I was traveling this week and bought the latest issue of Texas Monthly for the plane flight. The cover story on the University of Texas Athletics Program was an Excellent and Informative read about what it takes to build a powerhouse.

This is one of the longest magazine articles I have ever read but well well well worth it. I recommend anyone who is interested in Texas State's current drive to FBS to read this article.

I would print it out instead of reading on the whole thing on the computer screen, you might get a headache

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2008-11-01/feature.php


"If that seems like a lot of money, then consider this: When Brown was hired, in 1997, the budget for UT’s sports program was $21.4 million. This year the figure is expected to hit $126.8 million, the largest of any university in the nation."

He is the football coach, not athletic director. The football budget numbers would be more appropriate. $126 million overall is insane.

I would dare say that the vast majority of all athletic budgets are football though, and as the overall budget increases, so would the football budget.

Might it have been more appropriate? Maybe, but it gives an overall scope of what a winning football team can do for ALL athletics.

I've read it. Fuggin' redic how much they baby their athletes. Leather chairs for each player in the locker room, along with a plasma tv and video game systems? I don't give a shiz how badly you're trying to recruit kids, this is over the top. This is not the NFL. You are in college. For free.

Your lack of perspective is comical.

Anyone who didn't already know this story has no business commenting on the Texas State drive to become a FBS program. The impact that a FBS football program can have on a school is incredible.

i added the bolded part to make make the post meaningful

The level of support the athletes get is insane. My babysitter is on the track team at UT. They all get matching UT-emblemed leather luggage for travel. They have staff that packs their luggage for them so the athletes don't have to worry about exceeding luggage weights. Need new practice clothes or shoes? Turn in the old item for brand new ones. You are allowed to trade in as often as you like with no limit. Don't own a laptop and need to do some homework on the plane? Check out one of the 100 the AD office owns for athletes to use while traveling.

And all of that is why they continue to get the best athletes in every program and why they continue to win in every program and winning in every program keeps the money flowing. Should we go to those extremes, probably not nor could we afford it at this point, but some of it might not hurt. The comment about this not being the NFL is true...but it is big business. It's Pro-College athletics and all of the big time programs do those kinds of things and that's why they are big time.