The Business of College Sports

I'm joined this episode by Malaika Underwood, the SVP of Licensing for OneTeam Partners. Malaika has extensive experience in the licensing arena and is a former standout intercollegiate athlete and professional athlete herself.

Malaika recently joined OneTeam from The Brandr Group, where she worked on the forefront of the college NIL issue. She also managed partnerships with player associations to develop business on behalf of athletes in the college licensing and marketing space. Her career stops also include Collegiate Licensing Company where she managed all partnerships with the SEC, ACC and Big East.

Malaika played volleyball at the North Carolina, and is the longest-tenured player on a USA Baseball National Team, male or female, and has earned five Women’s Baseball World Cup medals, as well as two Women’s Baseball World Cup All-Tournament Team selections.

We discussed what group licensing opportunities might exist if legislation allows for group licensing. We also threw around ideas for how those deals might come to be without the need for a players' union. Additionally, we discussed opportunities available for female student athletes in a group licensing context.

You can connect with Malaika on LinkedIn or check out OneTeam Partners on their website.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Deborah Stroman, who is a professor at UNC and the founder and CEO of the Center of Sport Business and Analytics. Dr. Stroman was also the  first Black scholarship female student athlete at the University of Virginia, where she captained the basketball team in her senior year. She also became the first Black female coach at UNC when she served as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

In addition to her academic and Center responsibilities, Dr. Stroman is a radio personality for two radio stations and consults for the National Institutes of Health, sports teams, and sports-related organizations including the NCAA, College Football Playoff, and the Atlantic Coast Conference

We chat about her experiences as a Black student athlete and coach and how she draws on that experience with her new work with the Advancement of Blacks in Sports. We talk about the organization's mission and where the shortcomings are in sports when it comes to Blacks in leadership positions, both in college sports and professional sports.

This conversation was more like eavesdropping on our personal conversation than a typical episode, so we both get a little vulnerable and transparent about our work and what we can do to advance Blacks working in sports.

In this episode, I recommend the book The Go-Giver.

You can follow Dr. Stroman on Twitter: @drstroman.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

In this episode, I'm joined by Melissa Korn, a Wall Street Journal reporter who co-authored the newly released book Unacceptable: Privilege, Deceit & the Making of the College Admissions Scandal with her WSJ colleague Jennifer Levitz.

One morning in March 2019, many of America's rich and powerful woke to three hundred FBI agents at their doors. Among them were actress Felicity Huffman, designer Mossimo Giannulli, business executives and storied college coaches, with one thing in common: They'd all worked with Rick Singer. Sought after by wealthy parents as a college whisperer, Singer helped children nationwide secure spots at the schools of their dreams--for some, by any means necessary. When his scheme crumbled, more than 50 people would be criminally charged. 

In Unacceptable, veteran Wall Street Journal reporters Korn and Levitz trace the rise and ruin of the largest scam of its kind ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues. With unparalleled access to primary players in the case, they reveal how Singer cashed in on the ultimate status symbol: an acceptance letter at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, or USC. They detail how the scheme exploited existing loopholes, with bribes and lies giving already privileged families an irresistible edge.

In this episode, Melissa and I talked about how this story unfolded and what college athletic administrators should be on the lookout for in the future to prevent this from happening again.

You can follow Melissa on Twitter @MelissaKorn. 

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

The topic of coaching salaries, particularly for college football and men's basketball coaches, are often pointed to as an excessive source of spending for athletic departments. With athletic departments facing unprecedented financial difficulties, it's an expense some are looking at more closely. It has been suggested that salary caps be instituted similar to what we see for professional athletes. But is that even legal?

I asked Gabe Feldman, Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program, Co-Director of the Tulane Center for Sport, an NFL Network Legal Analyst and sports industry consultant to join the podcast to discuss what can--and can't--be done legally to contain or reduce coaching salaries.

We broke it down in simple terms for all the non-lawyers and talked about what competition law is meant to accomplish and how it applies to college sports and coaching salaries, in particular. Gabe also shared his thoughts for courses of action that are legal and could be pursued in the future.

Gabe also provided insight, along with other antitrust law experts, in my piece for Forbes on this topic: Can Athletic Departments Cap Coaching Salaries to Save Money?

You can follow Gabe on Twitter @SportsLawGuy. Also, check out his sports law podcast Between the Lines.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

Prep QB coach Denny Thompson of 6Points joined the podcast to discuss the unintended consequences of the NCAA's decision to grant Division I fall student athletes an extra year of eligibility and an extra year to complete their eligibility.

