The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football

I was born and raised in small-town Texas where football is basically a religion from Friday night through Sunday afternoon. On Friday night, the local football stadium functions not only as the site of weekly games in the fall, but also as a large social gathering and essentially Friday night "church" for most of the community. Not only is the Friday night game discussed all day Saturday but also before and after REAL church on Sunday mornings. Growing up, I was one of those boys that started out at the age of 11 as a ball/water boy for the high school players I hoped to be like someday. Then in high school, I got to play for a state championship TWICE in three years...winning once and actually earning a much coveted Texas high school football state championship ring. I never had plans of playing in college, but I did dream of becoming a high school football coach that possibly even moved up to the college level. While I didn't get to realize that dream, I still follow both high school and college football very closely and spend most of my Saturdays/Sundays in the fall watching the big games.This book is one of the better reads I've picked up (or rather, downloaded), and I very much enjoyed it. Benedict and Keteyian have done a great job capturing not only the essence but also the importance of college football. Instead of taking a "30,000 foot view", the authors were very smart to narrow the scope of the book and focus on certain individuals (players, coaches, & athletic directors), teams (Alabama, BYU, Washington State), and incidents/scandals (Texas Tech/Mike Leach/Adam James, OSU/Jim Tressel/Edward Rife). Doing this gave me the opportunity to see what it's really like inside the realm of college football and how much time and money goes into ensuring not only the continued success of storied programs such as Alabama, Texas, Miami, OSU, etc. but also those which aren't historically "powerhouse" football teams like Washington State. I will even go so far as to say that this book not only opened my eyes in a lot of ways. The level of importance placed on college football by the American public is a given and is evidenced by the exorbitant amounts of money handed over not only by boosters and corporate sponsors but also by the regular fan. What really opened my eyes and gave me pause was the authors description of the lengths to which some people will go to see their favored program succeed. It was painful to read and ultimately realize that many college football players are often exploited for their talents without any regard to their personal growth and well-being; some coaches place great emphasis on the latter, while others care more about winning games and collecting checks. I've long held the opinion that the NCAA is much too stringent in the rules and regulations placed on players and I believe that college football players should receive some sort of compensation (not NFL levels, but at least something) for the strain and stresses they place on their bodies...especially with the mega-billions of dollars they help to generate for their schools. If they're not compensated by their school or the NCAA, then they can at least be allowed to earn money independently by whatever LEGAL means they see fit....be it working for a car dealership owned by a booster, serving as the spokesman for a business/organization, or completing endorsement deals.But I digress and step down off my soap box. This book is an overall great read for anyone that as a desire to learn more about the inner-workings of football at the college level and I would highly recommend it to everyone from the casual observer to the die-hard fan.

I was born and raised on SEC football. During my time at an SEC dynasty school (it rhymes with Schmalabama) I loved the atmosphere of game days, but as someone who had little connection to those involved in the football program, the glory and glitz also raised many questions.I would often pass by the glistening athletic facilities and just... wonder. How do they afford all of this? Why are the student-athletes treated so much better than everyone else? The athletes were given top priority. For example, they had their own special dining hall which cost “regular students” like me $10-15 a pop to attend. People would pay because the food was better than any other dining hall on campus. Little things like that, and much, much more, had my mind racing. For the longest time I wanted to know more about “the system.”“The system” was also a frequent topic of conversation among many of my peers. Across dining hall tables, during late night dorm room talks, and through spirited discussion in several of my classes. Are athletics really this valuable? Should the student athletes be paid? Are there dirty politics going on behind the scenes? Are games decided beforehand?This book answered many of my questions about the enigma that is college football. I feel like I understand even just a little bit more about how it all works. The recruiting process, upkeeing of facilities, how the NCAA handles scandal, how coaches run their programs... I don’t want to spoil anything, but I really enjoyed the read. There are both good, uplifting stories, and some that I might describe as simply evil. Your opinion on certain football programs may be changed for better or worse. Read with an open mind, and you’re in for a wild ride.My only thing is that for someone like me who isn’t too big on sports history and names, and only has a general knowledge of college football history, I didn’t recognize all of the names I feel I should have in the book for some stories to make a big impact on me. But other than that: it’s well written, highly informative and a roller coaster of a book. For the avid football fan, this is a must read!

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Like it or not college football in America is as dirty as it is exciting, and this book gives an incredible look inside that system.👍 pros:✅ extremely honest and inside look into ncaa football✅ interesting for any ncaa football fan👎 Cons:❌ may be “too in depth” for some❌ this is an honest look so be prepared to read some things you may not like.Recommendation:I would 100% recommend this book for avid ncaa football fans. Loved it.

Very interesting and intriguing view into the world of College Football. Showcasing both the good and bad with unbiased insights.

Well written and covers a number of different aspects of college football. Benedict does a great job at showing the behind the scenes action that takes place and some of the dirty secrets that are kept hidden away from ticket buying fans. It is certainly a must read for any football fan, regardless of the league of choice.

Exceptional read if you are college sports fan and love storytelling like ESPN 30 for 30.