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

Join host Karen Weaver and economist Dr. Dan Rascher as they decode the landmark House v. NCAA case, revealing how antitrust rules, NIL rights, and billion-dollar settlements will reshape college athletics and empower student-athletes. Uncover the real numbers behind past damages dating back to 2016 and learn how video game, broadcast, and future NIL payouts—totaling $2.77 B—could redefine scholarships, roster sizes, and competitive balance. A must-listen for fans, scholars, and athletes alike.

r. Karen Weaver discusses the complexities of private equity in college athletics with Michael LaSalle from Shamrock Capital Advisors. They explore the definition of private equity, the governance structures of universities, and the potential conflicts that arise when integrating private equity into athletic departments. The conversation also delves into marketing strategies, branding, and the future of college athletics in the context of private equity investments.

Dr. Darryll Pines, the president of the University of Maryland, discusses the evolving landscape of college athletics and higher education. He addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by recent changes, including the impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) on student-athletes, the role of private equity in college sports, and the importance of collaboration among institutions. Dr. Pines emphasizes the need for a new governance model to ensure fairness and compliance in college athletics while navigating the complexities of leadership in higher education during a time of significant change.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Karen Weaver interviews Sean Frazier, the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Northern Illinois University (NIU). They discuss the evolving landscape of Division I athletics, focusing on NIU's strategic decisions in response to recent NCAA changes, the transfer portal, and the implications of the enrollment cliff. Frazier outlines the critical areas influencing NIU's athletic model, including the NCAA House settlement, name, image, and likeness (NIL) regulations, and the expansion of the college football playoff. He emphasizes the importance of effective communication with stakeholders and the need for a strategic approach to recruitment and retention in light of demographic shifts. In this conversation, Sean Frazier discusses the integral role of athletics in higher education, emphasizing the importance of using sports as a tool for education and personal development. He highlights the collaborative relationship with the university president, focusing on trust and shared goals for the institution. Frazier addresses the challenges of balancing the strengths of different athletic programs, particularly in the context of conference affiliations. He also navigates the complexities of the new era of college athletics, including the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on student-athletes and the importance of mental health support for staff.

Welcome to the podcast. Today, we'll navigate the crossroads of higher education and college sports. We'll explore how institutions must reassess their place in today's landscape, not where they stood decades ago. Joining me is Father Malachi Van Tassell, President of St. Francis University, to discuss their pivotal Division I transition decision to Division III.

For so many college students around the country, March Madness creates opportunities to build brackets and watch them dissolve. However, since mobile sports betting became as easy as picking up your phone, the dynamic has changed. My guest today is Dr. Lindsey Mortenson, Chief Mental Health Officer for the University of Michigan, Lindsey is a psychiatrist by training and focuses on the emerging crisis surrounding student mental health on college campuses.

We're joined by journalist Eric Kelderman from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Erik has covered college administration for years, with a focus on the challenges facing campus leaders. From accreditation to finance to public perception, Eric brings deep insight into the forces shaping higher ed.

Eric has written many fine pieces for theChronicle; one of his recent pieces was on tiny Lourdes University in Ohio and their struggles with athletics and maintaining enrollment.

The title: “We have more athletes than fans”!

Karen Weaver sits down with the News & Observer higher education reporter Korie Dean to discuss a brewing governance battle within the University of North Carolina (UNC) System. They explore a recent controversy involving UNC System President Peter Hans, who called out campus trustees for overstepping their authority—particularly in the high-profile hiring of legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick as UNC Chapel Hill’s new football coach. 

Dean unpacks the power struggles between trustees, chancellors, and the Board of Governors, shedding light on a pattern of trustees asserting influence beyond their advisory role. From athletic department budgets to the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, this episode examines how political and financial pressures are reshaping university leadership. 

In this insightful episode, Dr. Karen Weaver sits down with Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment relations professor at the University of Illinois, and dive into the implications of NIL contracts and the potential for privatization of collegiate sports. LeRoy reveals surprising details about Big Ten and SEC NIL agreements, the potential sub-licensing of athlete rights, and the looming challenges surrounding Title IX compliance.

We also explore why university presidents likely resist athlete unionization, why that may unwittingly benefit the athletes, and how shifting financial models may force mid-major schools to reconsider their place in Division I athletics.

This thought-provoking discussion challenges listeners to rethink the direction of college sports and higher education.

My guest is Thomas Ehrlich, Indiana University's president emeritus, former provost at the University of Pennsylvania and Dean of the Stanford Law School. Tom was a member of the Big Ten's COP/C council (Council of Presidents and Chancellors) when Penn State joined the Big Ten and Bobby Knight roamed the sidelines of Hoosier Basketball.

