How Do Athletic Departments Allow Sports and Academics to Mix at America’s Top Schools?

The status of athletics at the university level today is fraught with complex issues. Questions of player payment, “paper classes” that subvert the “student” moniker, and diversity involving Title IX compliance all wrack the brains of administrators, athletic and academic alike. For some schools, the very nature of their academic mission seems to stand contrary […]

Look Closely at the Line Between Traditional Sports and Esports

Walk into nearly any dorm and you’re guaranteed to see a few things. Hopefully, there will be some students studying, probably there will be dirty laundry and unwashed dishes, and certainly, someone will be playing video games. The pastime of student-athletes, regular kids, and professional gamers is inescapable, and if athletic departments want to stay […]

The Decision to Add Protective Headgear Not Crystal-Clear for Athletic Departments

Conversations surrounding how to lessen the frequency of head injuries in athletics have thankfully become commonplace in today’s sports media. Primarily focused on the cash cow that is college football, articles hoping to develop a plan that will ensure an inherently violent and dangerous game from rising insurance costs, player defections, and a concerned viewing […]

Professional Athlete Alums Offer ADs Unique Opportunities

Most colleges aren’t lucky enough to have their student-athletes go pro in the sport of their choosing. After all, as the NCAA is constantly reminding us, there are thousands of student-athletes, but only a handful will make the leap to the professional ranks. In fact, the numbers for men’s and women’s basketball are 19.1% and […]

International Trips for Teams are Expensive & Complicated; Where’s the Value?

Georgia Tech men’s basketball will open its season against UCLA on November 10th in the Mercedes-Benz Arena at 11:30 pm. If that looks like the normal information for the tip-off weekend of college basketball season, that’s because I’ve not mentioned the game is taking place in Shanghai. The Yellow Jackets arrived in Shanghai seven days […]

Getting Recruits to Campus Requires Even More Staff/Resources, Widening the Gap Between Haves and Have Nots

Recruits are the lifeblood of a college athletic program. Coaching, facilities, and reputation are all important elements to having success on the field or in the arena, but without talented student-athletes, there is clear limit to what an athletic department can achieve. Knowing this, programs around the country have been rolling-out the red carpet for […]