Billion Dollar Blitz: Business of College Sports bankrolled by taxpayers and students
Following Leads: The Podcast, Episode 7
Are non-athlete students unknowingly bankrolling massive college athletics programs?
In this episode of Following Leads: The Podcast, InvestigateTV national reporter Chris Nakamoto breaks down a nationwide investigation into the explosive financial reality of college sports.
Out of 109 public FBS universities analyzed, only 10 generate enough revenue to cover their own athletic costs. The rest pulled in over $2.1 billion in mandatory student fees and university general funds—meaning regular students taking out loans may end up paying off sports department deficits for decades.
From seven-figure NIL deals in high school and massive buyouts like Brian Kelly’s $54M payout to legislation pending in Congress, we discuss where the money goes, who actually pays for it, and what happens next.
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