Tom Izzo Made More Than $7 Million in 2006

OK, I understand the concept of supply and demand and I know big-time sports can bring in a lot of money to universities, but still, this is insane: After doing a detailed study of coaching contracts, USA Today reports that Michigan State University paid Tom Izzo more than $7 million in 2006. And he's due to make plenty more:

Izzo, for example, will pocket a $4 million bonus if he stays on as the Spartans' coach through April 2010. That's on top of the $5.8 million in bonuses he received in 2006, when his take for the season exceeded $7 million - the highest single-season payout in the study.

Getting to the Elite Eight ensures you a big payday. Six of last year's Elite Eight coaches got raises, with the average raise being about $332,000. It would have been even more than that, but Florida's Billy Donovan declined to negotiate a new deal because he figured the Gators would have another great season this year and that he'd have even more bargaining power.

Read USA Today's entire report, written by Steve Wieberg and Jodi Upton, then try not to let your head explode when you realize that many of these guys aren't even the highest-paid coaches on campus: At most big-time sports schools, the basketball coach makes less than the football coach. Someone is going to have to explain to me how this is still amateur athletics.