Trustees and Presidents: A Podcast for University Leaders On College Athletics

Welcome to today’s episode, where we're diving into one of the most pivotal and complex topics in college athletics today. I'm Dr. Karen Weaver, and joining me are two leading experts in the field, Dr. Steve Dittmore, Dean at the University of North Florida, and Washington Post reporter Jesse Dougherty. Together, we’ll unravel the challenges facing small colleges as they navigate athletics and financial sustainability in the rapidly changing landscape of higher education.

We'll examine real-world cases, like Notre Dame College of Ohio’s recent closure, Mount St. Mary's innovative addition of women’s flag football, and the financial struggles impacting small colleges in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and beyond. Plus, we'll touch on how larger schools like Ohio State are setting new standards for athletic support, and we’ll take a closer look at schools making bold shifts, like the University of Hartford moving from Division I to Division III.

Whether you're a college administrator, trustee, or just passionate about the future of college sports, this conversation promises to shed light on the pressing questions and potential paths forward in this evolving world

Welcome to the podcast! Today, we’re joined by Dr. Eric N.

Dr. Monday also discusses Kentucky’s strategies in growing revenue, as well as driving greater engagement from leadership to strengthen their position in athletics

Today I'm joined by three journalists from the Washington Post to discuss their deeply reported series on NIL and college athletics.

Albert Samaha is a sports investigative reporter at The Washington Post and author of two books. His latest book, "Concepcion: Conquest, Colonialism, and an Immigrant Family’s Fate," was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award in Autobiography. His first book, "Never Ran, Never Will: Boyhood and Football in a Changing American Inner City," was winner of the New York Society Library’s 2018 Hornblower Award, a finalist for the 2019 PEN/ESPN Literary Sports Writing Award, and adapted into the Netflix docuseries "We Are: The Brooklyn Saints." Originally from Northern California, he lives in Brooklyn.

Emily Giambalvo is a sports reporter focusing on data-driven projects with the enterprise and investigations team. She covered University of Maryland football and men’s basketball from 2018 to 2023, and she has contributed to The Post’s coverage of the Olympics, gymnastics and national college sports. Emily grew up in South Carolina and graduated from the University of Georgia.

Jesse Dougherty is a college sports reporter for the Washington Post, focusing on business and NIL. He previously covered the Washington Nationals (2018-23) and high school sports. Before joining the Post in February 2017, he briefly covered the NHL and NBA for the Los Angeles Times. Jesse was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Syracuse University.

Welcome to the podcast! I’m Karen Weaver, and today we’re

John’s career has given him a front-row seat to the conversations happening at the highest levels of college

 We’ll also explore the potential split between football and

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

Welcome to today's episode, where we’ll dive into the latest

 For those unfamiliar, a "booster" refers to

 Joining me to break down this proposal are two experts: Mit Winter, a leading lawyer in college athlete NIL rights, and Brandon Copeland, co-CEO of Athletes.org and former NFL player. Together, we’ll explore the legal and athlete perspectives on this pivotal moment in college sports.

After Judge Claudia Wilken approved this settlement, what are the vulnerabilities? Let’s find out.

Brandon Copeland (Professor Cope) is a ten-year

Mit Winter focuses his practice on helping

My guest today is Dr. Welch Suggs, Associate Professor in journalism and mass communications at the University of Georgia. Welch and his colleagues had a study published in Spring 2024 with the journal Research in Higher Education that may be interesting for university leaders to consider. Simply speaking, adding a college football team may not be the enrollment panacea once believed.

The conversation revolves around three key points:

1. Adding a football program results in a short-term spike in enrollment, but no long-term increase in overall enrollment, tuition revenue, or male/diversity enrollment.

2. After the initial spike from recruiting football players, enrollment patterns tend to shift back over time, with the new football players essentially replacing other students who would have enrolled anyway.

3. In their final analysis comparing schools that added football to those that didn't found no significant long-term differences in enrollment numbers, tuition revenue, or gender/racial makeup of the student body, unless the schools did something very specific beyond just adding football.

Its an important consideration in the higher education space that is dealing with varying enrollment challenges. I think you’ll enjoy the conversation.

 The Forbes.com referenced in the podcast is available here:

"In A Rising Tide Of College Closures, Impact On Division III Athletics Becomes Clear" https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenweaver/2024/04/30/in-a-rising-tide-of-college-closures-impact-on-division-iii-athletics-becomes-clear/?sh=527ed08170f3

The 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball tournament broke all kinds of viewership records. From Iowa and Caitlin Clark, to Angel Reese and LSU, to Dawn Staley's undefeated and national champion USC Gamecocks, it was a tournament to remember.

I've invited Jill Bodensteiner back to the podcast to take us inside the NCAA team selection process for this marquee event.

Take a peek behind the scenes of NCAA Women's Basketball in the Selection Room. Join committee members during conference tournaments in Indianapolis as they discuss team selection and seating arrangements. Experience the process firsthand as criteria are reviewed, rules are followed, and brackets are formed. From thoughtful deliberations to collaborative decision-making, explore the careful planning that goes into creating the tournament. It's an inside look at the dedication and attention to detail that define NCAA Women's Basketball.

Here's the link to the Synergy app that Jill mentioned in the conversation.

Jim Cavale, founder and Chairman of Athletes.org, joins the podcast. Athletes.org, serves as a players association for college athletes. It is dedicated to maximizing their income, amplifying their voices, and providing on-demand support for key decisions as they navigate college athletics and beyond. AO enables college athletes to have a say in crucial matters affecting their future. 

The American Council of Education provided a statement to Congress advocating against Dartmouth’s men’s basketball team joining a campus union. This statement is what precipitated my conversation with Jim.

We talk directly about the issues higher education is most fearful of: athlete organizing and collective bargaining. In our conversation, Jim stresses the need for dialogue and collaboration with athletes to resolve issues. If college athletics intends to restructure, it must focus on maximizing revenue and ensuring equitable sharing across programs. 

We also discuss what private equity bring to the table-offering an initial financial boost with potentially injecting millions into athletics departments. Jim stresses fair opportunities and regionalizing sports to optimize resources and support all athletes. 

 Here is the link to the ACE document noted in the podcast

https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Statement-NLRB-House-Hearing-031224.pdf

Today we welcome back Jason Belzer, CEO of Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL), a company that is leading the field in athletes leveraging their NIL opportunities. Jason launched the Student Athlete NIL Summit in Atlanta in 2023 (attracting over 500 athletes) and  his company today supports over 1500 athletes in managing their NIL contracts and transactions.

Jason is at the forefront of navigating the evolution of this still very young industry. This conversation is a great opportunity for presidents to look around the corner and see what’s next.

Joining me for the conversation today is the Big Ten Conference’s Chief Medical Officer, Jim Borchers.

Jim is the former Ohio State team physician and current president of the US Council for Athlete Health. We discuss the growing challenges facing athletic healthcare professionals, including burnout among athletic trainers, pressures from coaches and parents, need for independent medical authority, and advice for college presidents to prioritize athlete health and safety. Today, more than ever, this is an important conversation for campus leaders to hear.