College football has become a money-sucking machine, with schools spending every dollar possible to keep up in an athletics arms race. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill entered the fray this year in spectacular fashion, betting big on legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick in the hopes that he’ll elevate the school’s football program. But why are universities, especially those with academic and research clout, pouring all of this money into athletics in the first place?

Featuring:

Scott Dochterman, national college football reporter for The Athletic
Matt Hartman, higher education reporter for The Assembly

Links:

Check out Scott’s reporting on money in college athletics.
Read Matt’s work on UNC-Chapel Hill's big bet on Bill Belichick.
You can find a transcript of the episode here.

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The Belichick effect and the money-sucking machine of college football