Why 'arms race' in college football is shifting from facilities to staff

Harry · January 13, 2017

"We identified an area that we were deficit as compared to the teams that are in the national championship hunt every year, the Alabamas, the Clemsons, the Ohio States, the Florida States of the world," Herman said, later adding "we're going to get an army down there just like rest of the big boys in college football do."

Herman already said Texas was looking for positions with the un-football like titles as lead graphics and director creative content. Texas' move could have ripple effects throughout the Big 12, which hasn't really embraced huge support staffs.

"The arms race was in facilities and now it's in staff members," said ESPN's Mack Brown, the former Texas coach.

Oklahoma has three specialists for offense, defense and special teams, positions added within the last few years. Texas Tech has two quality control assistants. New Baylor coach Matt Rhule is in the process of building his staff. This past season, Texas had four quality control coaches under Charlie Strong.

TCU has two quality control analysts but also added a social media coordinator, athletic spokesman Mark Cohen said, targeted to enhance the school's profile in recruiting.

Texas A&M, which must compete with Alabama and other support-staff heavy teams in the SEC, lists five quality control assistants on its website.

Depending on your view, Alabama coach Nick Saban deserves the credit or the blame for the growth in staff size. NCAA rules limit schools to nine full-time assistants to work with players in practice, as well as four graduate assistants - staffers also pursing advanced degrees.

Shortly after arriving at Alabama before the 2007 season, Saban began his empire-building.

"He has the best and most powerful infrastructure in college football," Brown said. "He's changed everything."

While analysts, personnel directors and quality control personnel can't be involved in practice, they can break down film, chart tendencies, evaluate recruits and a whole host of useful duties. The background can range from former college and high school coaches to the NFL.

As an analyst, Sarkisian's focus was breaking down third down plays.

"Well, my daily duties previously as an analyst, we'd still watch a lot of tape, still try to game plan, then offer up as much advice as I could to the game plan, then to the coaches," Sarkisian said before the championship game. "Then it was more sit back and analyze how we were performing."

While analysts don't command the same salaries as assistants at $100,000, armies do add up.

CBS Sports reported that Alabama spent slightly more than $800,000 on football support staff in 2005-06. The latest figure is $2.7 million for 2013-14. The Crimson Tide reportedly has eight analysts on its staff this year, including Sarkisian and former New Mexico coach Mike Locksley.

Read more: http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/texaslonghorns/2017/01/12/arms-race-college-football-shifting-facilities-staff-leading-uts-herman-seek-army-analysts

BTG_Fan1 · January 13, 2017

I did a project over the arms races in college football. You should look at UGA, Tennessee, Clemson to name a few football facilities. They have entire staffs for graphics, film, guys designing APPs for these schools as well. Schools are also using other sports to get more football scholarships getting guys who play Football and basketball, baseball, or even track. Football is becoming more specialized and having new careers just to get people involved. UNT hopefully embraces new ideas and new ways to find revenue streams to help increase and expand the program.

untjim1995 · January 13, 2017

I guess at some point, schools just need to ask themselves if these costs are worth it to win at football. I mean, sure, the top level 20 power teams can pay whatever they want, then the next 45 can pay a lot, even if its significantly less than the college football royalty at the top does. Then, you get into the various levels of G5s.

It won't bother me a second when the Power Conference teams pull away. Its a completely stacked deck for those schools in the top 20 or so. Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, etc...those schools are nothing but pro-lite programs. North Texas, Ohio, South Alabama, Rice, and Western Michigan will NEVER be like them---and I'm ok with that.

letsgiveacheer · January 13, 2017

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

I guess at some point, schools just need to ask themselves if these costs are worth it to win at football.

Agree 100%. This has gotten out of hand. According to the USA Today chart, there are only 12 out of 231 D1 schools that have athletic programs that pay for themselves. The others finance their programs on the backs of students and through university funds that should be going to academics. Does anybody really think it is right that the highest paid employee at most universities is the football coach?

People will say that "athletics are the window of a university" or some such phrase. If that were so, Alabama would be the Harvard of the South and the poster child of the G5, Boise St, would be the next Stanford.

I know this is heresy, but I would be happier if all university athletics were played on a DIII level.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 14, 2017

5 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

I guess at some point, schools just need to ask themselves if these costs are worth it to win at football.

And at some point, the NCAA needs to ask itself, "When do I step in to stop this madness?"

TheWestie · January 14, 2017

9 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

I guess at some point, schools just need to ask themselves if these costs are worth it to win at football.

Thing is, for them, it's not all about winning. It's about the brand. Those programs bring in more in merchandising and donations (and TV revenue) from being a hot and desirable brand than from butt in seats.

Winning just cements the work they've already done.

BTG_Fan1 · January 14, 2017

It won't stop till states step in. The state of Louisiana has talked about cutting funding to schools like LSU because of coaches salaries.

UNT 90 Grad · January 14, 2017

9 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

And at some point, the NCAA needs to ask itself, "When do I step in to stop this madness?"