Our conversation dives into college athletics, campus politics, and Tom’s new book titled "The Search" which provides a fictional take on searching for a new head football coach as seen from a presidential perspective.  We cover everything from leadership challenges, athletic directors, NCAA controversies, to how money in sports shapes decisions today.

Tom is now retired, but he still teaches at Stanford at the age of 90.

My guest is Robert Kelchen, Professor of Education Policy and an expert in higher education finance, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We cover the Trump administration's "Dear Colleague" letter, to pressures to cut research funding; from retiring the old tropes of the "Flutie Factor" and the "Cinderellas in March Madness" many use to describe the benefits of athletics in driving applications and enrollment.

Join Dr. Karen Weaver as she speaks with sports media experts/consultants John Kosner and Ed Desser about the evolving landscape of college athletics. John and Ed authored the seminal 2021 NCAA Gender Equity Media analysis which identified $80 million of unrealized revenues the NCAA was leaving on the table in their media contracts. Why? Because the NCAA did not believe the women's basketball tournaments had any financial value. In 2025, it's stunning to think that campus and NCAA leaders were blind to the revenue possibilities back then.Today, we know the landscape has changed and John and Ed want to help presidents understand how use media opportunities to differentiate their campuses. They discuss media rights, gender equity, fan engagement, and the financial opportunities in this new world of college sports. From the rise of women's basketball to the impact of technology and private equity, this episode explores how universities can navigate and thrive in this rapidly changing environment.

Hello, and welcome to the 150th episode of Trustees and Presidents! I’m Karen Weaver.

Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s at the center of the storm in college athletics—change. Why is it so challenging for college athletics to adapt to this new era of likely revenue sharing, NIL, and its evolving role in campus life? Change has become the defining word for both higher education and college sports, and navigating it successfully requires innovative thinking and strategic leadership.

My guest today, Dr. Julie Wollman, President Emerita of Widener University, brings a wealth of experience and fresh insights to this conversation. A nationally recognized innovator in higher education strategy, Dr. Wollman has spent her career leading change. During her presidency at Widener University, she developed a forward-thinking approach to strategy that embraced scenarios and possibilities, focusing on strategic direction rather than outdated tactical plans—a method now recognized as an emerging best practice.

Dr. Wollman also launched the Common Ground initiative, fostering respectful dialogue on challenging topics, which aligns perfectly with today’s need for thoughtful leadership in higher education and athletics.

And by the way, Julie is a University of Pennsylvania “professor of practice” and she is my colleague!

As we explore how to embrace resistance, manage friction, and fuel progress, I’ll also share lessons from my own experience leading strategic planning for an athletic departments. This discussion will challenge us to rethink what qualities we should seek in leaders tasked with guiding our institutions—and college athletics—through this era of accelerated change.

My guest today is a game-changer—both on the national stage and on his own campus. 

 He’s one of the leading voices in NCAA Division III governance and transformation. As the newly appointed chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, he represents over 430 colleges and universities and 44 voting conferences, advocating for student-athletes and shaping the future of college sports. Oh, and did I mention? He’s also the DIII representative on the NCAA’s prestigious Board of Governors. 

 But that’s just the start. Back at Juniata College in Central Pennsylvania, where he’s the 12th president, he’s spearheading a renaissance in campus athletics. Under his leadership, Juniata has added five new athletic teams in the past four years, opened a cutting-edge $4 million sports facility, and remains the home of 3-time National Champions in Women’s Volleyball. 

Balancing NCAA-level leadership with transformative campus innovations? That’s a story worth telling. 

I'm joined on the podcast by President Geoffrey S. Mearns, the 17th president of Ball State University. Since 2017, he’s led initiatives like *Destination 2040: Our Flight Path*, driving record-breaking enrollment, alumni engagement, and fundraising, while shaping the University’s long-term vision. 

 Joining him is Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 2009. With a historic career spanning leadership in all three NCAA Division I Subdivisions, he’s elevated collegiate athletics and championed the student-athlete experience. 

The MAC delived a call to action to their colleagues in the NCAA to address the rising levels of post-game altercations (such as the Michigan-Ohio State "flag-planting" incident post-game and fans throwing water bottles at players).

Letter: https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2024/12/mac-commissioner-jon-steinbrecher-ncaa-football

Small, private colleges in the Philadelphia area are undergoing significant financial   philanthropy to stabilize. Institutions can stand out for their financial resilience; others show promising signs of recovery through strategic adaptations; still others,seem to be looking at a dim future.

