Football coaches continue to rake it in as college finances suffer

With endowments in the toilet, state aid on the decline, and families scrounging for cash to cover tuition increases, it's nice to know that one group of college constituents aren't suffering: top flight, 7-figure football coaches.

An extensive study conducted by USA Today found that at least 25 college football coaches are making more than $2 million this season -- up 100% from two years ago. The average pay for a head coach in the 120-school Football Bowl Subdivision is up 28% in two years and 46% in three years. The average coach in that elite conference earns $1.36 million.

A survey of bowl-division college presidents conducted by Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics found that 85% of respondents considered the pay packages football and basketball coaches are taking to be "excessive."