The University of Texas Faculty Council voted 23-15 in favor of a resolution criticizing Mack Brown's $2 million raise as "unseemly and inappropriate." The December 14th meeting was called to discuss the Report of the Intercollegiate Athletics Council, which you can read here. Because the Council lacked a quorum, the resolution condemning Brown's raise was unofficial.
Because it was unofficial, [Council President Janet Staiger] allowed voting by others attending the meeting, including campus administrators, most of whom voted against the resolution. [UT President William] Powers abstained.
"College sports is widely viewed as an out-of-control train on a collision course with academia," said David Hillis, a professor of integrative biology. "Right now, UT is stoking this train to make it run ever faster."
My feelings on the issue are mixed. On the one hand, I don't find Brown's raise terribly problematic. However, that has everything to do with factors particularly related to the University of Texas Athletics Department. To the extent that Brown's raise fuels an "arms race" that looks, in my view, unsustainable over the long-term, for the vast majority of FCS schools, it raises legitimate concerns. Whether, and to what extent, you think that's 'not our problem,' should probably inform how much you worry about something like this.
[For a lighter view of the issue, check out our good friend Rob Lunn's take over at The Fat White Guy.]