If money talks, Phil Knight and T. Boone Pickens are vying for the title of college sports' No. 1 booster.
So does that make them the most influential of all fat cats? Well, maybe. Or maybe not.
Vince Young and the Longhorns gave Texas fans reason to celebrate this season.As any Oregon Duck knows, Knight ranks as the wealthiest college sports booster, and Pickens just promised $165 million on top of what he's already given Oklahoma State, but the power to pull strings -- i.e. hire and fire coaches, athletic directors and, on some campuses, even presidents -- isn't always decided by who has the fattest bank account. Some boosters demand more say for their buck. For others, clout comes by virtue of appointment to the board of trustees or a governing body.
That said, an ESPN.com unofficial list of the most influential boosters features a half-dozen billionaires recently tagged by Forbes as among "The 400 Richest Americans." Also listed are a couple ex-college jocks, one of whom led his hoops team to the NCAA championship game, and the son of a legendary football coach. Along with later-in-life guys named Red, Thunder, Jim-Bob and, of course, Mr. Nike.
And, perhaps proving you get what you pay for, the school with the largest collection of moneyed boosters is freshly crowned football national champion University of Texas. The Longhorns practice and play in plush facilities and head football coach Mack Brown works under one of the sweetest contracts. Texas can call upon not just high-powered Houston attorney Joe Jamail Jr., but at least two other boosters with enough financial muscle to rank on any top-10 list.
Joe Jamail Jr.
School ties: University of Texas (B.A. Class of '50; J.D. Class of '53)
Age: 79
Reported wealth: $1.4 billion
How made money: The salty-tongued Houston lawyer amassed his fortune overseeing major personal injury cases, most recently representing victims of a BP refinery explosion.
How much donated: Estimated $30 million
School song/cheer: Hook 'em Horns
Braggin' Rights: Just a few telltale signs of money and influence seen around campus: Joe Jamail Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. ... Only individual with two bronze statues on campus bearing his likeness, the most recent sits inside the football stadium. ... Called the "King of Torts" by Time and Newsweek, his $11.2 billion verdict against Texaco in 1985 is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest civil damages award in history.
The Buzz: The Longhorns lead the college sports world in fat cats, with Jamail and Billy Joe "Red" McCombs on the Forbes list of 400 wealthiest Americans. Another influential big-timer is Jim-Bob Moffett, an ex-Longhorn tackle for Darrell Royal, who built Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold into a business with annual revenues of almost $2 billion. ... McCombs, who recently sold the Minnesota Vikings for $600 million, gave UT's largest single donation ever of $50 million to the business school. The business school and women's softball complex bear his name.
Here's the rest of our Top 10 list, in alphabetical order:
Paul W. Bryant Jr.
School ties: University of Alabama (Class of '66)
Age: 61
Wealth: N/A
How made money: President of Greene Group, a privately held company involved in dog tracks, casino management, reinsurance and farming.
How much donated: N/A
School song/cheer: Roll Tide
Braggin' Rights: Best known as the son of the legendary football coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant. ... Currently serving a second six-year term on the University of Alabama board of trustees. ... Donates millions to his alma mater, including a $10 million gift in 2002 and led $100 million athletic fund-raising campaign.
The Buzz: 'Bama insiders say he has a hand in everything, but discreetly keeps his name out of the headlines. ... Looking for a coach after Dennis Franchione bolted in 2002, 'Bama AD Mal Moore flew down to Tampa on Bryant's private jet to interview South Florida's Jim Leavitt. Later, Bryant personally flew out to Washington on his jet and delivered Mike Price, who was fired before ever coaching a game. ... One of nation's leading advocates for preservation of Civil War battlefields.
POWER OF THE BOOSTERS
It's a love-hate relationship that binds a college and its boosters. They are often the first ones pointed to when recruiting violations surface. And the first ones called upon when facilities need an upgrade. With their money comes their two cents. Some call it influence. Others say it's meddling. ESPN.com examines the role of the college booster:
Christy Gaylord Everest
School ties: Attended University of Oklahoma and Colorado College
Age: 54
Reported wealth: N/A
How made money: Third-generation boss of the family-owned Oklahoma Publishing Co., which owns Oklahoma City's Daily Oklahoman.
How much donated: Gaylord family has donated nearly $80 million to OU, including $18 million to athletics.
School song/cheer: Boomer Sooner
Braggin' Rights: After the family's $12 million contribution to help complete an expansion project, OU Board of Regents in 2002 renamed the football playground the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. ... According to OU president David Boren, athletics is third on the list of the family's benevolence. The Gaylords recently gave $22 million, the largest single gift ever to OU, toward the new building housing the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and contributed more than $30 million to health science programs.
The Buzz: The Gaylord name comes with big bucks and power of the press. ... Christy Gaylord Everest, who attended the University Oklahoma, is chair of the OU Board of Regents, the official governing body. ... Her husband, Jim, is an OU grad. ... The family's Gaylord Entertainment owns a handful of resort/convention centers, including Opryland Hotel in Nashville and Colorado Springs' Broadmoor Hotel.
Paul Tudor Jones II
School ties: University of Virginia (Class of '76)
Age: 51
Reported wealth: $2 billion
How made money: Founder of a Greenwich, Conn., money management group. Tudor Investments made its name and a fortune successfully predicting the 1987 market downturn.
How much donated: More than $50 million
School song/cheer: The Cavalier Song
Braggin' Rights: Anted up $35 million toward the $130-million basketball arena to be named after his dad, a '48 grad of the UVA Law School -- John Paul Jones. Also gave $10 million to help fund an addition to the research sciences building.
The Buzz: Sources in the basketball community say he was influential in the hiring Dave Leitao from DePaul. ... Best-known as founder of the Robin Hood Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting poverty in New York City. ... Avid pheasant hunter and bass fisherman, who grew up in Memphis. ... Owns a private island in the Bahamas.
