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

⚾ What does the movie "Moneyball" have to do with college athletics? When it comes to an emerging Division I FBS athletics program, everything.   One of James Madison University President Jim Schmidt's favorite lines from that film has become a guiding principle for the Dukes — and he thinks it applies far beyond baseball:   💬 "If we're gonna try to play like the Yankees in here, we're gonna los...

🏈  Is college athletics heading toward a financial collapse? University of Louisville President Dr. T. Gerard Bradley and Board Chair Dr. Larry Benz aren't just asking the question — they're sounding the alarm. 🚨 Together with Athletic Director Josh Heird, they co-authored a white paper calling out what Larry Benz describes as "the theater of absurdity" — a system where schools...

Faculty across the country are casting "no confidence" votes against their college presidents in record numbers—and budgets and athletics spending are often at the heart of it. In this episode, host Karen Weaver talks with veteran presidents Dr. Michael Nietzel and Dr. Chuck Ambrose, co-authors of the new book,  No Confidence: When College Faculty Turn Against Their Presidents , about wh...

Michigan State University trustees Mike Balow and Dennis Denno pull back the curtain on what it really means to be a fiduciary in the high‑stakes world of Big Ten athletics and private equity. They explain why trustees must be “the adults in the room,” how opaque media and NIL ventures can endanger a university’s long‑term future, and why bipartisan oversight and transparency are non‑negotiable. L...

A new Art & Science Group poll of 1,481 college-bound seniors shows students define campus spirit far beyond wins and losses, prioritizing unity, traditions, and everyday pride over big-time sports. Karen Weaver talks with principals Craig Goebel and David Strauss about what presidents should actually invest in, how politics and ideology shape demand for athletics, and smarter strategies for e...

Utah State President Brad Mortensen joins Karen Weaver to discuss his first months leading his alma mater through a pivotal transition. He shares insights on the upcoming PAC-12 move, NIL, gambling risks, revenue strategy, and how Utah State is positioning athletics, campus storytelling, and institutional partnerships for the future.

Legalized gambling has become woven into nearly every corner of the sports industry, evolving far beyond simple win or lose wagers to bets on almost every moment of every game. Now, a new model called prediction markets is gaining momentum across sports, news, geopolitics, the economy, and yes, even the weather. My guest today is part of the Bloomberg Intelligence team examining these markets. Jod...

Many college presidents have never set foot at an NCAA convention — yet they're ultimately responsible for everything that happens in their athletics programs. So who's actually steering Division III? Karen Weaver goes behind the curtain with Dr. Marc Camille, chair of the NCAA Division III President's Council, to expose the governance gap that nobody's talking about. With over 400...

Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell shares his bold transformation of an HBCU campus that nearly closed; ditching football to build a community farm, pioneering the work college model, unveiling an iconic gym etched with civil rights history, and candid takes on NIL, the recruitment of his hoops prodigy son, and the NCAA's uncertain future.

College athletics is at a crossroads, and Gabe Feldman and Eric Blevins offer a bold new way forward. In this conversation, they explore turning varsity sports into a serious academic field, an "Enhanced Education Model", while unpacking the legal, financial, and governance pressures reshaping college sports. A number of organizations and scholars are advocating this as a way to deal with cost pre...

In this episode, host Karen Weaver talks with higher education scholars Shannon Kerwin, Jacqueline McDowell, Martha McGrath-Brown, Barbara Osborne, and Janelle Wells about a new Collective Think Tank report on how college athletics is “missing the moment, the money, and the mission” in women’s sports. They explain how booming fan interest and sponsorships contrast with outdated NCAA structures, st...

the audibles. Through a bold mix of NCAA Division II ambitions, expanded academic pathways, and region-first investment in student success, he is turning a small Southern Ohio campus into a strategic hub where athletics, academics, and community growth are designed to win together.  

On today’s podcast, we dive deep into the forces shaping higher education and college athletics. Today, we sit down with Dr. Bobby Robbins — the recently retired president of the University of Arizona — who guided the Wildcats through one of the most turbulent eras in collegiate sports. From the Pac-12’s rumored expansion to twenty teams, to its stunning near collapse and Arizona’s landing in the...

Wagner College president Jeff Doggett explains why the university embraces a “we care” philosophy that puts holistic student growth over chasing NIL dollars, using Division I athletics as a teaching lab where 40% of undergraduates compete, stay four years (hopefully), and build their individual brands within a team-first culture.

Kent State University President Todd Dicon shares his perspectives on the evolving landscape of college athletics, the financial challenges faced by non Power 4 FBS institutions, and the implications of wider disparities within conferences.  We explore how higher education and athletics intersect in a post-peak environment and what future strategies might look like.

My guest has taken one of the most unconventional routes you’ll ever hear about on the way to a university presidency. Bill Johnson is the president of Youngstown State University (OH), capping a career that has spanned military service, business entrepreneurship, and over a decade in the U.S. Congress—a background that uniquely positions him to navigate the turbulence reshaping college sports and...

Karen Weaver and Harvard's Michael Horn unpack how today’s “wild west” of college athletics is tied directly to higher ed’s larger demographic and financial crisis: peak high school grads are behind us, net tuition is flat or falling, and costs—especially in athletics—keep climbing. They connect moves like paying athletes, mega coaching salaries, women’s sports growth, and the transfer portal...

College athletics is moving faster than campus governance—and trustees can’t afford to watch from the sidelines. Karen Weaver sits down with higher-ed governance experts Peter Eckel (UPenn) and Raquel Rall (UC Riverside) to unpack fiduciary duty, board education, and how to make mission-driven decisions amid NIL, revenue sharing, realignment, and rising financial risk.

Dr. Karen Weaver and Melanie Bennett discuss the top risks facing college athletics as identified by United Educators, a risk management and liability insurance company. They explore various themes, including the impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations, health risks such as concussions, legal considerations in risk management, emergency preparedness, and the importance of addressing...

From gambling busts to coaching chaos, discover why S&P Global analysts now spend more time talking about athletics than ever before—and what it means for your institution's financial future. In this eye-opening conversation, S&P Global rating analysts Beth Bishop and Ken Rodgers reveal how a single headline can trigger years of financial scrutiny, why your entire basketball team enter...

College athletics is increasingly financially strained, running deficits as costs skyrocket. Yet revenues remain undervalued, especially in sponsorship, despite massive fan engagement, media consumption and attendance. Unlocking growth requires commercially minded leadership, new revenue streams, cost discipline, and corporate-style structures to modernize the business model and fully monetize col...

What do University Leaders need to know about the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961? Tulane law professor Gabe Feldman joins the conversation where he discusses this and other key legal issues for college sports to keep an eye on for 2026. Feldman explains that while the NFL has successfully pooled its television revenue, college sports have not been granted the same privileges. This legal framework...

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, the need for institutions to adapt and prioritize the well-being of their students has never been more crucial. In a recent podcast episode featuring Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned educator and former president of Spelman College, we delve into an audacious decision that reshaped the college's athletics program and shifted its focus towards...

The “College Athletics” infrastructure is collapsing under the growing workloads of staff retrenchment and changing job descriptions. Whether its wins, squad sizes, in athlete medical care and/or for academic transfers coming in from the portal, the enterprise is under more pressure than ever. Kevin McClure, professor of Education Policy at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, just wrote a...

Josh Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of Sports Innovation Lab (now a part of Genius Sports) explains where new NCAA revenue streams are coming from. Calling it the “Premium Economy”, Josh encourages senior leaders to understand and leverage their most valuable assets in today’s entertainment economy—live sports. Our conversation explores the evolving landscape of live entertainment in the context of hi...