Recruiting expenses increase significantly for major college sport programs

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that nearly half of NCAA Division I athletics departments doubled their recruiting budgets from 1997 to 2001.  Additionally, “the 65 biggest spenders shelled out a total of more than $61 million in 2007, an 86-percent increase from 10 years before.” The Chronicle’s analysis is based on financial data reported to the U.S. Department of Education, which does not include salaries for recruiting coordinators or other staff devoted solely to recruiting, and is unreliable for comparisons over time or bwtween institutions.