Who Owns College Sports?
Preview:
College athletics has undergone a fundamental shift in governance and economic structure, with power increasingly concentrated among a small number of wealthy programs while the NCAA's authority continues to erode. The rise of revenue sharing, name image and likeness deals, and the transfer portal has transformed college sports into something closer to a professional league, raising unresolved questions about who ultimately controls it — universities, conferences, athletes, or the courts. Legal challenges and congressional pressure have exposed deep contradictions in the amateur model that sustained college sports for over a century, leaving institutions scrambling to adapt without a clear regulatory framework to replace it.
Originally published: June 18, 2026
Author: Kim Schatzel
Position: Former President
Institution: Towson University
Published by: The Chronicle of Higher Ed