Apples and oranges. Professors make more money for bringing research and prestige to the University for academic accomplishments. If we were to hire Peter Singer to join the facutly in ten Hoor, you can bet we would pay him quite a bit to come. However, given that there are hundreds of faculty, and that few of them contribute in a significant way to the bottom line of the University, it is not surprising that they do not make a large sum of money. As for the head coach, he is judged by the number of wins, and therefore money, that he adds to the athletic department. This money pays for every other sport on campus, as well as adding millions back into the academic insitution, enabling it to spend more money on education. Market analysis is absolutely appropriate here. Despite the communist atmosphere usually present on campus, Universities are businesses that have to deal with massive competition for clients. I attended the University and now attend the best law school in the world. I say this not to brag, but rather to point out that I am not alone. Every year I have been there, several of my classmates have also been recent graduates of the University. Every single one of them, including myself, went there because of the football team. You cannot seperate the two, and the success of the one depends on the other.
This was posted elsewhere, and should be read.
http://tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS/701140342/1013/EDITORIAL2
actually, there are plenty of top notch universities that have awful athletic programs. so, it's not necessary to have a great football or basketball team in order to have a great university.
btw the way, one of my buddies from grad school at ua (and fellow rabid bama fan) is the associate director of alumni relations at the greatest law school in the world.
good luck with your legal studies...first year is a nightmare, year two is hard, and year three is essentially a way to make you pay more tuition (scare you to death, work you to death, bore you to death, as they say). then, you get the oh so fun task of studying for the bar....ugghhh!!!