Mark YostVarsity Green: A Behind the Scenes Look at Culture and Corruption in College Athletics

We're all accustomed to hearing too many stories about badly behaving college athletes, many of whom might flunk a basic literacy test, and lavish college sports facilities. Even as many of us roll our eyes at these shenanigans and examples of misplaced priorities, we still tune in religiously to follow our favorite college teams -- a paradox that is at the heart of this intriguing book about the business of college sports.I can easily see that nobody engaged in this world will be happy with what Mark Yost finds after he turns his keen eye on it. Those boosters who claim that the current system is a win-win, giving colleges great teams and youngsters a chance at an education, will be infuriated by Yost's damning indictment of an educational system that encourages young people to believe that they have a real shot at going pro via a college team (in fact, in a too-often repeated statistic, he notes that 3% of high school athletes will get a college scholarship; only 2% of those will have any kind of pro career) and then after coddling them and sheltering them from reality, abandons them to sink or swim when they tear a ligament and can't generate any revenue for the institution. On the other hand, those on the academic side will likely not enjoy Yost's even-handed analysis: he points out that a lot of the revenue from successful and profitable athletic teams actually helps subsidize academic programs and that so far, there is little proof that athletic donations are cannibalizing those to academic chairs and other programs.This is an intriguing look behind the scenes at some of the top coaches, the top donors, the administrators and the boosters. Throughout it all, Yost makes clear his sympathy for those he sees as the biggest victims of what may be a gigantic hoax perpetrated by colleges in their own interest, at the expense of the 'student-athletes': that the latter are playing for the love of the game and the institution, even as the college profits from their labor.I read this toward the beginning of the March Madness of 2010; I'll find it hard to look at that or any other collegiate sports program the same way again. Well-balanced, and well-researched, this is a great book to read for any sports fan, or even for someone curious about the extent to which elite athletes have become celebrities and what that means for our society. Yes, it's published by an academic press, but this is immensely readable, and highly recommended.

Loved reading this book. It provides you insights into the College Sports Industry, and as to how it became a multi-million dollar industry with profits as it primary objective. The book shows how universities have become dependent on the College Sports Industry to survive as a business, Needless to say, there are social costs involved, from the shenanigans involved within university administrations, hiring coaches, recruiting players etc, along with the social cost when it comes to the "entertainment products": the student athletes. Though this book may be a little dated, the information is still relevant, and opens your eyes to an industry that is filled with romanticism. I strongly recommend this book without reservations.

I needed to read this book for a sociology of sport class I am taking in college. We had to choose a book that was about both sports and business and this book has it all. The book explains many details about the NCAA from when it started to where it is when the book was written. It goes through a number of areas such as the BCS and the March Madness tournament (there are many more topics than these) where it describes such things as TV contracts, school payouts, and many other areas that many people don't know about. This book explains stereotypes that almost everyone believes to be true and the book proves them wrong. Overall, I think this is a great buy. If you are on the edge whether you should purchase it or not, buy it. You will not be let down.

Book was informative and is a good read for anyone who does not like what is going on in the NCAA. There was very little suggestion to what can be done with the problems that exist, other than change the leadership, but that has been the thoughts of many people for a long time. Must make the rule book smaller!!

Right from the beginning, this book is an easy read. Yost's writing style is fun, informative, and really eye-opening. He discusses some of the biggest corruption problems in collegiate athletics. I chose to write an ethical dilemma paper for my Sport Ethics class in college based on this book. The examples Yost uses are ones any fan or person interested in learning more than just the surface of college sports can relate to. Five out of five, EXCELLENT READ.

Good book if you want basic perspectives on college athletics. Not in-depth, but still interesting.

good description of high level college athletics. i supected it was like this and this confirms my suspicion somewhat repetitive Varsity Green

Not exactly what I was expecting and slightly disappointed. Not a bad read, just not what I was looking for.