Alabama Coaches Got Huge Bonuses For Their National Title, The Players Got T-Shirts

The University of Alabama is once again at the top of the college football world after winning yet another national championship, its fourth in seven years, this time over Clemson on Monday night. For the players, it is the highest of highs, an emotional payoff unlike any other. Which is good, because the only material gain they received for their victory are those championship rings — plus commemorative hats and t-shirts. Meanwhile, here’s a breakdown of all the bonuses the Crimson Tide coaching and athletics staff gets for their victory:

That’s millions of dollars in bonuses for a result that wouldn’t have been possible without the players, who one could argue worked the hardest of all. By now, you’ve probably picked a side in the debate over paying college players, and these numbers won’t convince you otherwise. But maybe, just maybe, the schools who claim they can’t afford to pay their players could look at all these bonuses they’re handing out and realize that they could find some change in the couch cushions.

And of course, now is not the time for Crimson Tide players to complain. They’re national champions, and a fair few of them will get NFL paydays, not to mention legend status on campus for the rest of their lives. But if you don’t get a prick of injustice on the back of your neck over the disparity between the players’ rewards and the coaches’, then your moral compass might be a tad off.