Tommy West is a truth teller.
He said the University of Memphis should get serious about football or do away with it. The second part of his suggestion deserves serious consideration. And the university has the experts for the job.
The U of M’s Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research should produce a report on the costs and benefits of football. It should include, at a minimum, actual attendance figures for the last ten seasons, the football budget, the deficits from football, the athletic department budget, the cost of West and his coaching staff, the likely cost of a new (and more expensive) coach and assistants, and the cost of an indoor practice facility. And the most likely sources of funds.
Then it should address the other half of West’s syllogism, with a twist. What if the university got super serious about academics and deemphasized football? Football coaches aren’t the only superstars. Taking a suggestion from Memphis entrepreneur Bob Compton, how many professors of Mandarin, Farsi, entrepreneurship, and business could be hired for the $2.7 million still owed Tommy West? How many students would use a new health, wellness, and recreation center open to everyone, not just 85 football players? And how much does annual giving actually depend on having a Division 1 football team that drew 4,100 people to a recent game?