I'm joined today by two exceptional reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer who have closely followed the financial challenges facing 13 small private colleges in the Southeastern PA area, Susan Snyder and Harold Brubaker.

Welcome to the podcast! Today, we’re joined by Dr. Eric N. Monday, Executive Vice President at the University of Kentucky, as he shares insights on the role of UK’s brand in the community and the evolving landscape of college athletics. We discuss revenue challenges, private equity, infrastructure investments, and the future of student-athlete opportunities.

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

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

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.

Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the Big East Conference joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on the substantial changes in college athletics, particularly as they impact schools that do not play big-time football. Called basketball-centric schools, they have to navigate the transfer portal, NIL, conference realignment and other tidal waves at a time where their primary revenue source is success in March—March Madness.

Today I’m joined by Jill Bodensteiner, the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph’s University. Jill is a member of several key NCAA DI Committees imagining the future of college athletics. Ironically, it was 20 years ago this month that the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team was at the top of the world. Undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation, the team brought excitement to campus that only a few schools get to experience. Today, the realignment winds have blown through NCAA sports, and St. Joe’s has had to recalibrate around culture and transparency.

Bodensteiner discusses the challenge of managing rosters and team culture in a transfer friendly environment, the battle to keep athletes from being employees and union members, and the overall challenges facing higher education today.

On today’s podcast, we discuss the opportunities and challenges in streaming hundreds of live events from Division II and III campuses. The money is nowhere near the millions pouring in to some Division I programs, so the question becomes what makes it worth the significant effort?

My guests today are Steve Ulrich, a pioneer in media and tech usage when he was the long time commissioner of the Centennial Conference; Katie Boldvich, the commissioner of the Landmark Conference, the first to partner with Flo Sports (who is jumping into the space with both feet), and Ryan Scott from d3hoops.com, who has chronicled the workload increases being made on athletic communications professionals on these campuses.

Thinking about streaming? Take a listen to these experts!

My guests today are two national leaders in the college athlete’s rights space. Congresswoman Lori Trahan from Massachusetts has been an outspoken advocate for college sports reform and for strengthening Title IX compliance. Chase Griffin, UCLA Quarterback and National NIL Athlete of the Year, recently appeared at a Congressional hearing and spoke of the synergies NIL opportunities have with the purpose of higher education. 

 Three important takeaways for presidents came from this conversation:

1.    Open direct lines of communication with student athletes to understand their perspectives and needs. As Chase Griffin emphasized, presidents should not rely solely on athletic directors or coaches to represent athlete views. 

2.    Prioritize Title IX compliance and closing loopholes that disadvantage women's sports. Strengthening Title IX enforcement is an urgent need that presidents have power to address now.

3.    Prepare for coming changes like NIL rights and revenue sharing that will further empower student athletes. Presidents should engage positively with these changes rather than resist them, as the athletes themselves are driving this progress.

On the podcast, we welcome back Dr. Holden Thorp, Editor in Chief of Science, and Professor of Chemistry and Medicine at George Washington University. Holden has closely followed the challenges the Atlantic Coast Conference faces. With Florida State in open revolt and trying to leave the ACC as soon as they can, to the internal political battles that loom over any moves by North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke, and what the future holds for this venerable athletic conference.

Holden asks the fundamental question that many are beginning to wonder-can college presidents really manage what athletics has become? Should the elite programs separate from the university? As the former chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill, he brings a deep insight into the conversation.

An emerging trend on larger college campuses is the creation of innovation districts. Typically located adjacent to the campus (or in the case of colleges with multiple campuses, the main location), these ecosystems involve businesses, residential and entertainment/sports options, creating a “24 hour a day” energy to an otherwise sleepy part of town. The upside of this trend is obvious to real estate businesses; increasingly, colleges are realizing the potential these have to create a new campus spirit.

My guest today is Erik Williams, the Real Estate Practice Chair at Saul Ewing LLP. Erik has extensive experience in this industry and is based in Philadelphia, an emerging hub in innovation districts. We also discuss the potential for using this financial vehicle to further energize NIL possibilities for college athletes.

The worlds of higher education and college athletics are changing so fast, it's dizzying. Those who work in the industry are hit with change seemingly every day.  How are your students, faculty, coaches and others handling all the challenges in their world?

Enter Real Response. Originally a tool for college athletes to speak up and share their experiences with athletic administrators has evolved into a multi purposed, multi faceted way used to solve problems facing college campuses today (and not just in athletics).

