Good college teams generate money

There was a lot of angst expressed in the letters in the sports section (Dec. 11) about the Cougars hiring Mike Leach and paying him more than $11 million over a five-year contract. People were upset with Cougars athletic director Bill Moos for letting Paul Wulff go. If you think Wulff deserved another year, you have a defensible point.  

But to rail against Moos for taking away money that should be spent on firemen and teachers, you are barking up the wrong tree. 

Moos is spending money that WSU will receive from the Pac-12 TV contract and none of that money would have been spent on teachers or firemen. Even with the highest contract in WSU history, Leach will only be the fourth-highest paid coach in the conference.  

The fact that TV networks will pay colleges millions of dollars to broadcast their games and that millions of fans watch those games is where you should direct your animus. Your problem is with human nature. Good luck changing that.

If the Cougars increase their attendance and go to more bowl games, they can easily make more money than they are paying Leach. All you have to do to understand the impact a successful sports program has for a university is to drive down to Boone Avenue and see how much new construction has gone on at Gonzaga University since their basketball team has had its run of success.

Larry Medin

Spokane