Impact Report: Atlantic Coast Conference

Kyle Saunders Maps Where 1,550+ Universities Stand on Resilience, Market Position and AI Exposure

Kyle Saunders — Colorado State

Colorado State professor Kyle Saunders has mapped out where more than 1,550 universities stand comparatively based on institutional resilience, post-college market position and artificial intelligence exposure. Institutional resilience is based on the question: “Can this institution absorb financial and enrollment shocks?” Meanwhile, the post-college market position is based on the question: “How well does this institution position graduates for the labor market ahead?” The data has now been refreshed with the latest IPEDS and College Scorecard releases, and the enrollment trend now covers 2019-20 to 2024-25. See where your institution stands, both on its own and relative to others.

Arctos’ Doc O’Connor on College Sports: “It’s a Mess”

Puck — In the Arena Conference

Arctos Managing Partner Doc O'Connor and Raine Group Partner Colin Neville talked about the fundamentals driving sports franchise valuations during a panel discussion with MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson at Puck's In the Arena Conference. O'Connor on the lack of regulation in college athletics: "I worry about college sports. It's a mess. Institutional capital—even family capital—coming into that ecosystem has the potential to cause great damage, because there's no regulatory overlay. It seems to me the only path to a solution is some form of federal regulation, and they can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time, so I don't have much hope anything will change."

Source Close to Wren Baker Says There Has Been No Direct Contact With Oklahoma State

The Oklahoman — Jenni Carlson

As rumors continue to swirl regarding West Virginia AD Wren Baker and the Oklahoma State AD role, a source close to Baker indicates there has been no direct contact with the university, according to The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson, who notes Baker handles all of his business directly without an agent and has previously refused to discuss the OSU job while it was still occupied, most notably rebuffing a 2017 inquiry while Mike Holder was the sitting AD. The reported pursuit faces additional hurdles given Baker’s friendship with current Pokes boss Chad Weiberg and the fact that he currently makes twice Weiberg's salary. Carlson: "And this puts OSU leaders who want to fire Weiberg in an extremely difficult and tenuous position. They have absolutely no guarantees that if they pull the trigger and fire Weiberg, Baker will take the job, and it could leave them floundering for a replacement."

Kyle Saunders Maps Where 1,550+ Universities Stand on Resilience, Market Position and AI Exposure

Kyle Saunders — Colorado State

Colorado State professor Kyle Saunders has mapped out where more than 1,550 universities stand comparatively based on institutional resilience, post-college market position and artificial intelligence exposure. Institutional resilience is based on the question: “Can this institution absorb financial and enrollment shocks?” Meanwhile, the post-college market position is based on the question: “How well does this institution position graduates for the labor market ahead?” The data has now been refreshed with the latest IPEDS and College Scorecard releases, and the enrollment trend now covers 2019-20 to 2024-25. See where your institution stands, both on its own and relative to others.

Source Close to Wren Baker Says There Has Been No Direct Contact With Oklahoma State

The Oklahoman — Jenni Carlson

As rumors continue to swirl regarding West Virginia AD Wren Baker and the Oklahoma State AD role, a source close to Baker indicates there has been no direct contact with the university, according to The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson, who notes Baker handles all of his business directly without an agent and has previously refused to discuss the OSU job while it was still occupied, most notably rebuffing a 2017 inquiry while Mike Holder was the sitting AD. The reported pursuit faces additional hurdles given Baker’s friendship with current Pokes boss Chad Weiberg and the fact that he currently makes twice Weiberg's salary. Carlson: "And this puts OSU leaders who want to fire Weiberg in an extremely difficult and tenuous position. They have absolutely no guarantees that if they pull the trigger and fire Weiberg, Baker will take the job, and it could leave them floundering for a replacement."

Pete Thamel on Florida State’s Open AD Chair: “How Much Power Will the AD Really Have?”

