College Ripples Now Tsunamis

From the rise of the GM position and the inevitable Title IX lawsuits to the impact on the NBA draft and team physicians in college sports now wary of their liability, the House settlement’s impact is even more far-reaching than we thought.

June 25, 2025

How NIL Money is Reshaping the NBA Draft: Fewer Early Entrants, More College Stars Staying Put
“Basically now if you’re an early entry and you’re not a top-20, top-22 pick — where the money slots — you can pretty much make that in college,” Wolfpack coach Will Wade said.

AP News’ Aaron Beard writes, “It’s all part of a seismic change that has rippled through college athletics since the pandemic, its impact touching the NBA. Players willing to ‘test the waters’ in the draft before returning to school now have a lucrative option to consider against uncertain pro prospects.”
^{AP News}

From Playbooks to Power Moves: Athletes and Visionaries Reshaping College Sports Management
AP News’ Maura Carey writes, “College athletic departments are scrambling. Players are transferring season to season, top talent is demanding big contracts and millions of dollars will start flowing directly from schools to their rostered athletes as early as next week.

“That is way too much work for a coach or even a coaching staff. Enter the general manager, a position that dates back nearly 20 years but only recently has exploded in popularity for schools desperate to stay on top of details. The GM has become a key to success for programs looking to be in the mix for conference and national championships. From business schools to the NFL and NBA, schools are searching for the right people to fill some of the most high-demand jobs in college sports.”
^{AP News}

Team Physicians in College Sports Wary of Greater Liability Risk With Athletes Now Making Big Money
AP News’ Eric Olson writes, “Before July 2021, when college athletes were cleared to be compensated by third parties for the use of their name, image and likeness, such lawsuits would have been virtually unwinnable.

“Four years later, and with schools set to share millions directly with their athletes, team physicians are wary. Some of the most high-profile college athletes are already signing multimillion-dollar deals and six-figure contracts are common.

“Though no malpractice lawsuits seeking lost future earnings at the college level are known to have been filed, it’s only a matter of time, said Dr. James Borchers, Big Ten chief medical officer and president and CEO of the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health.”
^{AP News}

NBA Owners Unanimously Approve Sale of Timberwolves and Lynx to Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Owens reports: “Approval by 23 of the NBA's 30 owners was required for the deal to pass. Approval of the sale follows news in April that the two sides had settled a dispute over the transaction, which was initially agreed upon in 2021. Lore will act as Timberwolves governor, and Rodriguez will be the team's alternate governor. Rodriguez will serve as governor of the Lynx.
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Grant Hill to Join NBC Sports’ NBA Coverage As Game Analyst
Since retiring in 2013, Hill has made a successful transition to NBA and college basketball broadcasting, having called the past 10 Final Fours as an analyst for TNT Sports and CBS Sports’ joint coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as well as high-profile regular season NBA games and playoff series. His versatility as a broadcaster extends to the studio, where he has spent time as a host and analyst on programs such as NBA TV’s GameTime and NBA Inside Stuff. Hill will continue his role at TNT Sports, serving as a college basketball analyst for TNT Sports and CBS Sports’ joint coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as well as TNT’s coverage of Big East and Big 12 basketball.
^{NBC Sports}

From Seattle to OKC: Thunder’s Presti credited for team’s efficient turnaround
What Thunder GM Sam Presti and his staff have “meticulously constructed” in the newly crowned NBA champions is “truly distinct from any champion the NBA has ever seen -- more durable, more buoyant, and, by all indications, more connected and even-keeled, free of domineering personalities, outsize egos, or corrosive agendas,” according to Howard Beck of THE RINGER. Building this “organic, sustainable contender might be one of the most impressive achievements in NBA front office history.”
^{The Ringer via Sports Business Journal}

Nuggets Go With Co-Partnership in Front Office After Promoting Tenzer and Adding Wallace
AP News’ Pat Graham writes, “Josh Kroenke balked at the word ‘abnormal’ when it was used to describe the Denver Nuggets’ new front-office setup. Instead, he countered with a different choice — unorthodox. The Nuggets are relying on a unique co-partnership approach between executive vice presidents Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace. It’s a way to take advantage of their particular skill sets and elevate a team built around three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.”
^{AP News}

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With Title IX Challenges to House Settlement Just Beginning, How Can Schools Comply?
“Most schools think there is going to be some sort of litigation and just hope that they’re not the first and can learn from it,” Kelleigh Irwin Fagan, partner at Church Church Hittle + Antrim, which advises several D-I schools said. “There is a good-faith effort to try to live in sort of the reality of we have to generate money for our athletic departments to support all of our sports and trying to treat all the sports as equitably as possible. … Or thinking about how can we mitigate risk? What are things we can do to mitigate the risk, even if we may not be fully compliant?”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Toledo Athletics Brings Together Key Sports Execs for New Event
The Toledo athletic department on Tuesday hosted the first Team Toledo Partner Summit in Savage Arena, bringing together execs from across the sports, business and community landscapes. The summit included topics such as private equity/capital, real estate partnerships, youth sports and revenue generation initiatives.
^{Sports Business Journal}

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