Here’s some advice to the next commissioner of the Big Ten (and every commissioner, as well as incoming NCAA President Charlie Baker!): Develop as many positive relationships as possible with athletic directors.
Yes, the university presidents and chancellors are your bosses, and they have the fiduciary responsibility to set the vision and direction, but we know how little they understand about sports business. It’s the athletic directors who can put the vision into operation and execute it on the ground. It’s also the athletic directors who shape public perception because they speak to and confide in the media — local and national — on a daily basis, and they can be brutally direct if they don’t feel listened to or have any sense of ownership in the success of their institution, their conference or the NCAA. Those conversations can affect the reputation of college leaders, and so commissioners should strive to have healthy relationships with the ADs in their conference and not ignore them.
For example, ADs never felt embraced or listened to by former Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. They whispered that constantly to reporters, along with their perceived failings of Scott, and that clearly hurt his standing. It’s different on the national stage, and while ADs never felt that outgoing NCAA President Mark Emmert listened to them, you can’t expect the president to have close relations with more than 300 Division I athletic directors. But Baker should target the influential ones who have disciples and foster relationships with them — grab meals, attend NACDA events, share information and try to offer them some sense of ownership in direction and policy. The bottom line is that leaders who fail to develop healthy, productive relationships with athletic directors and dismiss these important practitioners do so at their own peril.
NIL FRUSTRATION: The issues surrounding name, image and likeness are growing more and more concerning. Every college administrator I speak to expressed serious frustration on just how fast this train is running uncontrollably off the tracks after 19 months. The amount of dollars, the role of the collectives and the overt recruiting of players is causing even the most senior leaders — administrators and coaches — to reevaluate their comfort level navigating this terrain with no standards or enforcement.
Two clear examples: Nick Saban’s frustration in getting asked to pay an incoming freshman $800,000 to come to Alabama, while calling on the NCAA to get ahold of the issue “because it’s getting out of hand.” In addition, American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said bluntly of NIL, “It’s pay to play. It’s pay to recruit. It’s pay to retain.” That’s exactly what NIL was not supposed to be about.
Insiders I talk to are reluctant to speak publicly about the problems of NIL for fear of looking like they are against the players’ ability to monetize their rights — which is viewed as not a good look. Then another point — I continue to question college leaders counting on Congress to solve this issue for them. They had hoped a GOP sweep in November would have paved the way for legislation to move forward, but even though that’s not the case, some remain optimistic about legislation. But who believes Congress will do the right thing here? And what would that look like? I’m not convinced. There are a number of delicate factors involved and this has to be one of the priorities of the new Baker administration.
NO REST FOR WARRIORS: The Golden State Warriors are constantly viewed as one of the most business-savvy organizations in sports — just look at their history of excellence. They have won Team of the Year at the Sports Business Awards twice, and been nominated six times in that category. But even with Rick Welts moving on in 2021, the franchise isn’t coasting under new President Brandon Schneider. The Warriors were big winners of the NBA’s Sales and Marketing Awards, winning both Team of the Year and Inclusion Innovation Award of the Year for the 2021-22 season. The Warriors won Team of the Year for leading the league in ticketing and partnerships while launching a new private events division. For the Inclusion Innovation Award, the Warriors were honored for creating the Franchise Fund in partnership with United Airlines that supports economic development in Bay Area communities of color by providing opportunities for entrepreneurs. Other award winners were the Toronto Raptors, who took home the Inclusion Leadership Award for their commitment to inclusion as a business strategy, and the Los Angeles Clippers, who won the Team Innovation of the Year Award for launching ClipperVision, the first direct-to-consumer streaming platform for an NBA team. These awards offer a rare glimpse into how the NBA and fellow teams view their colleagues and competitors and prove again that the Warriors set the standard for business operations in the NBA.
Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
