Andrew Zimbalist, Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics, Smith College; President-Elect, The Drake Group; author of Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-time College Sports (1999), The Economics of Sport, I & II (2001), Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It (2017) with Gerry Gurney and Donna Lopiano, and Whither College Sports (2021), explains the economics of intercollegiate athletics in ten minutes. Why do astronomical head coach salaries and lavish athletics facilities exist at tax-exempt education institutions? Why are only 20 to 25 institutions generating more revenues than operating expenses? Who is footing the deficit bill at the other 1,975 schools (98.75 percent of all college athletics programs)? Why is it important to understand “pay for play” and how it might destroy the educator/student relationship?
