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In this episode, I'm joined by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas to chat about the MEAC's new partnership with Syracuse University and how his conference is approaching name, image and likeness for its student athletes.Dr. Thomas is the third full-time commissioner of the conference and entered his 20th year this summer. He's retiring in December, but he's made some big moves for the conference ahead of his exit.In this episode, we discussed:His approach to NIL at the conference level for MEAC student athletesWhat he thinks makes MEAC, and other HBCU, student athletes uniquely marketableHow HBCUs will benefit from their student athletes landing NIL dealsHow the MEAC's partnership with Syracuse came to beWhat he hopes MEAC student athletes, staff and professors will get out of the partnership with SyracuseHow partnerships like this one and the SWAC's with the Pac-12 can drive changeYou can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined on this episode by Trevor Bechtold, Director of Sports, Recreation + Entertainment at HOK. He's an architect who has worked on projects like the expansion to the Penn State University Lasch Building and Clemson University’s new Allen N. Reeves Football Complex.After hearing the news that Clemson is developing a new student athlete branding institute as part of their Poe Indoor Practice Facility renovation, I asked Trevor if other athletic departments are starting to think about how to adapt facilities to assist student athletes with their NIL activities. He gave a resounding "yes," so I asked him to come on the podcast and tells us more about how he thinks facilities will be impacted by student athletes' new NIL rights.In this episode, we chatted about:How athletic departments are starting to factor NIL into facilities planningThe types of spaces, tech, graphics and other features that can enhance NIL opportunities for student athletesWhat features seem to be most popular right now in these discussionsHow spaces might be adapted with recruiting in mindHow even departments with smaller budgets can take NIL into considerationYou can connect with Trevor on LinkedIn or by email.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

In this episode, I'm joined by Zach Beebe, the co-founder of NIL Management. Based in Columbus, Ohio, NIL Management has secured a steady stream of local deals for Ohio State student athletes, including cars for six football student athletes from one dealership. After interviewing Zach for my piece on all of the car deals we've seen so far, I asked him to come on and talk more about the NIL economy in Columbus, Ohio. A few cities and schools have stood out to me while reporting on NIL, and Columbus and Ohio State are among them. Zach is at the epicenter of it all, so I wanted to learn more about how local businesses are embracing NIL and how it's benefitting Ohio State student athletes. We chatted about:The opportunities he's seen student athletes get the most excited about and the strategies they're buildingThe reception around Columbus to the opportunity to work with student athletesHow Zach got a local dealership to give cars to six different student athletesThe comprehensive marketing plan he helped build with Coughlin ChevroletHow much content creation a marketing agency like his is having to do with student athletes to maximize dealsHow he thinks Ohio State has embraced NIL from an athletic department standpointOpportunities for female student athletesYou can follow Zach on Instagram.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

In this episode, I am joined by Dave Capitano, the Higher Education Practice Leader at Baker Tilly. Dave has worked with hundreds of universities on a variety of higher education matters, from finance and operations issues to esports and name, image and likeness. I was recently on Dave's podcast discussing the first 50 days of NIL. In our time off air, he mentioned his passion for esports, and I jumped at the chance to have him come on and educate me because I've admittedly been sleeping on esports.Did you know more than 175 colleges and universities have an officially recognized varsity esports program with more than 5,000 student athletes participating in esports? There's a whopping $16M in scholarships for elite esports players--a fact I was shocked to learn. In addition, more than 475 institutions have esports clubs.Dave joined me this week to share what it takes to add esports, the revenue opportunities, and even the crossover opportunities with athletic departments. Sneak peek: he shared a fantastic idea I think all athletic departments should steal with regards to engaging donors!Some things that Dave and I discussed on the podcast were:The popularity of esports at college universities ranging from the Division I to the club sports levelThe scholarship opportunities involved with esportsThe different revenue opportunities involved with esportsFacility considerations for esportsThe challenges of policing your team in a competitive, virtual worldA look at esports recruitingCrossover opportunities for athletic departments and esports programsCheck out Baker Tilly's esports evaluation guide for more information. You can follow Baker Tilly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. As mentioned, you can also follow Dave on TikTok. