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No one knows better than SEC fans that college football programs are capable of building facilities for their athletics that look like castles fit for kings.
There are plenty of those right here inside the conference.
So how is Clemson trying to compete with all of those SEC palaces?
With mini-golf and laser tag, of course.
According to a report from the Washington Post, those are just a couple of the amenities to be added to the Clemson athletic complex, which will now include a $55 million dollar funhouse that is exclusively for football players.
“I am pumped,” Coach William “Dabo” Swinney said in a video the school released promoting the new building. “It is going to be the epitome of Clemson: fun, special, unique. It’s going to be the best in the country, without a doubt.”
The main takeaway from the article is this: Spending on these facilities, which presumably gives an edge in recruiting, has gotten out of control.
Don’t believe me?
Take a look at this snippet from the piece by Will Hobson and Steven Rich:
Facilities spending is one of the biggest reasons otherwise profitable or self-sufficient athletic departments run deficits, according to a Washington Post review of thousands of pages of financial records from athletic departments at 48 schools in the five wealthiest conferences in college sports.
In 2014, these 48 schools spent $772 million combined on athletic facilities, an 89-percent increase from $408 million spent in 2004, adjusted for inflation. Those figures include annual debt payments, capital expenses and maintenance costs.
Will the facilities arms race ultimately be the demise of college athletics? Or is this all part of the game and an expense that will be worked out in the end?
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
