Let's Be Honest, Money is the Reason for the Season
Late last week, Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde penned a column titles "Power 5 Leaders Must Articulate Motive Behind Push to Play 2020 College Football Season."
In his article, Forde chronicled the back and forth cycle where the 65 schools that make up the Power Five, along with their conferences and the Group of Five conferences have continued to move forward with plans for a season despite the changes and challenges they continue to face.
Now that both Division II and D-II have moved to postpone all fall championships in their divisions, the big-time players in college athletics are all that remain between fans and a fall without football.
The question has been, and remains, can they make it through the season?
The reason why they are determined to have the season is a much easier question to answer.
Money and lots of it. Even if there are limited or no crowds allowed inside stadiums, the riches of the television deals are such that it is worth the effort for those top-level schools to push forward through the pandemic to give the nation college football.
Forde nailed it when he wrote of the money.
"So here’s the thing: if the commitment to play is there, the oligarchs of college football need to articulate the motive. And one of the prime motives is this: they really need the money."
"Say the quiet part out loud. The money matters. A lot."
He went on to say that "That's not necessarily something to be ashamed of," and he's right. After all, the money produced by football helps fund other men's and women's sports that aren't able to support themselves through ticket sales and tv deals.
That money is desperately needed and allows for more athletes in sports that won't lead to pro careers to participate at the college level.
What is written here and in Forde's column isn't rocket science, we all know it. Now it's time for those in power in college football to stop the double-speak and come out and admit it.
No one is going to judge them more harshly for having said it, and it will likely have the opposite impact where people will appreciate honesty from people who far too often aren't exactly open when it comes to the motives of big-time college athletics.