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This episode I am joined by Katie Davis, a CPA, Partner, and Collegiate Athletics Practice Leader at James Moore & Co., an accounting firm that works with collegiate athletics departments, athletic associations, booster clubs, and other higher education-related organizations nationwide. Katie has dedicated her career to providing accounting and consulting services to universities and advocating for the financial voices in college athletics. She helps to educate the sports business industry on relevant issues that impact us now and in the future. I was previously on Katie's News & Brews podcast discussing the first day of NIL.In this episode, Katie joins me to explain the tax implications and questions surrounding NIL activity by student athletes. Some of what we discuss includes:Tax liability for a student athlete who is a resident of a different state than the state where their university is located, plus what happens if their NIL activity takes place in another state (like a commercial shoot)How a student athlete reports the value of merchandise, products and travel vs. cash paymentsWhether things like iPads provided by athletic departments to student athletes are taxableTax implications of car dealsHow much student athletes should set aside from NIL revenue for taxesHow NIL might impact need-based aid or dependent statusExpenses student athletes might be eligible to deduct in relation to their NIL activitiesPaying quarterly taxes vs. annual as as student athleteYou can follow Katie on Twitter and check out her podcast, News & Brews.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This episode I'm joined by Oliver Luck, former WVU football student athlete, NFL player, NCAA administrator...and perhaps most important to this conversation, the former WVU athletic director who guided the Mountaineers through the last round of conference realignment. While Luck considered it an honor to be the athletic director at his alma mater, he was faced with challenges during his tenure. Not the least of those was Pittsburgh and Syracuse leaving the Big East in 2011, which necessitated a move for WVU. Luck chats about his career, the history of conference realignment, the challenges that an athletic director faces and the impact that television and other schools have in the realignment process.  In this episode we discussed: How Luck found out the Big East was in troubleLuck's first actions once he realized WVU needed to find a new conference and which conferences he called firstThe challenges realignment brings for an athletic director The tight knit circle that an athletic director has when making decisions about realignment The different factors that a school considers when weighing the options of realignmentHow schools can salvage old rivalries even when changing conferences The lawlessness of conference realignment The amount of stress involved for an athletic director during realignmentIf you've ever wanted a peek behind the curtain of conference realignment, you've come to the right place! Strap in and learn all about what it was like to guide WVU through the last round of realignment.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined this episode by Rob Seiger, a partner in Archer & Greiner P.C.’s Sports Law Group, to talk about the issues facing international student athletes when it comes to taking advantage of new name, image and likeness rights. Rob represents college and university athletic departments in immigration and related compliance issues for their foreign athletes. So, we chatted about the advice he's currently giving to his clients when it comes to international student athletes and NIL.In this episode, we discussed:Current rules for international student athletes on student visasIs there a difference for international student athletes between getting paid $50 for an Instagram post and getting free food from a local BBQ restaurant for your entire offensive line?Gifts vs. compensationWhat we can learn from the issues the NHL faced with visas for international athletesHow and when the federal government might provide guidance for international student athletes re: NILHis advice for international student athletes right nowHow things would change for international student athletes if student athletes were considered employeesYou can follow Archer & Greiner on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.Some NIL trackers that may be of interest:State-by-State Legislation TrackerSchool Policy TrackerNIL Marketplace TrackerYou can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined this week by Malik Jackson, an associate attorney at Smith Hulsey & Busey in Jacksonville, Florida who is a member of the firm's sports litigation department.A former Princeton quarterback, middle school teacher and football coach, Jackson has taken a particular interest in how NIL impacts student athletes prior to their arrival on a college campus.Although we used Florida's law as an example in some of this discussion, it has broad applicability based on where most states (except California) and their high school sports associations have come down on NIL thus far.We discussed:Advice for the parents of elite high school student athletesHow the advice might be different for high school basketball athletes versus other sports when it comes to NILWhat questions high school student athletes and their parents should be asking relative to NIL during the recruiting