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Buzz Bissinger: Why College Football Should Be Banned - WSJ.com5/9/12 11:32 AMNews, Quotes, Companies, VideosSEARCHFriday, May 4, 2012 As of 6:35 PMWelcome, Robert Griffin LogoutSPORTSU.S. Edition HomeWorldU.S.Today's PaperNew YorkPeople In The NewsBusinessArts & EntertainmentCustomer CenterVideoMarketsCarsTechBooks & IdeasBlogsFashionFood & DrinkLife & CultureSportsTravel1 of 12TOP STORIES INSPORTSOpinionHealthCareersWSJ. MagazineReal EstateOff DutySmall BusinessThe A-Hed2 of 123 of 12Here Comes Mr.Pettitte, and He'sRight on TimeBrowsing forHomes via AppLife &CultureHelpNEW CIO Journal Access NOW »Journal CommunityPersonal FinanceMy JournalThe Knicks'Emotional RescueGlendalHockeyMay 4, 2012, 6:35 p.m. ETWhy College Football Should Be BannedThe costs are high, the benefits to students are low, argues Buzz Bissinger. And academicspay the priceArticleSaveSlideshowRecommendComments (593)8.1k2MORE IN SPORTS MAIN »Tweet1,191By BUZZ BISSINGERNCAA PhotosThe average student gets nothing from football programs that remain sacrosanct despite tuition increases.Don't Miss Powered by TaboolaIn more than 20 years I've spent studying the issue, I have yet to hear a convincingargument that college football has anything do with what is presumably the primarypurpose of higher education: academics.That's because college football has no academic purpose. Which is why it needs to bebanned. A radical solution, yes. But necessary in today's times.Football only provides the thickest layer of distraction in an atmosphere in whichcolleges and universities these days are all about distraction, nursing an obsession withthe social well-being of students as opposed to the obsession that they are there for archiveRaw: Delta PlaneFormer AtlantaRolls Off Taxiway in Braves Pitcher'sAtlantaHome for Sale02:0701:07Andy Rooney'sConnecticut HouseLists for 749K00:47Most Popular on FacebookPage 1 of 5

Buzz Bissinger: Why College Football Should Be Banned - WSJ.com5/9/12 11:32 AMthe social well-being of students as opposed to the obsession that they are there for thevital and single purpose of learning as much as they can to compete in the brutalrealities of the global economy.Photos: A Legacy of ScandalView SlideshowAssociated PressNorth Carolina football coach Butch DavisSign UpCreate an account or log in to see what your friendsare recommending.Who truly benefits from college football?Alumni who absurdly judge the quality ofRepairing a Marriage After an Affairtheir alma mater based on the quality ofthe football team. Coaches such as NickGay Romney Aide Abruptly ResignsSaban of the University of Alabama andBob Stoops of Oklahoma University whomake obscene millions. The playersNine Rules Women Must Follow to Get Aheadthemselves don't benefit, exploited by asystem in which they don't receive a dime1,583 people recommend this.of compensation. The average studentdoesn't benefit, particularly when footballprograms remain sacrosanct while tuitioncosts show no signs of abating as manygovernors are slashing budgets to thebone.234 people recommend this.273 people recommend this.1,076 people recommend this.If You're Under 40, Don't Bank on Social SecurityFacebook social pluginMore in Sports MainHow to Eliminate 19 HorsesIf the vast majority of major college football programs made money, the argument toban football might be a more precarious one. But too many of them don't—to thedetriment of academic budgets at all too many schools. According to the NCAA, 43% ofthe 120 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision lost money on their programs. This isthe tier of schools that includes such examples as that great titan of football excellence,the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, who went 3-and-9 last season. Theathletic department in 2008-2009 took in over 13 million in university funds and studentfees, largely because the football program cost so much, The Wall Street Journalreported. New Mexico State University's athletic department needed a 70% subsidy inMariano Rivera: 'I'm Coming Back'Yankees' Legendary Closer, BrokenDo Horse Races Really Need Jockeys?A Late Finish to an Endless DayMost PopularReadEmailedVideoCommented2009-2010, largely because Aggie football hasn't gotten to a bowl game in 51 years.Outside of Las Cruces, where New Mexico State is located, how many people evenknow that the school has a football program? None, except maybe for some savvy1.Opinion: Wisconsin Recall Amnesia2.What They Don't Tell You at Graduationcontestants on "Jeopardy." What purpose does it serve on a university campus? None.3.U.S. Jobs Data Add to Fears of Slow SpringThe most recent example is the University of Maryland. The president there, Wallace D.4.Rankings by MajorLoh, late last year announced that eight varsity programs would be cut in order toproduce a leaner athletic budget, a kindly way of saying that the school would rather5.'Avengers': More Marvel, Less Funsave struggling football and basketball programs than keep varsity sports such as trackand swimming, in which the vast majority of participants graduate.“If you want to establish a minor league systemthat the National Football League pays for—which they should—that is fine.Latest Tweets”Part of the Maryland football problem: a 50.8 million modernization of its stadium inwhich too many luxury suites remain unsold. Another problem: The school reportedlypaid 2 million to buy out head coach Ralph Friedgen at the end of the 2010 season,even though he led his team to a 9-and-4 season and was named Atlantic CoastConference Coach of the Year. Then, the school reportedly spent another 2 million tohire Randy Edsall from the University of Connecticut, who promptly produced a record of2-and-10 last season.In an interview with the Baltimore Sun in March, Mr. Loh said that the athleticdepartment was covering deficits, in large part caused by attendance drops in footballand basketball, by drawing upon reserves that eventually dwindled to zero. Hencecutting the eight .webarchiveMost Read Articles FeedBrianCostaWSJ: @JamesPiccoli Early deadlines,very tight space right now and an overall emphasison non-game stories.6 min agoWSJSports: How can the Phoenix Coyotes play ina city losing 12.9 million per year just to supporttheir existence? http://t.co/hdMCgcyH via @WSJ31 min agoWSJSports: @jasonWSJ attempts to break downthis roller-coaster Knicks season. When it ends,we're all going to the Caribbean!http://t.co/nfvMg86A32 min agoWSJSports: Daily Fix: A Ranger's Night ofRounding the Bases http://t.co/UVP3RqJf32 min agoMikeSielskiWSJ: @Katrina Doell BLASPHEMER!Page 2 of 5

