to simply choose one undefeated team and declare them champions. A playoff would of course be bale to determine the ruling champions, but if there were for example, three undefeated teams, then how would one playoff and settle the score? Two of the three would probably have to play against another undefeated team, and this means that it would also have to play twice to win it, while the third team would get to play against a possibly lesser team, with one single loss. This brings another issue to the forefront, which is, why shouldn't one loss teams be regarded as the undefeated teams, and why shouldn't these teams have an equal shot as the other teams at the Championship? Perhaps the real and true problem may not be the playoff system, or the Bowl Championship Series, but the fact that there are in fact more than 116 Division 1- A schools taking part in the college football championships, and the very scope of college football is so very large and enormous that it is extremely difficult for anyone to be able to narrow it down to either two, or four, or even eight best teams who would deserve to play for the championship above the others. (Bowl Championship Series ... The Final Word) "

Tags:NCAA, varsity, sports, competition

Abstract
This paper explains that one reason colleges have been unable to handle effectively the problem of athletes with abysmal grades is that star players bring wealthy alums back to campus, along with their checkbooks. The author points out that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved a reform package, particularly for the big money-making sports of football and basketball, which require more stringent eligibility rules for recruiting; once in college, the athletes must graduate within five years, completing 20 percent of the coursework each year, while maintaining at least a 1.8 grade-point average as a freshman, and a 2.0 each year thereafter to be eligible to play. The paper relates that there is a correlation between lower grades (even lower than usual) among college athletes during their sport's season and that academically marginal student athletes respond less successfully to the increased demands of college.

Table of Contents
Abortive Mission
A Lesson from the High School
Poor Excuses

From the Paper
"At least since 1998, high schools in wealth Northern Virginia have tightened academic standards for student athletes and for other students who participate in other extracurricular activities as well. Fairfax County coaches and teachers had begun monitoring student grades. In addition, in Fairfax County, the students cannot comply with the demand for a C average or better by taking only one or two easy classes; "students are required to take five classes and pass five classes in a previous school semester to be eligible to participate in athletics." If a student does drop two letter grades in a subject or his grade-point average drops below 2.0, he is counseled by coaches and offered help."

Tags:ncaa, eligibility, underprivileged, season, requirement

Abstract
The paper argues that the importance of athletic programs is often overblown. The paper reveals that while a good football or basketball team can boost school spirit, sell T-shirts, and increase the academic standing of a school, winning teams are hard to come by and they usually cost more money than they make. The paper further argues that athletes sometimes receive favorable treatment in academic classes in order to ensure they have eligibility to play and this is shown by low graduation rates among athletes.

From the Paper
"Over the last century, however, as collegiate athletics have grown in stature and have grown into multi-million dollar businesses, the NCAA has had to confront questions of how these athletic programs contribute to college life. It has become a cliche that college athletes in such high profile sports as basketball and football receive a free pass in college classrooms. Perhaps the most famous and egregious case of this in recent history happened at the University of Georgia in the fall of 2001, where Jim Harrick Jr., an assistant basketball coach taught a course called Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball. The course was mainly populated by athletes from the basketball team."

Tags:graduation, rates, academics, teams

Abstract
This paper gives a brief history of the University of Oklahoma's football team, the Sooners. The author discusses the team's ups and downs over the years, it's well-known coaches and popular players. The paper concludes on an up-beat note commenting on the connection between the people of Oklahoma and their popular college football team.

From the Paper
"There have been many great players that have come out of the Oklahoma Sooners program over the years: Brian Bosworth, Butkus Award, Jamelle Holieway, and Keith Jackson, just to name a few. Barry Switzer was unable to compare to Coach Bud Wilkinson's era that contained 13 consecutive conference titles, he did earn twelve over his entire career at Oklahoma University. The 1988 season was plagued with negativity in the media as the NCAA put the Sooners on probation for violation of many rules. Within a six-month period, there was a rape in the athlete dorm and a shooting on campus. Coach Switzer's home was invaded and robbed by his athletes and another was charged with attempting to sell narcotics to an undercover officer. "

Tags:sports, college, coaches, drugs