Leveraging the comfort that Gen Z has with texting on their phones, Real Response provides a way to give instant feedback on support staff, athletic training, strength and conditioning, to more complex, difficult to talk about areas like sexual assault, guns in the locker rooms and inappropriate relationships. The end result may mean that administrators get to hear about these issues much earlier in the process, get them the help they need more quickly, and hopefully changing the behavior sooner.

I’m joined today by David Chadwick and Samantha Huge. David is the CEO of Real Response and Samantha is the EVP of Collegiate Athletics. Both bring important information to the table that allows presidents and leaders to learn about tools available to them to assess constituent feedback and get ahead of potentially serious issues.

You've likely heard the old adage, "I'm shocked-there's gambling in this establishment?". While it is an old movie line, it applies to today's college campus. College students (and others) are betting on sports on their phones, hourly, daily and sometimes, more often. 

With sports betting now legal in over 35 states, college presidents and campus leaders must address the explosion of this new form of entertainment now, both from a mental and emotional health perspective AND because some may be betting on your own teams and players. It doesn't matter what Division or sport-if the game is being played, there is likely someone wagering on it.

A longtime newspaper reporter and editor, David Purdum began covering the sports betting industry in 2008. He chronicled the nearly 10-year legal battle that led to sports betting expansion after a ruling from the United States Supreme Court in May 2018. A husband and father, who coaches competitive youth soccer in his free time, Purdum is now in his ninth year with ESPN. 

For the past 20 years, it seems as if wherever there’s been a sports law story involving athlete rights, Michael McCann has been near the epicenter of it. Whether it was as a member of former Ohio State player Maurice Clarett’s legal team in the groundbreaking Clarett v NFL, case; co-authoring a book with Ed O’Bannon, the former UCLA men’s basketball player who found his likeness had been sold off by the NCAA to EA Sports for a college basketball video game, or writing for Sports Illustrated or Sportico, Michael McCann has been both in the trenches and writing about them.

Michael McCann is a Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Founding Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, where he is also Professor of Law.

Our conversation centers around recent key developments in Johnson v NCAA, including the decision by the judge to certify class action status for all Power 5 athletes with regards to BNIL; the new ability for the NLRB to certify joint employer status in cases beginning later this year; Dartmouth’s MBB unionization appeal as we begin the basketball season,  and his stark predictions for the future of college sports.

When it comes to the "old definition of amateurism", the NCAA is under legal assault on at least 3 different fronts. 

Our podcast conversation today focuses on three pending legal cases involving athletes as employees-Dartmouth’s men’s basketball team attempting to unionize; Johnson v NCAA, with the plaintiffs arguing athletes should be treated as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act; and the NLRB upcoming hearings probing whether USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA are treating athletes as they would an employee.

A prominent journalist and a legal scholar join me today to talk about the 3 cases moving their way through the political and legal systems involving athletes as employees. 

Sam C. Ehrlich, JD/PhD is an assistant professor of legal studies at Boise State University. Sam’s research focuses on the legal governance of sports leagues, specifically through sport-specific antitrust exemptions, athlete fairness in collective bargaining and employment, and tort and constitutional liability for overseeing athletic organizations.

Amanda Christovich is a reporter at Front Office Sports based in New York City covering the business of college sports. Her work has previously appeared in USA TODAY and The Wall Street Journal. She plans to be in the NLRB hearing covering the arguments in December 2023.

All three cases are moving ahead in an environment where the NCAA is also putting great pressure on Congress to decide the definition of amateurism in college athletics in a post-Alston world. These cases could fundamentally alter college athletics. Let’s get started.

From the perspective of the NCAA's National Office, no one has seen more change in the last 35 years than former VP Dan Dutcher. From 2 Divisions to 3, all the while working with countless coaches, presidents, athletics directors and colleagues, Dan has seen it all. He joins me today to talk about the challenges facing Division III institutions (and their leaders) today.

The overwhelming number of Division III institutions are small, private, liberal arts institutions. Faced with shifting demographics in the North East and Upper Midwest, enrollment managers have begun to partner with coaches and athletics departments to co-curate incoming classes of students. It's a shift that has only materialized in the last five years and will only grow in importance over the next decade. How are the NCAA members adjusting to the new landscape of athletes becoming a crucial part of the financial success and survival of many of these well-known schools.

Dan retired as the NCAA Vice President for Division III in early 2021, concluding a distinguished thirty-five-year career with the Association. He currently serves as a collegiate athletics consultant.

He led Division III, the NCAA’s largest division, for 25 years.  In that role, he served as chief staff liaison to the Division III Presidents Council and Division III Management Council and oversaw the division’s 30 other committees.  He was directly responsible for Division III’s strategic plan, policy process, and its $30M annual budget. He also served on the NCAA President’s Cabinet.