I love Colorado State University, I graduated from that institution many years ago. When I started as a freshman it was Colorado A&M and we didn’t like the name change. But, we thought someday it might merit the university label. Now, even smaller higher educational colleges around Colorado have changed their name to include university titles. Maybe they can charge more money for the title, but I’ll bet they don’t pay their professors any more money.
I attended CSU to become a veterinarian. Growing up on a ranch with animals it was easy enough, but at the end of my freshman year I decided that I didn’t want to be a vet. If I chose to stay in medicine, I would rather be a medical doctor and take care of humans, but I had no desire to undertake that lifelong task.
My interest was in student publications and I thrived on printed publications. So, my life’s career has led me to the newspaper world that has been challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling. I really love what I do and the ink that I have spread over the years.
The Denver Post ran a story on December 8 about a contract deal that Colorado State University had struck with a Nevada-based assistant coach with a lackluster record of winning football games. The hurry-up-deal earned the new Ram coach Jay Norvell a five-year contract for $9 million dollars in salary and bonus payments for winning games. The contract also includes $3 million for assistant coaches.
The Post story goes on to relate that 58-year old Norvell will receive $1.6 million his first year with annual raises of $100,000 through 2026 when he’s slated to receive $2 million.
Now, it really gets significant, or ridiculous. In addition to his base pay Norvell is eligible to receive bonuses for achieving a number of benchmarks with the Rams. The idiotic list is six inches long in the column of rewards for winning games, starting with $25,000 for winning four consecutive conference games, another $25,000 for five conference games, onward to $50,000 for six conference games and $50,000 for every game they win until the season ends. Who designed this package of trash? That’s not all, the bonus payments continue into bowl games with rewards of $25,000 for being named conference coach of the year all the way to $200,000 for playing in a College football playoff final. The rewards never end for this coach who just won the football lottery from the athletic department and Board of Agriculture. He may be a great guy and has some football skills; let’s hope so because this deal has been signed and he’s at work.
Someone at CSU used their brain and put in an escape clause since they’ve fired every coach, including Sonny Lubick who took them to bowl game titles for peanuts compared to this package.
The escape clause relates that CSU can terminate Norvell’s deal without cause and would owe him $4 million in 2021-22. $3 million in 2023, $2.5 million in 2024 and $1.5 million in 2025. The school would not have to pay him anything if he is fired for cause. (Is losing games a cause?) The players liked the last coach by the way.
CSU gained glory under Sonny Lubeck and Fum McGraw, two great leaders and coaches. It has been downhill for many years and even with the new stadium the trend has been dreadful. Meantime, the basketball team is undefeated; that coach may want a raise now.
I would think that the academic faculty at CSU must be questioning at what CSU is willing to spend on football in a lousy conference that has little impact on major conferences where money does flow.
CSU has risen to new heights academically and has an excellent reputation in the fields of engineering and veterinary medicine; to name just two of the excellent departments. Football is not in that category and why should the losers be rewarded instead of the academic professors who really make the University a place to learn for 33,000 students. Students don’t enroll at CSU for the football experience. At the last football game the stadium was almost empty.
Does anyone care about this nonsense?