John U. Bacon: Michigan's athletic budget, which stands at $137 million and is without faculty control, has nearly doubled in eight years. It now costs $6,000 for a one-hour wedding reception on the 50-yard line of Michigan Stadium and school kids are charged for tours that used to be free. Where does the money go? Staff salaries have grown from $34 million to $49 million, including a 62% increase in administrator compensation.
Case Keefer, Las Vegas Sun: Las Vegas Hilton Superbook Executive Jay Kornegay said he wasn't completely comfortable making Florida State a 7-point favorite in the Bowl Championship Series title game, but many offshore books posted a line as high as -10, forcing Hilton to push up its number. "I think it should certainly be less than a touchdown. I think the underdog has the advantage right now," he said.
Jon Solomon, AL.com: Birmingham's love affair with college football continues. The city was ESPN's most-viewed market for the 13th consecutive season. Greenville was second, followed by Knoxville, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis and Columbus. And an audit by the NCAA shows that every Division I-A conference received more money from 2012-13 bowl payouts than their schools paid on bowl expenses.
Pete Thamel, SI.com: The story behind the story at Texas. There's an ongoing feud between Governor Rick Perry and Texas President Bill Powers, and Perry has loaded Texas' board of regents with his cronies. Powers could be out as early as Thursday, meaning the replacement for Mack Brown could walk into a job and not know who is boss is.
Do-Hyoung Park, Stanford Daily: Stanford has already sold out its allotment of tickets to the Rose Bowl. Suspicions are that Michigan State fans may have played a part in the quick sale.
Todd D. Milewski, Capital Times: An average of 13,420 tickets went unused for Wisconsin's seven home games, the highest number of no-shows since 2008. That's 17% of the announced attendance, up from 14.5% in 2012.
Ted Miller, ESPN: The Heisman shaft continues for the Pacific 12. Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey is the nation's best back, but he's not a finalist for the Stiff Arm Trophy.
Terry Frei, Denver Post: Lengthy piece on the college football experience through the eyes of Colorado linebacker Derrick Webb.
Kent Babb, Washington Post: How Heisman Trophy winners have stored their hardware.
Josh Folck, Lehigh Valley Live: The Joe Paterno statue is still standing at Beaver Stadium in the virtual world.
Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Chris Petersen, in an extended interview, says he seriously considered the Stanford job in 2010 but decided to hang at Boise State. His reason for taking the Washington job. "It's a gut feeling."
Alex Apple, Dallas Morning News: The most popular bowl tickets: Bowl Championship Series title game, Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
David Broughton, SportsBusiness Journal: The annual analysis of gift packages provided to players who are participating in bowl games.
Lost Lettermen: "Daylight Saban Time" is the hottest T-shirt on the market.
Brandon Marcello, AL.com: Auburn's Gus Malzahn could earn more than $1 million in bonuses during his team's BCS run.
Jon Wilner, College Hotline: Winners and losers from bowl selection day. Plus, what Chris Petersen's contract — largest in the Pacific 12 — means for the rest of the league.
Katy Murphy, San Jose Mercury News: California isn't winning. Is the reason a greater emphasis on recruits' abilities in the classroom?
Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Isn't it about time they crack down on voter fraud — in the coaches' poll, that is.
Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Hawaii's Norm Chow is not to blame for that 1-11 season. He just fired defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer and linebacker coach Tony Tuioti.
Ken Goe, Oregonian: The BCS finally ends, but the upcoming "playoff" is not an improvement.
David Jones, PennLive.com: Why an eight-team playoff is inevitable.
Alan Snel, Las Vegas Review-Journal: A consultant sees TV gold in a new on-campus stadium for Nevada Las Vegas.
Kevin Scarbinsky, AL.com: Early Heisman voting should be abolished. Here's why.
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