Big-time college sports embodies the ideals of amateurism and provides an important complement to university education. Or so its apologists would have us believe. As Andrew Zimbalist shows in this unprecedented analysis, college sports is really a massively commercialized industry based on activities that are often irrelevant and even harmful to education. Zimbalist combines groundbreaking empirical research and a talent for storytelling to provide a firm, factual basis for the many arguments that currently rage about the goals, history, structure, incentive system, and legal architecture of college sports. He paints a picture of a system in desperate need of reform and presents bold recommendations to chart a more sensible future.

Zimbalist begins by showing that today’s problems are nothing new–that schools have been consumed for more than a century by debates about cheating, commercialism, and the erosion of academic standards. He then takes us into the world of the modern student athlete, explaining the incentives that, for example, encourage star athletes to abandon college for the pros, that create such useless courses as “The Theory of Basketball,” and that lead students to ignore classes despite the astronomical odds against becoming a professional athlete. Zimbalist discusses the economic and legal aspects of gender equity in college sports. He assesses the economic impact of television and radio contracts and the financial rewards that come from winning major championships. He examines the often harmful effects of corporate sponsorship and shows that, despite such sponsorship, most schools run their athletic programs at a loss. Zimbalist also considers the relevance of antitrust laws to college sports and asks whether student athletes are ultimately exploited by the system.

Zimbalist’s provocative recommendations include eliminating freshman eligibility for sports, restricting coaches’ access to “sneaker money” from corporations, and ending the hypocrisy about professionalism by allowing teams to employ a quota of non-students as well as to receive funding from the pro leagues. A mixture of lively anecdotes, hard economic data, cogent arguments, and clear analysis, Unpaid Professionals will revitalize debate about a subject close to the hearts and minds of millions of Americans.

2 Responses to “Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports”

1. Anonymous says:

   June 22, 2000 at 12:00 am

   This is a valuable study of college sports. Zimbalist shows how much money is really lost by schools, and how foolish they are to pursue dreams of glory in college sports.

   The one problem with the book is that the author, a college professor, really writes like one. It is often hard to figure out what he is talking about, but if you hang in there, when you do find out, it is usually worth it.
2. R. Spell says:

   February 7, 2000 at 12:00 am

   This book should be read by anyone working in or with college athletics as well as fans that want to understand the “business” behind the games. The author takes a view of the subject from many angles. The chapter dealing in the profit or loss of athletic departments is very enlightening particularly as it deals with the lack of accounting standard conformity.

   In the last chapter the author recommends 10 steps to cure the problems. Frankly, I didn’t find them compelling and generally not workable. This is a thought provoking read if you have interest in the subject but should not be purchased for entertainment purposes as it reads more like a business analysis.