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…
Welcome to today’s episode, where we're diving into one of the most pivotal and complex topics in college athletics today. I'm Dr. Karen Weaver, and joining me are two leading experts in the field, Dr. Steve Dittmore, Dean at the University of North Florida, and Washington Post reporter Jesse Dougherty.…
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…
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…
An Interview with Dr. Scott Flanagan. This week, we’ll focus on the role of the President at a Division III institution. Division III is understood to be the Non-scholarship opposite of Division I, but most think of athletics there as nothing more. Yet, for colleges and universities, athletes play an…
Leading off with a semi-annual report from Moody's on the health of the higher education industry, Dr. Karen Weaver is joined by Dr. Mark Reed, President at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia to discuss the revenue outlook for private institutions that play NCAA Division I basketball. Topics covered include presidential…
This week, we'll talk with Lucie Lapovsky, financial consultant and owner of Lapovsky Consulting. She'll talk the nuts and bolts of adding sports, and why sometimes your first thought to drop a sport might need rethinking -- that sport could actually be a differentiator between you and your competitors. You'll…
Carol Cartwright (https://www.knightcommission.org/bios/carol-a-cartwright/) , former President at Kent State (Ohio) and Bowling Green (Ohio) Universities, sits down to discuss the impact that Division I athletics had in the decision making structure at both universities, from faculty to the Board of Trustees.
Linda Shoemaker, a member of the University of Colorado Board of Trustees (https://www.cu.edu/regents/meet-regents/view-all-regents/linda-shoemaker/) , has been proactively advocating for concussion research and safety for many years, particularly in the sport of football. She has inserted the issue into the search for a new head football coach, and organized player safety…
Coupled with supplementary content written exclusively for Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sportsmoney/#2c0c9e877ff6) , this podcast will address a perspective of intercollegiate athletics that few discuss--the view from the President's Office, the Board of Trustees, and other stakeholder groups in higher education. We won't focus just on NCAA Division I- instead, we'll look at…
Wayne State is a public mid sized school with a board of trustees elected by the voters of Michigan. The Detroit Free Press’ David Jesse has been covering Wayne State for many years, and has been front and center in the very public battles involving 50% of the trustees trying…
This week, we'll visit with Scott Pattison. With decades of experience in the public policy arena, Scott is a sought-after expert in public finance, higher education and workforce policy. Having served as the CEO of the National Governors Association (NGA), the head of the National Association of State Budget Officers…
A conversation with Donna Lopiano (https://www.sportsmanagementresources.com/our-consultants/donna-lopiano) , President of Sports Management Resources, former women's athletics director at the University of Texas, and President of the Women's Sports Foundation. Dr. Lopiano has been meeting with Senators and members of the House, to advance legislation in the Federal Government to redefine college…
The Ivy League has one of the most storied traditions in all of college athletics. Comprised of eight institutions, they have worked together to establish standards and guidelines that allow for athletes to be students first, yet still compete for NCAA Championships. Attending an Ivy event means passion and school…
This podcast is all about disruption--as a leader, how do you handle this disruption, and what should folks who oversee athletics do to adapt to this environment. I am joined by Bob Zemsky (https://www.gse.upenn.edu/academics/faculty-directory/zemsky) , professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, and author (https://www.amazon.com/College-Stress-Test-Tracking-Institutional-ebook/dp/B07YQ8PFF7/ref=sr_1_2?crid=114MGNQ77A7WF&dchild=1&keywords=zemsky+stress+test&qid=1585678289&sprefix=zemsky%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-2) of "The College…
Dan Kane, a staff investigative reporter at the Raleigh (NC) News and Observer, followed and reported on the University of North Carolina's massive academic integrity scandal from the beginning. To this day, UNC has never been punished for the over 3,100 students (half which were athletes) who took "paper" classes.…
To start off the podcast, Karen looks at the strong headwinds facing higher education and athletics, putting them squarely on the table in front of us. Her belief is we can't fix the problems if we don't acknowledge them. One of the emerging recommendations for small colleges is to become…
From the president to the athletics director, former Vanderbilt University General Counsel Audrey Anderson (https://www.bassberry.com/professionals/anderson-audrey/) walks us through the dynamics of the General Counsel's office on the campus of an SEC institution. Anderson, the former General Counsel at Vanderbilt University, explains the size of her portfolio, how she anticipates what…
This podcast takes a deep dive into how Universities' Chief Financial Officers are handling this new era. As table top exercises are discussed, and the short, medium and long term financial impacts are implemented, Susan Whealler Johnston, PhD (https://www.nacubo.org/Press-Releases/2018/NACUBO%20Names%20New%20President%20and%20CEO) , President and CEO of the National Association of College and…
This week, I interviewed Lucas DaPrile (https://twitter.com/LucasDaprile) , reporter for The State newspaper in South Carolina. DaPrile has been covering the story for some time, and has provided his readers insight (https://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/article239577523.html) into the reasons that the Board invited a consulting firm to assess the culture and competence of their…
Dr. Mike Williams, President of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama discusses the challenges for becoming compliant with Title IX in athletics in an environment where you need to increase the number of males on your campus. He says that he was surprised after assuming the role as President as to…
This week, my conversation is with Phil Schubert, the President at Abilene Christian University (https://www.acu.edu) in Abilene, Texas. When Phil became President in 2010, he and his Board had deliberate plans for growing the institution's profile and retention, and athletics played an integral part in that effort. Today, they are…
This week's podcast will look at two areas important to students and their families--the cost of a degree, and the experience they can expect on campus when they arrive. For the athletics department, there is a key individual outside of the athletic department whose job it is to ensure the…
Val Ackerman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-orleans-12149a7/) has been around college, professional and international basketball for most of her life. From being former collegiate athlete at the University of Virginia, to becoming the Commissioner of the Big East Conference and one of Sports Business Journal's 50 most influential people in sports, Val has a…