When thinking about the BCS and college football, a 4-foot 10-inch gymnast is generally not the first thing that pops into one’s head. But that’s exactly who the BCS impacts—student-athletes involved with every other collegiate sport, from Badminton (yes, some colleges field a varsity Badminton squad) to Water Polo. It is well publicized that football earnings account for the vast majority of most athletic departments’ total revenue. In 2007—the last year for which the government has compiled data—the Southeastern Conference’s (“SEC”) football revenue was $510,288,867 out of a total for all men’s and women’s sports of $672,936,317. In comparison, in the Western Athletic Conference (“WAC”), football revenue made up $67,392,942 out of a total for all sports of $138,442,435.
While no one will argue that this inter-conference disparity is due solely to the BCS, but the difference between haves and have-nots has grown significantly during the 10-year BCS era.[1] Schools in the “Big Six” conferences leverage their “automatic qualifying” status—and the added investment capital, publicity, and recruiting advantages that status brings—to enlarge their fan bases and bolster football revenues. Football helps fund lacrosse sticks, balance beams, volleyballs, trainers, and everything else associated with collegiate athletics. And football revenue can make it possible for thousands of student-athletes to attend college. In 2007, the SEC awarded $81,866,129 in athletically related student aid, compared to the WAC’s $40,990,062. Because football revenue influences athletic resources and scholarship programs, there are real-world consequences when the BCS awards “AQ” status and bowl berths in a manner that’s often divorced from on-the-field achievement. Why should Duke’s or Virginia’s student-athletes receive more scholarship money simply because they belong to the ACC? Why should Syracuse and Rutgers athletes have access to better facilities just because of their conference affiliation? Rewards should reflect the product that a team is putting on the field. As long as the BCS is around, revenue will never be distributed according to merit and schools that aren’t as fortunate as the Dukes, Virginias, and Syracuses of the world will continue to be disadvantaged.
All figures were taken from the U.S. Department of Education’s website. If you’re interested in checking out the numbers for yourself, here is the link: http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/index.aspx.