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

Dr. Karen Weaver
  • 5.0 (14)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by Karen Weaver, EdD, she interviews key leaders, stakeholders and those impacting the business of college sports and higher education. From Division I to Divisions II and III, senior campus leaders now have a chance to learn about the challenges nearly every institution is facing post-pandemic. Today, athletics plays an even more crucial role in enrollment, retention, alumni donations, campus spirit, housing and dining, and marketing Pre-order Karen Weaver's new book NOW: "Understanding College Athletics" https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/33296/understanding-college-athletics

  1. 5d ago

    Surprise! There's A Campus-Wide Gambling Crisis You May Not Know About

    Sports betting has moved from casinos to every student's phone — and campuses aren't ready. Karen Weaver is joined by Dr. Jim Borchers (U.S. Council for Athletes' Health, Big Ten), Dr. Lindsey Mortenson (University of Michigan), and Sara Custer (Inside Higher Ed) to unpack what Borchers calls the largest mental health epidemic facing 18-to-24-year-old men. They discuss why health centers screen for alcohol and depression but not gambling, how prediction markets recruit inside fraternities, the harassment athletes face from losing bettors, and whether universities can warn students while taking sportsbook money.

  2. Aug 12

    Boards Stayed Out of Athletics. Blake Flanders Says That's Over.

    "State assets generally aren't for sale to the highest bidder." Dr. Blake Flanders spent 10 years as President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents. He's leaving with a warning about where Division I athletics is headed — and a case for why governing boards need to stop staying out of it. His board governs six state universities. Three compete in Division I: 🏀 University of Kansas 🏀 Kansas State University 🏀 Wichita State University It also coordinates 19 community colleges, six technical colleges, and Washburn University, and regulates for-profit institutions in the state. Flanders explains why the old hands-off norm made sense, why NIL and revenue sharing broke it, and what actually happens when private equity buys into college sports. Chapters 00:00 – I ntro 00:56 – What the Kansas Board of Regents actually oversees 06:11 – From livestock judging coach to system CEO 12:01 – Athletics as the "front porch" 14:46 – Why boards need to be more involved than ever 16:47 – At-will leaders and the evaluation process 19:12 – The policy born from a conference move 23:33 – The KU athletics deficit and the faculty survey 28:40 – Utah's $500M spin-off and Big 12 equity 30:43 – The private equity math: 10–12% returns 32:48 – When a donor becomes an investor 36:15 – What boards should watch for now #CollegeSports #CollegeAthletics #NIL #HigherEd #KansasBoardOfRegents #Big12 #RevenueSharing #PrivateEquity

    Boards Stayed Out of Athletics. Blake Flanders Says That's Over.

  3. Aug 2

    Cinderella Doesn't Make the Bracket: Inside the Fight Over the House Cap

    March Madness runs on upsets — the 16-seed, the mid-major, the coach nobody could name until Sunday night. Now the House settlement's pay cap is under pressure to climb, and the schools that make Cinderella possible weren't in the room where it's being negotiated. Dayton President Eric Spina and Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson wrote the op-ed saying so. Why they believe the mid-majors are footing the bills for college football while their voting power shrinks.   Op-ed from Presidents Spina and Thompson: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cinderella-may-soon-casualty-college-090646622.html

    Cinderella Doesn't Make the Bracket: Inside the Fight Over the House Cap

  4. Jul 29

    Capitol Hill vs. the Wild, Wild West of College Athletics-Gordon Gee's Take on the PCSA

    College sports hits a Congressional crossroad. Five-time university president Gordon Gee joins Karen Weaver to break down the Protect College Sports Act, the Cantwell-Cruz bill racing toward Big Ten and SEC sign-off. Gee calls it "the last, best hope" for reining in runaway spending, delivering antitrust protections, and saving Olympic and women's sports from football's revenue grab—before Washington's involvement becomes the only thing standing between college athletics and total collapse.

