College Sports Inc.: The Athletic Department vs. the University

by Murray A. Sperber

Book Overview

Discusses the myths that surround intercollegiate athletics and perpetuate its abuses, and examines the new corporate form of college sports.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805014454
• ISBN13: 9780805014457
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Readable Expose of Corruption

Murray Sperber shows the scandalous financial side to NCAA college sports in this well-crafted book. It's hardly news that college sports are corrupt - amateurism is and probably always was un-workable. What is news, however, is that most colleges lose money from their athletic programs. Readers see that while football and basketball might attract revenue, they seldom offset the losses from "non-revenue" sports like gymnastics, tennis, swimming, track, etc. Also, winning sports teams fail to increase academic donations to host colleges - alumni don't like their schools having "jock" reputations. The author shows how colleges abuse Pell and minority grants to benefit athletics, and how these institutions force students (or their parents) to pay hefty "activities fees" along with tuition to bail out the athletic department Like most appeals to reform NCAA sports, this book fell on deaf ears - we simply like the games too much. Still, this book should be of interest to educators and to students forced to pay outrageous activity fees at tuition time.