Football coaches are the highest paid people in almost every state. I think there may be one BBall coach in like Kansas and a Medical professor in NY that are highest paid. As a student of economics, I don't know of any other market that is skewed like this. In high school, the coaches largely get bupkus and the players as get nothing. In the pros, they both make a lot. In other college sports besides MBB, the salaries are in line with other professionals. Just college football. I don't know enough about global sports but I'd venture to say that junior hockey and soccer coaches / managers do not make millions. Very weird, and, as far as I know, unique market.
I'm not an economics person, but I do know that college football and basketball are incredibly lucrative entertainment industries because the demand for that entertainment is both very high and remarkably strong. There is also the "return on investment" aspect of the industry. The connection between successful revenue producing sports and a university's alumni/friend giving is well documented. And then there's the name recognition/image value. NU receives a significant amount of free advertising and image enhancement through its televised participation in the BIG?
the skew is that the players receive next to nothing, although this is changing. In other entertainment situations, the actors make a lot AND the director/producer makes a lot.
And yet UTEP isn't even sure that their conference will survive. It sure seems like the gulf between the haves and the have-nots is widening.