[DC 86]

By definition what is being spent on thing 1 can't be spent on thing 2, and if more money must be paid to athletes to get more talent, that money is going to go to athletes more than coaches and fancy facilities. I believe we have therefore seen the end of the coach salary escalation era. 

In 2024 the SEC primary broadcast deal jumps from $55 million/year to $300 million/year. The new Big-X deal will bring a similarly dramatic increase in revenue, and the Pac-12 (while lower) is also in line for a significant bump as well. The stakes (and rewards) are higher than ever and besides maximizing broadcast revenue athletic departments are developing countless new ways of monetizing their football programs. The arms race is going to be more competitive than ever, and boosters paying players only puts more pressure on athletic departments to invest in their programs.

As you said, what is spent on one things can't be spent on another, but you're assuming that the amount of money available is static, which is far from being the case, in fact it's growing exponentially.

[DC 86]

By definition what is being spent on thing 1 can't be spent on thing 2, and if more money must be paid to athletes to get more talent, that money is going to go to athletes more than coaches and fancy facilities. I believe we have therefore seen the end of the coach salary escalation era. 

In 2024 the SEC primary broadcast deal jumps from $55 million/year to $300 million/year. The new Big-X deal will bring a similarly dramatic increase in revenue, and the Pac-12 (while lower) is also in line for a significant bump as well. The stakes (and rewards) are higher than ever and besides maximizing broadcast revenue athletic departments are developing countless new ways of monetizing their football programs. The arms race is going to be more competitive than ever, and boosters paying players only puts more pressure on athletic departments to invest in their programs.

As you said, what is spent on one things can't be spent on another, but you're assuming that the amount of money available is static, which is far from being the case, in fact it's growing exponentially.