processHow the early NIL deals we've seen impact recruitingThe complication of everyone not playing under the same rules right now for NILWhat parents need to watch out for when it comes to NIL and their high school student athleteHow parents might become the problem for some student athletesWhen student athletes should engage an attorney for NILMentioned in this episode:High school basketball student athlete Mikey Williams signing with Excel Sports ManagementHigh school QB Quinn Ewers considering bypassing senior year of high school because of NILYou can follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This week, I'm joined by a former U.S. Navy Seal and Purple Heart recipient who now serves as a D3 athletic director. Mike Wisecup  is the AD at Colby College and joined us to discuss his background as a Navy Seal and how he applies it to his athletic department. Wisecup also discussed the challenging aspects of his job--one of which is maintaining cohesiveness within an athletic department.Colby College recently opened the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, a facility with more than 350,000 square feet, making it the largest athletic facility in D3. The complex includes the only Olympic-sized Myrtha pool in Maine, an ice arena with year-round regulation ice, the Margaret M. Crook Center with three regulation-length basketball/volleyball courts and so much more.Some of the things we discussed included:His unexpected journey from Navy Seal to Athletic Director and the surprising similarities between the two positionsHis college experience as a student athlete at the United States Naval AcademyThe challenges of his positionHow departments can eliminate the “silos” inside a department and create cohesivenessWhat went into the building of D3's largest athletic facilityThings he wished he'd known about building and opening the facilityFollowing his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1998, Mike Wisecup served as a Navy Seal for 20 years and was awarded a Purple Heart before moving into college athletics and working his way to becoming the athletic director at Colby College.  With a passion of molding students into better citizens, Wisecup discusses his journey, some challenging aspects of his position and how schools can eliminate siloed departments inside an athletic program and increase universal cohesiveness within the department. 

I'm joined on this episode by Drew Butler, EVP of Collegiate at Icon Source, a platform where student athletes (and professional athletes) can connect with brands for partnerships. We recorded on the second day of this new NIL Era and talked all about how it's going so far.One of our main focuses in this podcast is how female student athletes will fare in this new system. Drew talked about why some of the women are even more valuable in the marketplace than the male student athletes and what they're hearing from brands so far. We also talked about why Icon Source was already in a great position to serve student athletes and why Drew wanted to join the company. Drew is a former NFL punter for the Arizona Cardinals & Pittsburgh Steelers. While at UGA, Drew was twice First-Team Academic All-American. He is the host of the highly popular “Punt & Pass" podcast and additional shows.Some trackers I mentioned that may be of interest:State-by-State Legislation TrackerSchool Policy TrackerNIL Marketplace TrackerYou can follow IconSource on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This episode, I'm joined by Justin Herzig, co-founder of Own the Moment NFT. He's schooling me on all things NFT, so if you barely understand what an NFT is, this episode is for you!Justin gave me some great background on NFTs and then we dove into what they might look like in the college space. Here are some highlights from our talk:The definition of an NFTHow NFT’s can be beneficial for all student athletes The impact athletic departments can have on the value of an NFTHow a player’s NFT can be beneficial in promoting their own content while also not creating tension within their teams.Justin Herzig is the co-founder of Own the Moment NFT, a venture-backed content and analytics company that helps people invest and collect NFTs with confidence. He has been working in blockchain technology for the past seven years combined with a background in predictive sports analytics.You can follow Justin on Twitter here and Own the Moment NFT here.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This week I'm joined by two guests: Jim Cavale, CEO of INFLCR, and Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential. We're chatting about how AI can help student athletes improve and grow their social media platforms and attract offers from brands. INFLCR and Influential announced a partnership that will give the student athletes on INFLCR's platform the ability to tap into Influential's IBM with Watson APIs to gain insight into their current influence. These analytics will help student athletes improve their social media presence and allow brands with whom they're in alignment to find them.Jim and Ryan both shared more about how their respective companies are helping student athletes as we enter this new NIL era. Ryan also shared some great advice for student athletes based on all the many data points his AI-powered platform will share with brands.Jim on Twitter: @jimcavaleINFLCR websiteRyan on Twitter: @RyanMDetertInfluential websiteYou can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