  5. Jul 29

    When Winning Costs Too Much: A Hard Look at College Sports Spending

    “When the guy in charge of bench presses makes more than the university president, 10 times an average faculty salary, and absorbs the average cost of attendance for 60 students, it might be time to pause and reflect a little on where this is all going.” Economist and Dean Emeritus of Purdue's Daniel School of Business, David Hummels, joins Karen Weaver to dissect the runaway spending in college athletics — from million-dollar strength coaches to ballooning student subsidies. Drawing on his research (and his Substack, Finding Equilibrium), Hummels argues universities have stopped asking whether athletics spending actually advances their mission. He challenges leaders to weigh subsidy costs against institutional value, and makes the case for reinvesting in broader student experience — intramurals, arts, community — rather than chasing prestige on the field.

  6. Jul 18

    From Deficits to Dream Economy: Leading Edward Waters University

    Dr. Zachary Faison, president of Edward Waters University, joins Karen Weaver to unpack his "Dream Economy" model—a mission-aligned alternative to the Power Four athletics framework. They explore how presidential leadership, financial discipline, and strategic athletics investment drive enrollment and retention at HBCUs and small private colleges, turning championship seasons and national TV exposure into surging applications, new revenue, and expanded academic programs.   #DreamEconomy #HBCU #EducationTransformation #StudentSuccess #HigherEd

  7. Jun 29

    How JMU Plays ‘Moneyball’ to Compete With College Athletics Giants

    ⚾ 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 lose to the Yankees out there."   JMU can't out-spend the biggest programs in college athletics. No secret there. But they say they don't have to. What JMU can do — and has done — is think differently about how to build, how to compete, and how to win. 🏆   That Moneyball mentality isn't just about athletics. It's about innovation as a substitute for resources 💡. It's about finding your path forward when the winds are gusty 🌬️. It's about refusing to shrug your shoulders and say "we don't have the money" — and instead asking: how do we do this differently?   JMU's athletic success didn't happen by accident. It happened because this institution has a long track record of doing more with less, making smart bets, and building a culture that doesn't measure itself against the "Yankee-sized" budgets of the Power Four. 💜💛   For anyone building programs — in athletics, in higher ed, or anywhere else — Schmidt offers the same advice: go watch Moneyball one more time. Then show up for work and be innovative. 🎬🚀   #JMU #GoDukes #CollegeAthletics #Leadership #Innovation #HigherEducation #Moneyball

    How JMU Plays ‘Moneyball’ to Compete With College Athletics Giants

  8. Jun 24

    How Louisville Is Fighting to Fix a Broken College Sports System

    🏈 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 are forced to keep spending just to stay competitive, even when that spending is completely unsustainable. 💸 Their message is clear: Division I athletics needs a hard spending cap, better governance, and real legislative action — NOW. ⏳ What happens if Congress doesn't act? Louisville is already running scenario planning and game theory to prepare for every outcome. But one thing they refuse to do? Pull money from scholarships, faculty, or research to fund the athletic arms race. 🎓 With a 92% graduation rate and $1.3 billion contributed to the local economy, Louisville proves you can do athletics the RIGHT way — but even they can't outrun a broken system forever. 💪 🎙️ This is a must-listen conversation for anyone in higher education, athletics administration, or governance. 👉 Catch the full episode now and join the conversation about the future of college sports. #CollegeAthletics #HigherEducation #NIL #DivisionI #UniversityOfLouisville #CollegeSports #SportsBusiness #Athletics #Leadership #HigherEd

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About

Hosted by Karen Weaver, EdD, she interviews key leaders, stakeholders and those impacting the business of college sports and higher education. From Division I to Divisions II and III, senior campus leaders now have a chance to learn about the challenges nearly every institution is facing post-pandemic. Today, athletics plays an even more crucial role in enrollment, retention, alumni donations, campus spirit, housing and dining, and marketing Pre-order Karen Weaver's new book NOW: "Understanding College Athletics" https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/33296/understanding-college-athletics

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