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The university values ​​Lincoln Riley above the welfare of the students

Ladder art with Lincoln Riley on the right side with lots of money beating a student with almost no money on his side." class="wp-image-164297" />
<figcaption>(JiWon Lee | Daily Trojan)</figcaption></figure><p>Oklahoma University students must be disappointed; Lincoln Riley, his head football coach, resigned to take the job at USC. Having led the Sooners to four straight Big 12 wins and an overall record of 55-10, Riley had the highest winning percentage as Oklahoma head coach.</p><p>With a recent disastrous season under his belt , USC football needs Riley to work hard to find a way to win.</p><p>However, there is a catch.</p><p>According to <em>Los Angeles Times,</em> USC offered Riley a speculated $110 million deal. Additionally, the University is currently handling its $4.5 million buyout and must pay former head coach Clay Helton more than $10 million due to the two years remaining on his contract. Along with unlimited access to a private jet and other perks, Riley will be the highest-paid coach in college football history.</p><p>This article is not meant to criticize Riley, but rather the University's spending habits. While Riley reaps the full benefits of funding from USC, the other members of the Trojan community struggle with minimal financial support from the University. With the average debt for undergraduate Trojans at about $20,000 and students with private loans having $48,000 in personal loan debt upon graduation, perhaps USC should put its money elsewhere. With USC tuition approaching $20,000 more than the national average of $41,000, the student body is wondering where exactly all the money is going. -21, the school increased its tuition by 3.5%, to approximately $59,260. The University also had a revenue drop of $597 million for the fiscal year, leading to salary cuts for faculty, staff and administrators . In addition, USC froze hiring and merit raises for employees, which generally decreased philanthropy for the Trojan family.</p><p> With all that money going to Riley's contract, one would believe that at least some <em> </em> should go back to students or the USC workforce. In 2020, institutional scholarships, endowed scholarships and external financial aid totaled $637,975. In 2021, the total increased slightly to $671,498. According to the consolidated financial statements, for the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, the endowment for departmental programs and activities decreased to $179,006 in 2021 from $191,060 in 2020. As reported by Annenberg Media, the decrease in salaries and endowment followed the economic impact created by the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p> However, the academic scholarship and funding for the program are nominal compared to Riley's $110 million deal.</p><p> Outside of students and staff, educational and social initiative programs need a share of the wealth. As the <em>Daily Trojan</em><em> recently covered,</em>the USC Homeless Initiative faced many challenges due to lack of funding. The program, which emphasized alleviating the housing crisis in Los Angeles, could easily be restarted with a small percentage of Riley's contracts. The former director of the USC Homeless Initiative, Brenda Wiewel, said that the decrease in its budget each year was one of the main reasons that caused its closure. Other programs, such as the Trojan Food Pantry, closed due to staffing issues. Student Basic Needs further acknowledged that only two full-time employees worked there before the Trojan Food Pantry closed. Before its closure, the pantry provided food, non-perishable items, and other necessities, dealing a severe blow to students struggling financially and dependent on the pantry's resources.</p><p> USC cannot pay people like Riley these ridiculous salaries. Athletes generate income through ticket and merchandise sales, but the University only compensates players through athletic scholarships. Recently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed a policy that allows student-athletes in all three divisions to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness. This has allowed such athletes to receive money from endorsements and endorsements, a huge step in the US college sports industry that brings in an estimated $18.9 billion in 2019.</p><p> However, most athletes do not receive health coverage for non-sports related injuries, and none get long-term coverage for future health problems that result from playing on the field or court. On the other hand, coaches and sports directors receive benefits from the retirement plan, vacation pay, and life and disability insurance provided by the University.</p><p>The least USC could do is adequately provide athletes with Troy with coverage and health benefits.</p><p> Riley's multi-million dollar contract shows the problem of the University spending its money at the expense of those who need it. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, student and academic programs are floundering, school faculty members see lower salaries, students receive less financial aid, and student-athletes still receive minimal compensation. However, the Riley deal shows that USC has enough money to invest in other sectors if they choose. Perhaps Riley can turn the Trojans into a powerful football team, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the entire Trojan family.</p></div>
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