Buzz Bissinger: Why College Football Should Be Banned - WSJ.com5/9/12 11:32 AMcutting the eight sports.11 hrs agoThis is just the tip of the iceberg. There are the medical dangers of football in generalcaused by head trauma over repetitive hits. There is the false concept of the footballstudent-athlete that the NCAA endlessly tries to sell, when any major college player willtell you that the demands of the game, a year-round commitment, makes the studenthalf of the equation secondary and superfluous. There are the scandals that have besetprograms in the desperate pursuit of winning—the University of Southern California,Ohio State University, University of Miami and Penn State University among others.Follow WSJ onLatest HeadlinesMassachusetts Back in Health SpotlightU.S. Jobs Data Add to Fears of Slow SpringI can't help but wonder how a student at the University of Oregon will cope when instate tuition has recently gone up by 9% and the state legislature passed an 11%Sept. 11 Suspects Face Gitmo Hearingdecrease in funding to the Oregon system overall for 2011 and 2012. Yet thanks to thelargess of Nike founder Phil Knight, an academic center costing 41.7 million, twice asexpensive in square footage as the toniest condos in Portland, has been built for theUniversity of Oregon football team.Play of the Week: Elizabeth Warren StumblesDeal Sought for Chinese Activist to Study in U.S.Always important to feed those Ducks.Anti-Obama Ads Take Elegiac ToneTeen Pleads Guilty to Terror PlotJustice Department Says Alabama Immigration Law HurtingHispanic StudentsHouse Near Deal on Export Bank's LendingI actually like football a great deal. I am not some anti-sports prude. It has a place in oursociety, but not on college campuses. If you want to establish a minor league systemthat the National Football League pays for—which they should, given that they are thegreatest beneficiaries of college football—that is fine.Call me the Grinch. But I would much prefer students going to college to learn and beprepared for the rigors of the new economic order, rather than dumping fees on them tosubsidize football programs that, far from enhancing the academic mission insteadmake a mockery of it.—Mr. Bissinger is the author of "Friday Night Lights." He will participate in a debate Tuesdayevening at New York University, sponsored by Intelligence Squared, in which he and MalcolmGladwell will argue that college football should be banned. (See Ideas Calendar)JOIN THE DISCUSSION593 Comments, add yoursMORE INSports Main »China, U.S. Shake Hands on EconomyMore HeadlinesFull Color Business Cards14 -16pt Glossy, Matte, Recycled or Uncoated. SatisfactionGuaranteed!www.gotprint.comClient Support Staff needFixed Salary commission Permanent Part Time Position. Apply!www.mansorandphilliscons.comPenny stocks soaring 900%Come experience penny stock gains with our free & accuratenewsletterwww.PennyStocksUniverse.comUS Postal Jobs (Hiring)Now Hiring 2012 Postal Positions Starting Salaries at 42,000www.PostalExamWhiz.comCollege Football FlagsShop for Official College Flags! 4.99 3-Day Delivery on All 2EmailPrintDon't Miss Order ReprintsPowered byOnline Business CollegeEnroll For Online Business College. Start Classes For Your m Around the WebIs this Samsung aniPhone Killer?The World's WorstMovieContent From Sponsors03:2902:11NEWSNEWSGoogle Wants toChange Our View ofthe WorldWhy the FrenchCannot Make LuxuryCars Like gerBan.webarchiveSeven Must-HaveTools for YourHome OfficeEntrepreneurHow to Build theStamina You NeedAs An EntrepreneurEntrepreneurPowered by TaboolaBarbara Corcoranon the Secret toHandling RejectionEntrepreneurPage 3 of 5

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