College football knows how to protect the pocket
TheWkly Analysis
College football teams are proving you can get a lot more than chump change out of four quarters. Across the sport’s top division, program valuations are up a whopping 46% since last year, with some teams worth more than $1.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported. So, why the big gains? Indiana University Columbus professor Ryan Brewer, who conducted the analysis, gave a lot of credit to NCAA rule changes that allowed players to transfer in and out of schools and permitted athletic departments to pay student-athletes up to $20.5 million per year, giving smaller programs some bait to lure talent away from bigger ponds. Brewer contends those changes foment parity, making games more fun to watch, attend, and bet on. Hoosier example: Indiana University’s football team saw its valuation jump nearly 68% from last year, thanks to a stellar couple of seasons culminating in an appearance in tonight’s national championship. Winning strategy? Billionaire Mark Cuban, an Indiana alumnus and donor, penned his first direct check to the athletic department in 2024, after the football team posted an unexpected 11–2 record. He has said that part of Indiana’s success is head coach Curt Cignetti’s commitment to “a well-rounded roster of players, rather than putting the money toward chasing after just a few high-profile recruits,” as CNBC put it.
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Key Entities
- • Ryan Brewer - Indiana University Columbus professor who conducted the program valuation analysis
- • NCAA - Governing body cited for rule changes affecting transfers and athlete payments
- • Football Bowl Subdivision - Top division referenced as the valuation universe
- • Indiana University - Program cited with a nearly 68% valuation jump
- • Mark Cuban - Billionaire donor cited as making a direct check to the athletic department
- • Curt Cignetti - Head coach cited for roster-building strategy
- • Wall Street Journal - Outlet cited for reporting the valuation numbers
- • Student-athletes - Players affected by new payment rules
- • Transfer rules - Policy changes cited as enabling more parity across programs
Bias Distribution
Multi-Perspective Analysis
Left-Leaning View
Not found
Centrist View
Focuses on valuation data, rule changes, and parity arguments.
Right-Leaning View
Not found
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