Host Connor McCowiak sits down with Professor Jen Presley and Dr. Adam Coco to react to a recent op-ed on the current state of college athletics, co-authored by UofL President Dr. Jerry Bradley along with Josh Heard and Dr. Lawrence Benz. The conversation digs into rising expenses, media rights, and the tension between an education-based, nonprofit model and an increasingly commercialized environment. Coco shares where he agrees with the authors and where he sees things differently, including his case for athletes having a meaningful voice at the table.
From there, the discussion turns to opportunity. Realignment, the transfer portal, and revenue sharing are reshaping athletic departments, and with that change come new roles and new skills. The guests talk through personal brand building, compliance, and salary cap style management, and why the fundamentals of communication and leadership still separate the professionals who advance from those who do not.
Presley and Coco also explain how the fully online bachelor's and master's programs adapt to these shifts, from courses on NIL and the economics of college athletics to flexible internship options for nontraditional and military students. If you are exploring a career in sports business, administration, or leadership, this is a grounded, forward-looking place to start. Press play to hear the full conversation.