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Trustees and Presidents: A Podcast for University Leaders On College AthleticsAuthor: Dr. Karen Weaver
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 Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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What Does a General Manager Actually Do in College Sports?
Episode 5
Wednesday, 2 September, 2026
For more info about the certificate program: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/events/information-session-new-athletics-enterprise-certificate-program"General manager" used to mean one thing. On a college campus in 2026, it means at least two, and the difference matters more than most administrators realize.Karen Weaver is joined by Kristi Dosh, Forbes sports business contributor, founder of Business of College Sports, and creator of the first job board for NIL roles, and Scott Woodruff, General Manager of Villanova Sports Properties with Playfly, who brings 29 years across the Detroit Lions, Northwestern, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.Kristi explains how the GM title migrated into athletic departments to manage rosters, revenue share, and player valuation, and why the job looks completely different from one campus to the next. Scott describes the parallel GM role on the multimedia rights side, where jersey patches, court logos, and campus-wide corporate partnerships are reshaping what an athletic department can sell.Along the way: the Nebraska arbitration and what "warehousing" means, why "best efforts" NIL letters aren't contracts, the twenty-somethings negotiating six-figure deals without a law degree, unresolved Title IX questions around revenue share, and what presidents should be asking their ADs right now.
