The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football's Era of Chaos

By Armen Keteyian

Book Overview

"An explosive tell-all book."--Sports Illustrated

"This is a must-read masterpiece."--Paul Finebaum, ESPN college football analyst and New York Times bestselling author

Two of the nation's most respected sports journalists team up for a vital, hard-hitting investigation into the tumultuous state of big-time college football.

We are living in the Wild West of college sports. Name, Image and Likeness endorsements, the transfer portal, collectives, conference realignment, and the powerful influence of media companies have all rendered the notion of amateur athletics a quaint relic of the past, replaced by a Brave New World where money, self-interest, and a powerless NCAA rule.

The Price is a sweeping, in-depth work of investigative sports journalism that looks at an inflection point in big-time college football. Six time New York Times bestselling author Armen Keteyian and award-winning national college football reporter John Talty conducted more than two hundred wide-ranging interviews with head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, administrators, politicians, power brokers, agents and media executives from one corner of the sport to the other. They reveal never-before-reported details on major players such as Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher, and Lane Kiffin. Keteyian and Talty's reporting also lays bare the machinations that destroyed the historic conference that was the Pac-12, purely in the name of greed.

As the sport's premier coaches race for the exits, Keteyian and Talty reveal deep, dark truths about a beloved game under siege--and the financial, physical, emotional and psychological toll taken on everyone whose dreams and fortunes often depend on the final score on a Saturday afternoon.

The Price goes behind the headlines to uncover the real cost of the game today:

NIL and the Transfer Portal: Uncover how Name, Image, and Likeness deals and the chaotic transfer portal have created a Wild West where money and self-interest rule, leaving the NCAA powerless.Coaching Turmoil: Get never-before-reported details from over 200 interviews with giants like Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh as they grapple with a game that's spinning out of control.Conference Realignment Chaos: Discover the inside story of the greed and backroom deals that led to the shocking destruction of the historic Pac-12 conference.The Future of College Football: Explore the deep, dark truths of a beloved American sport under siege and what the enormous financial and psychological toll means for its future.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063345250
• ISBN13: 9780063345256
• Release Date: August 2024
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The Business of College Football Is Changing—Fast

If you love college football, The Price is essential reading. The authors offer a clear, engaging look at the seismic shifts reshaping the sport—especially the rise of NIL and the direct payment of players. From the early battles over name, image, and likeness (with Ed O’Bannon’s lawsuit) to today’s full-blown arms race for talent, the book breaks down how money is transforming what it means to be a “student-athlete.” This isn’t just about recruiting—it’s about the future of the game itself. Loyalty now follows the highest bidder, and big-time college football is looking more like a professional league with every season. The authors ask the hard questions with fairness and insight: Who can afford to compete? What does education mean in this new model? Timely, well-researched, and thought-provoking—this book captures a sport in the middle of a revolution.