Athletics spending

Lee Fowler, director of athletics
North Carolina State University
Athletic Management

Discussing the NCAA's recently released baseline economic study of athletics operating budgets:

"There may be some blips, but I think that the schools with larger budgets are the ones that are in the top 25 every year in most of the sports. ...

"... 18-year-old athletes buy with their eyes. More times than not, they're going to pick the team that has the best facilities and gives them the best opportunities to improve themselves to maybe play at the next level."

Chris Hill, director of athletics
University of Utah
Athletic Management

"(T)he large majority of athletics programs cannot make it if they have to count on only their own resources. There are so many myths that athletics generates a whole bunch of money, but it really doesn't generate profits at most schools.

"I don't know whether that message will get out there, but I hope it does. And I hope it creates dialogues on campuses. It's always good to have a dialogue about the place of athletics and the financial state of the program so that it remains an integral part of the university."

Football overtimes

Mark Richt, head football coach
University of Georgia
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"I think overtime is much better than people ending up in a tie. But the way some of these overtimes have gone this year, I am not sure that it is the best format. I believe if you move the ball back to the 40-yard line it would allow both teams to have an opportunity to score, but I don't think the overtimes would last quite so long."

Loren Matthews, senior vice-president for programming
ABC
USA Today

"I love the college football overtime. The only change I would make is moving the ball back five yards to the 30. (Overtime) does create problems for the network. What we'll do is push the network (telecast times) back for the night."

Lee Corso, television commentator
ESPN
USA Today

"Go to the two-point conversion after the first overtime, not the second OT. With only about 33 percent success for two-point conversions, games won't go on as long."