This episode I'm joined by Jim Carr, the President and CEO of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As I mention in the opening, we originally recorded this informally as an interview for a Forbes piece I was writing. However, we had such a great chat I decided to ask Jim if we could turn it into a podcast episode, and he graciously agreed.In this episode, we discuss:How the NAIA has relaxed its rules around NIL over the past five years Why the NAIA was able to pass NIL legislation more quickly than the NCAAThe NAIA's stance on student athletes wearing school gear in NIL-related activitiesHow the NAIA is approaching compliancePlans for educating student athletes on NILWhat the marketplace looks like for NAIA student athletesYou can review the basics of the NAIA's rule change here.In this episode, we talked briefly about NAIA student athlete Chloe Mitchell and the company she co-founded, Playbooked. You can check out my interview with Mitchell and learn more about the opportunities student athletes are getting through her platform in my piece on Forbes.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined this week by Darren Heitner, a Florida attorney who helped draft and promote Florida's initial NIL legislation to talk about where we're at currently with NCAA, state and federal legislation.As of the publication of this episode, five states have NIL laws that go into effect on July 1, 2021, with several other states still pushing to pass legislation with the same effective date. We talk about Florida nearly changing its effective date, why some states are still holding out and what the landscape will look like if the NCAA or Congress doesn't enact something for this school year.Darren and I also discuss what we think the marketplace might look like as student athletes as the NIL era begins, how it might impact things like recruiting and more.You can follow Darren on Twitter: @DarrenHeitner. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined in this episode by Brian Kappel, a partner in Lightfoot, Franklin & White's NCAA Compliance & Investigations practice group. Kappel is here to break down the NCAA's new Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP).The IARP is a group of lawyers, judges and arbitrators who operate separately from the NCAA to handle complex infractions cases. There are often significant disagreements between the involved institution and the NCAA's enforcement staff.Because of trial-like procedures involved in the work-up and presentation of IARP cases, the elevated stakes and penalties associated with the process, and the lack of an appellate remedy, it is critical that institutions and individuals going before the IARP understand what’s involved and approach it like a litigator, with an eye toward not only NCAA practice and precedent but also advocacy.Kappel says institutions or individuals before the IARP should thoroughly understand the process and their role, as well as that of their counsel. This includes the best methods to assist or participate in fact gathering and any re-investigation done by the CCU, the drafting of early submissions to the IARP regarding procedural and dispositive rules interpretations questions, and hearing preparation.Listen in as Brian shares how the IARP works, the types of cases making it into the system and the consequences of decisions made through this process.You can learn more about Lightfoot, Franklin & White at www.lightfootlaw.com.You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined this episode by Eric Nichols, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Branding/Chief Marketing Officer at the University of South Carolina.This spring, South Carolina announced it would be rolling back its season ticket prices to 2010 prices in an effort to motivate fans to purchase. Like most athletic departments, South Carolina had a difficult year financially in 2020, so it was a risky move. Eric discusses  ​the​ ​methodology​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​decision​making​ ​process​, ​including​ ​the​ ​financial​ ​modeling,​ ​elasticity​ ​tools,​ ​and​ ​hedging​ ​opportunities.​ ​In​ ​addition,​ ​he shares what the​ ​response​ ​has​ ​been​ ​in​ ​the​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​KPIs,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​new​ ​leads,​ ​web​ ​chats,​ ​phone​ ​call​ ​logs,​ ​and​ ​sales​ ​trends.​ ​He also discussed​ ​how​ ​they ​will​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​success​ ​or​ ​failure​ ​of​ ​the​ ​strategy.​ ​Listen in as Eric shares the behind the scenes of this interesting decision.You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Foundation, joined the podcast to discuss the concerns football coaches across the country as name, image and likeness legislation is passed at the state level and proposed at the national level and within the NCAA.There were a lot of interesting nuggets in this one, including:What recruits are already asking football coachesHow boosters are getting involved in NIL and why it's concerningWhy you can't talk about NIL without also talking about potential changes to the transfer rulesHow NIL rights may return college football to some of the behavior seen in the 1970s and 1980sHow and why farm teams might emerge in college footballThe impact of NIL in the locker room...and more!Todd Berry coached college football for over 30 years including head coaching jobs at Illinois State, Army and Louisiana-Monroe. An Oklahoma native and graduate of Tulsa, Berry took over directorship of AFCF on March 1, 2016.The American Football Coaches Foundation is the professional development arm of the American Football Coaches association providing professional development and educational resources and tools to football coaches from high school to all levels of college football.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

