Articles written by George Laase

George Laase, Special to the Observer|Mar 23, 2015

Back in 1994, CBS Sports bought the rights to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with an eight-year contract averaging $215 million annually. This month, a single, 30-second TV ad airing during the men’s Final Four will cost the advertiser around $1.5 million. The prospect of selling future advertising during the College Football Playoffs is seen as being so lucrative that ESPN bid more than $5.5 billion over the next 12 years for the rights. As the NCAA coffers continue to balloon, lawsuits are piling up calling for it to share its bil...