As the rich square off they get even richer.

Now that the College Football season is nearing bowl season and the BCS is once again showing how ridiculously it is violating the free market principle (more on that when the bowls are on), it is time to take a look at the salaries of the two coaches meeting in the BCS championship. I know that it is not certain, but believe me, those BCS officials will find a way to orchestrate the most profitable game: Alabama vs. LSU.

So let's talk about the coaches. By now it is well known that Nick Saban, headcoach of Alabama Football, is earning a annual basic salary of about $4.15 million. his counterpart at LSU, Les Miles, "only" earns  $3.751 million. But that could change soon, as a contract clause in Miles' contract would see his basic salary increase to the highest paid headcoaches' salary (Saban's)  $ +1,000. With these salary number (not including bonuses and non-financial compensation) they would be in the upper half of a ranking of all NFL coaches. In terms of salary over workload they would top the list (compare games, season length and regulation of training).

Are they worth it? As we assume that these salaries reflect an equilibrium of demand and supply we could say yeas. Even more so if we acknowledge that the BCS championship game is closing the gap on the Super Bowl as the biggest sports event in the US.

But is it really justifiable to spend that amount of money for coaches of "amateur" sport teams? Is this still on the grounds of idle NCAA regulations? Is it really the objective of Universities to put that much financial effort into competing in sports? Is it good for US education? Can a coach earn that much with all his players earning nothing at all? Can we really call it a free market as BCS conferences share their revenues like a classical cartel?

Collegiate sports certainly can be entertaining and beneficiary for students. And it can be amateur sports as it is meant to be. But if revenues, TV audiences and coaches salaries resemble those of professional sports leagues please stop pretending it is still amateur sports.