Denny chatted with me for my Forbes piece on the issue hours after the decision was announced, so in this podcast we're diving deeper into why this isn't a win for many student athletes. We focused on football specifically, but much of what we discussed applies to all fall student athletes.

With depth charts blown and uncertainty around who will stay and who will go, and how athletic departments will fund expanded rosters, there are many questions and few answers. However, we explore of much of it as we can at this time and chew on lots of food for thought.

You can follow Denny on Twitter and 6Points on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

What can history tell us about the ability of college football to weather a pandemic? Jeremy Swick, the historian and curator of the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, joins me this week to chat about the 1918 Spanish Flu and how both it and World War I impacted college football.

What was it like with some teams playing and others not? What was college football like when it was all over? Jeremy walks me through all his knowledge on the subject and we talk about what this fall might--or might not--look like and how it might impact the long-term health of college football.

Jeremy is tasked with maintaining the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame’s extensive collection of artifacts, books, photographs, artwork and publications as the Historian and Curator Coordinator. He was instrumental in establishing, and now updating databases for various educational and historical artifacts and props. In addition, Jeremy curates all new exhibits at the Hall, including exhibits for marquee matchups, the rotating specialty exhibits and Black History Month.

You can follow Jeremy on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can follow the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

Scott Nestler, managing partner of SafeSeating Solutions, joined the podcast to talk about his new SaaS that was developed to help athletic departments plan for the return of fans to the stands for football, basketball, baseball and other sports.

Whenever fans are allowed in the stands again, stadiums and arenas will likely be operating at reduced capacity. So, how do you seat 30% capacity while following local guidelines and restrictions, keeping family units together and giving priority to certain groups? Simply input your stadium manifest and a list of groups you wish to seat and this software will spit out a proposed seating chart that takes into account the guidelines you want to follow.

Scott talked through how the software came to be, how it works and all the ways it can be used by facilities managers and venue directors. It's application goes beyond college athletics and could be used for professional athletics or for other venues such as theaters.

You can learn more about SafeSeating Solutions on their website and check out a demo or contact them with any questions. You can also follow them on Twitter @SafeSeating.

To keep up with the latest decisions on fall sports by FBS athletic departments, check out my tracker.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined by Matt Fairhurst, founder and CEO of Skedulo, to discuss how his company is working with BioReference Laboratories to implement COVID-19 testing protocols in professional sports leagues like the NBA and MLS.

One of the hurdles faced by professional sports was how to efficiently test everyone - from players and coaches to officials, broadcasters and others involved with live competition. Matt's company partnered with BioReference Laboratories to use its deskless workforce productivity software to implement testing protocols and efficiently test large numbers of people in these leagues on a regular basis.

Matt shares insights from the pros and conversations he's been having with universities about bringing students back on campus for the fall. We talk about what college athletic administrators can learn from what we know so far and how to prepare as we move into fall sports season.

You can connect with Matt on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow Skedulo on LinkedIn or Twitter.

In today's Business Tip, I talked about two pieces of software that make my business infinitely more efficient: Appointment for scheduling all my calls and meetings and MeetEdgar ($10/mo off with my link) for managing my social media and repurposing all of my content.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined in this episode by Tim Russell, CEO of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The ITA is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at all levels -- NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College.

To date, 45 tennis programs have been cut since the beginning of the pandemic -- a number that jumped from 28 when Tim and I recorded a week and a half ago. I asked Tim why he thinks tennis has become an easy target and what the future of college tennis looks like.

We talked about what coaches can do to put their sport in the best decision to thrive and the resources ITA offers its members to that end. I was really impressed with the "Health Index" they've created for their members, and I encourage other sports to adopt the same approach.

You can follow the ITA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This week I'm joined by James Coleman, a former student athlete at FSU who is currently the co-host of 1010XL's "The Sports Den" and a strength and conditioning coach. James joined me to discuss how black student athletes have begun using their voices to demand change - from calling out racist behavior by coaches to demanding fight songs, chants and building names be changed.

James talked about his own experience as a black student athlete and why he thinks right now is the perfect storm of circumstances to finally allow black student athletes to have a voice and demand change. He shares advice for student athletes, administrators and coaches on current events and necessary change.

James played fullback at Florida State University where he was a three-year starter and a member of threeAtlantic Coast Conference Championships between the years of 2002–2005. James was the go-to short yardage back and scored 10 career touchdowns while playing in 46 career games at FSU. He used his skills to realize his dream of playing in the NFL while playing with the New Orleans Saints for one season.

James received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science in only three years. James used sports performance training during his high school and college years before coming into the field after his playing career was finished.

You can follow James on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.

You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.