So cheaters could start illegally paying coaches in addition to players? Might create an even bigger gap. Gotta enforce the rules.

buff64 · January 14, 2017

18 hours ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

I did a project over the arms races in college football. You should look at UGA, Tennessee, Clemson to name a few football facilities. They have entire staffs for graphics, film, guys designing APPs for these schools as well. Schools are also using other sports to get more football scholarships getting guys who play Football and basketball, baseball, or even track. Football is becoming more specialized and having new careers just to get people involved. UNT hopefully embraces new ideas and new ways to find revenue streams to help increase and expand the program.

The rules used to state that all athletic scholarship players that participate in football and another sport must be on a football scholarship not the other sport. This could have changed , but it has not as far as I know.

GMG24 · January 14, 2017

10 hours ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

It won't stop till states step in. The state of Louisiana has talked about cutting funding to schools like LSU because of coaches salaries.

That is because Louisiana sank itself, and while the football coaches make some hefty $ I can guarantee you there are larger issues than coaches salary. I believe there is a program where if a kid in Louisiana graduates HS they can get scholarship $ to pay for in state schools. 8-10 thousand kid at 10-12 thousand a year is ALOT of $. I have no idea if my numbers are close or not but seems there are other things Louisiana should be worried about.

SilverEagle · January 15, 2017

On 1/13/2017 at 5:05 PM, letsgiveacheer said:

Agree 100%. This has gotten out of hand. According to the USA Today chart, there are only 12 out of 231 D1 schools that have athletic programs that pay for themselves. The others finance their programs on the backs of students and through university funds that should be going to academics. Does anybody really think it is right that the highest paid employee at most universities is the football coach?

People will say that "athletics are the window of a university" or some such phrase. If that were so, Alabama would be the Harvard of the South and the poster child of the G5, Boise St, would be the next Stanford.

I know this is heresy, but I would be happier if all university athletics were played on a DIII level.

That would be fine with me, but the NCAA would have to increase it's investigative staff by at least 10X........if not more.

GreenMachine · January 15, 2017

On 1/13/2017 at 3:00 PM, untjim1995 said:

I guess at some point, schools just need to ask themselves if these costs are worth it to win at football. I mean, sure, the top level 20 power teams can pay whatever they want, then the next 45 can pay a lot, even if its significantly less than the college football royalty at the top does. Then, you get into the various levels of G5s.

It won't bother me a second when the Power Conference teams pull away. Its a completely stacked deck for those schools in the top 20 or so. Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, etc...those schools are nothing but pro-lite programs. North Texas, Ohio, South Alabama, Rice, and Western Michigan will NEVER be like them---and I'm ok with that.

There are a lot of P5 schools that will NEVER be the elite top 20. What will happen with the likes of Okie Lite, Texas Tech, Iowa State, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Minnesota etc. What is going to happen with these guys?

PlummMeanGreen · January 15, 2017

5 hours ago, GreenMachine said:

There are a lot of P5 schools that will NEVER be the elite top 20. What will happen with the likes of Okie Lite, Texas Tech, Iowa State, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Minnesota etc. What is going to happen with these guys?

Better yet, what will happen to that B12 group if UT & OU leave as many predict?

One prediction is how the leftovers will still not want another Texas-based school among their group. If I were Smatresk & 'the Wren I'd still pursue another direction for UNT. I'd make a bee-line out of this far flung CUSA hodgepodge of way too many upstarts & recent D1 additions & head west with about 3-4 other CUSA schools. We will never be able to sell our wannabe big time fan base to show up at Apogee with games vs most any CUSA East school other than La Tech and......if there will be no TV revenue in the foreseeable future then it's all about Apogee turnstile receipts & donors.

GMG!

Edited January 15, 2017 by PlummMeanGreen

shaft · January 15, 2017

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 2:01 AM, BTG_Fan1 said:

It won't stop till states step in. The state of Louisiana has talked about cutting funding to schools like LSU because of coaches salaries.

The NCAA already limits the number of coaches school may have, I don't see them stepping to limiting number of support staff. One reason is the Universities can hide the staff in other budgets, like student services, housing, facilities, A/V, or even stats.

As far as the States stepping in. If the State of Louisiana was serious about costs it would do something about the number of college systems and teams in the state. Louisiana has a population the size of Houston, yet it has 5 D1 teams.

UNTLifer · January 16, 2017

Anyone hoping the state of Louisiana's government steps up and spends money wisely hasn't paid attention to the history of Louisiana politics.

oldguystudent · January 16, 2017

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

Anyone hoping the state of Louisiana's government steps up and spends money wisely hasn't paid attention to the history of Louisiana politics.

This is exactly why I always fear for my life when driving on that portion of interstate 10 on the way to Baton Rouge that goes over the swamp. I always think it's just going to collapse and/or sink while I'm on it.

Stix · January 16, 2017

2 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

This is exactly why I always fear for my life when driving on that portion of interstate 10 on the way to Baton Rouge that goes over the swamp. I always think it's just going to collapse and/or sink while I'm on it.