It's been seven months since Tim Russell, CEO of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, joined the podcast to talk about why tennis was being cut more than any other sport during the pandemic. It was my most-listened to episode of 2020, so I asked Tim if we could revisit the subject now that we've seen several more tennis programs eliminated.The ITA is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at all levels -- NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College. In addition to providing resources to its members to help support programs, the ITA also put together opportunities while competition was halted in collegiate tennis.Listen in to hear more about why tennis may be taking the brunt of the cuts, Tim's opposing argument and also great advice for coaches in any sport to be more proactive in demonstrating value to their administrations.Resources mentioned in this episode:Health Index (a useful tool for coaches in any sport)Tim's response to AthleticDirectorU the role of Olympic sports on college campusesYou can follow the ITA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

In this episode, I'm joined by Samantha Arsenault Livingstone, an Olympic Gold Medalist,  high-performance consultant, speaker, educator and mental health advocate. Samantha was a member of the U.S. Swimming National Team, 1999 U.S. Pan Pacific Team and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. As an 18-year-old, she stood atop the Olympic podium in Sydney, Australia after swimming the lead-off leg of the record-setting 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay. Post- Olympics, Samantha battled an eating disorder, depression and shoulder surgery. With the help of an amazing mentor, she rose from the rubble stronger, happier and healthier, ending her career as a 7 x NCAA All-American. To close out her career, Samantha led her teammates to the 2005 National Championship title as the co-captain of the Georgia Bulldogs.At home in the classroom, Samantha spent six years teaching high school science and coaching swimming. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance and the Whole Athlete Initiative (the WAI) providing pillars of support to athletes, coaches, parents and organizations to elevate mental health and improve performance. In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills and developing high-performance cultures.She is a certified instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) and a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid. Samantha holds a master's degree in secondary science education from the University of Georgia. She lives in New England with her husband, Rob, and four daughters. In this episode, we discussed:How coaches and administrators can spot issues student athletes might have coming into their program from home or previous sports experienceHow administrators can set the tone for compliance for everything from practice limits to sexual abuse and communicate to student athletes that it mattersSamantha's message for student athletes who fear coming forward about violations will lead to retaliationHow coaches can create a culture where student athletes feel comfortable talking to them about issuesThe lack of mental health resources and education in intercollegiate athleticsAs a parent, how Samantha talks to her kids about what is and isn't appropriate behavior from their coachesSamantha's website: www.samanthalivingstone.comFollow Samantha on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.

I'm joined today by Stephanie Stabulis of Social Creates Impact, who I've been partnering with on some educational programming for coaches, administrators and student athletes as we enter the NIL era.Stephanie is a former award-winning, top influencer marketing agency executive passionate about bringing more training, resources and education to influencers and brands. She has designed campaign strategies for hundreds of brands from small-startups to dream clients like ESPN, OREO, Nickelodeon, Southwest Airlines, Macy's, Gilden Apparel, and Sour Patch Kids.In this episode, I tapped into Stephanie's knowledge on a variety of topics related to how brands will likely work with student athletes once they're able to monetize their name, image and likeness, including:The difference between an influencer vs. ambassador vs. affiliateHow much of a student athlete's content should be directly related their athletic performanceWhat brand deals typically look like and the process behind themHow brands find the people they want to work withThe importance of having written agreementsSome of the risks and pitfalls student athletes need to be aware ofThe opportunities for developing content creation skills that can take student athletes beyond graduationYou can connect with Stephanie on Instagram: @socialcreatesimpact.You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.