Division I Colleges Increase Athletics Spending at Far Faster Rate Than Academic Spending

This article by Libby Sander brings up a good discussion. Why is athletic spending increasing at a much faster rate? I would argue the answer to this question would have to do with what Americans value. Americans would much rather hand over money to watch a football game then to hand over money for educational purposes in my opinion. Most big time schools in FBS conferences get by on boosters donations. Each school most likely receives donations from thousands of individuals each year. This money will all go toward facilities, travel, scholarships, etc.
            According to this article, spending per athlete grew by 50 percent in a five year period while spending per student increased by 22 percent. Obviously expenses will rise during a five year period, however the spending per athlete is rising much faster than the spending per student. The conference with the greatest gap between athlete and student spending is the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This makes perfect sense because the SEC is the most popular conference with the biggest football stadiums, facilities, and future NFL players. With facilities and talent like this, it is no wonder why this conference spends so much on each athlete. These athletes bring in big revenue to the school. I feel that it is a shame that academia takes a back seat to athletics, but the numbers may be skewed. Running an athletic program is extremely expensive after purchasing equipment, uniforms, and travel expenses. However, there needs to be a compromise in some form to establish a value for both.