Editor's Note: This column was co-authored by Frank D. Murphy.

College football was never intended to function as a sovereign empire, operating independently from the academic life of the university. It was meant to complement education, not eclipse it. It was designed to foster character, discipline, teamwork, and community — all within the broader purpose of preparing young people to become thoughtful, responsible adults. Yet today, the leadership culture surrounding college football often reflects something very different: a system driven by ego, prestige, and the relentless pursuit of winning at any cost.

Somewhere along the way, the mission shifted.

The emphasis moved from developing human beings to producing entertainment. Athletes are now celebrated almost exclusively for what they can do inside a stadium, not for who they are becoming in the classroom, in their personal lives, or in the world beyond campus. Coaches are praised for the size of their contracts and the number of their championship rings, even when the student-athletes under their authority fail to graduate, struggle academically, or are left unprepared to navigate adulthood once the cheering stops. The phrase "student-athlete," repeated endlessly in press conferences and recruiting speeches, is a mere........

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