Kevin Weiberg, commissioner
Big 12 Conference
Houston Chronicle

"There is a market that is established for individuals who coach these high-profile teams, so it (big money) is a marketplace function, really. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison to look at that (coaching) position and then equate it to some of the other positions that may exist on campus because of the requirements of the (coaching) job and the number of people who are capable of performing that job. The marketplace is dictating (the salary). ...

"You would hope that universities are being cautious in terms of not putting themselves in position where at some future point they won't be able to afford the various components of these intercollegiate athletics programs. Whether we can continue to generate the kinds of television dollars and continue to increase ticket prices in a way that allows the whole enterprise to continue to grow into the future is a bit of an unknown.

"We had a remarkable period of time in the 1990s when rights fees went up dramatically and the economy was healthy, and intercollegiate sports certainly grew significantly through that period. The question is when you enter a slower growth period -- or even a no-growth period or a declining revenue period -- then what kind of position will some of these places be in?"

Drayton McLane Jr., chair
Baylor University board of regents
Houston Chronicle

"(Coaches' salaries are) expensive. But if you can fill the stadium, it will pay off."

Loyalty in coaching

Grant Teaff, executive director
American Football Coaches Association
Houston Chronicle

"I lived with the basic philosophy of loyalty (to the school). I turned down many opportunities because I believed that I should stay at Baylor for all the right reasons. Was it the wrong thing to do? A lot of people think it was, but I don't. I felt very good about my commitment to Baylor, and I stayed there.

"Having said that, though, you also have to understand that the loyalty does not work both ways. Did Baylor University need to give (recently fired coach) Kevin Steele one or two more years? What's happened is that we have a business environment, so the truth is that we're basing it on wins and losses. And the reason we're basing it on wins and losses is because of the finances."

Gambling issues

Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., president
American Gaming Association
Associated Press

"In the Republican Party, it tends to be the extreme right who view gaming as a sin and therefore it is their duty to enact legislation to protect people from dying and going to hell and living eternity with the devil. In the Democratic Party, its the extreme left wing who don't trust people to be able to spend their own money and make decisions about their own money and that government must be this maternalistic entity to protect them from themselves."

Academic reform

Melvin Watkins, head men's basketball coach
Texas A&M University, College Station
Denver Post

Discussing the effects of recently adopted Division I academic enhancements on recruiting student-athletes from junior colleges:

"There are a lot of good junior-college programs within close proximity of our schools, and we'd like to continue to tap into those programs. But with the reforms, (the Big 12 Conference) would have the potential of being one of those leagues that it really hurts."