ESPN — Pete Thamel

In a much longer entry on potential high-profile football head coaching changes, ESPN’s Pete Thamel had this to say about Florida State’s open AD chair: “... the industry expectation was for a quick AD search and then a decision on (Mike) Norvell by the end of the year. But as of now, Florida State hasn't been seriously engaged with any major search firms and there's an expectation that board chairman Peter Collins, whose tenure has coincided with FSU falling into a crater, will try to handle all the high-leverage decisions with university president Richard McCullough. … With boosters always having a big voice and campus leadership hovering, the question at FSU has long been simple: How much power will the AD really have?” Thamel goes on to note the Seminoles football roster spending “is at least $15M behind Miami’s.”

The Athletic on What James Madison’s Move Means for the American and the Group of 6

The Athletic — Chris Vannini, Justin Williams and Matt Baker

In the wake of James Madison’s announcement that it would join the American by July 1, 2028, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, Justin Williams and Matt Baker examine what that move means for JMU, the Group of 6 and more.

➤ With JMU’s arrival set to put the American at 15 football-playing members by 2028, adding another football-playing member would make for a cleaner schedule. Miami (OH), Liberty and UConn are among those that have shown interest, with the RedHawks reportedly having included an offer of $30M or more to the league. Liberty has the financial resources, enrollment and athletic success to fit and could also continue an in-state rivalry with JMU, however, school leadership’s past outspoken political involvement has turned off many school presidents who make such decisions. One person briefed on conversations said American schools would like some nonconference basketball games scheduled with UConn in exchange for welcoming back its football program to the league, but the Huskies see that as a drag on their MBB schedule.

➤ As to how the Sun Belt and the rest of the G6 will react: “The Sun Belt looked deeply into adding Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee from Conference USA in 2021, as did the MAC. … Perhaps they could be targets again. So could Liberty, but the Flames have ambition to join the American. If the Sun Belt raises those exit fees this week, it could make the league less appealing to join by becoming harder to leave. If the league wants to get into Florida, there’s also Florida International, which was in the Sun Belt from 2005 to 2012 before moving to CUSA. … FCS program Tarleton State has lobbied heavily for an FBS invitation for years, especially from Conference USA. … Expect that push to continue.”

➤ Former MAC Commissioner/Pivotal Sports & Entertainment Principal of College Sports Strategy Rick Chryst calls the next few years an “audition period” in college sports, with multiple looming events set to shape college sports’ future — starting with the CFP’s likely expansion to 24 teams. “That raises the stakes for sure in terms of the opportunities.” With most league TV deals set to expire in the 2030-34 range, schools and conferences are already positioning themselves to receive the biggest payouts possible when that day arrives. Consultant Lindsay Conner: “The more strong schools you have in your conference, the stronger your hand is in media rights negotiations and the more you’re likely to receive in the next media rights deal.”

Cal Football to Unveil a Grateful Dead-Themed Helmet Against Wake Forest

Cal Athletics via Instagram

Cal Football plans to unveil a new Grateful Dead-themed helmet for this weekend’s home match-up against Wake Forest. In addition, it appears “Grateful Bears” merchandise will soon be available to purchase as part of the collaboration.

Joe Pompliano Unpacks Cal’s $22.8M Databricks Field Naming Rights Deal

Huddle Up — Joe Pompliano

Huddle Up publisher Joe Pompliano unpacks Cal’s football field naming rights deal with Databricks that is worth up to $22.8M over 10 years, noting the agreement includes a mix of cash and company equity alongside field naming rights, helmet decals, premium hospitality, venue LED signage, and enterprise technology integrations for analytics and scouting. For Databricks, an enterprise software company founded on Cal's campus that now has over $7B in annualized revenue, the $2.28M annual commitment represents less than 0.1% of its income and functions as a pre-IPO marketing engine, regional recruitment tool, and client hospitality venue rather than a direct customer acquisition funnel. For the Bears, Pompliano explains: "Unlike its crypto deal with FTX, Cal won’t be worried about the equity it received disappearing overnight because Databricks is a legitimate company with billions in annual revenue and a market cap that will soon exceed $200B. Cal could always sell its shares through a secondary transaction if the Databricks IPO gets delayed, but if the company does follow through on its projected timing, it’s also easy to see a world where the equity is worth more next year than it is today."