EDUC 335 | 3 Credits
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10am-11:20am
Whitney Auditorium Room 1315 – School of Education Building
**Note: This course is an elective for all U-M undergrad students. Check with your advisor with questions, or ping me Greg Dooley dools[@]umich.edu
Course Overview
As we enter 2025, the world of college athletics is rapidly changing for schools, athletic departments and athletes. The pending House vs. NCAA settlement will transform the shape of college athletic programs, setting fixed roster limits, expanding scholarship opportunities and providing for the potential of millions in revenue sharing.
In this course we will take a 360 view of the actions, opportunities and challenges in college athletics from the perspective of each of the major stakeholders: athletes, coaches, school administrators, businesses, donors, agents, collectives, and many others. This class features many guests to hear, firsthand, from those on the ground of this ever-evolving world, covering these topics and more:
- Explore the historical aspects of college athletics, specifically focusing on compensation, growth, oversight, and issues related to race/gender inequity.
- Examine the funding model of college athletics, including key revenue sources such as conference distributions, brand licensing, apparel deals, alongside rising expenses.
- Analyze the challenges and opportunities presented by the introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), considering other concurrent changes like the expanded transfer portal, conference realignment, and the momentum towards revenue sharing.
- Investigate the impact of emerging services to support athletes, teams and Universities – such as Collectives, agents, investment advisors, as well as tax, law, and financial literacy services on college athletes.
- Assess the motivations and influence of external stakeholders tied to schools, such as fans, boosters, and donors, in response to NIL implementation.
- Examine relevant Federal rights and laws (free speech, civil rights, IRS, Supreme Court), along with potential future Federal actions of Congress or SCOTUS that could impact college sports.
- Explore Title IX in detail, its origins, its impact and where it should (or shouldn’t) apply today given the dynamic changes in college athletics.
- Analyze the complexities and conflicts between varying state laws, NCAA guidelines, and Conference policies, and the process of reconciling them with other areas of oversight, and explore how these factors impact individual school policies.
- Explore the potential for additional athlete compensation through revenue sharing of TV, apparel, and media rights revenue, and evaluate its impact on the overall model of college athletics.
- Speculate on the mid- and long-term future of college athletics, considering the challenges, influencing factors, and stakeholders discussed throughout the course.
This class is part of the Education for Empowerment minor program offered by the School of Education, specifically the ‘Coaching & Leadership’ pathway. It requires 15 credits total (4 classes + an internship + 1 credit capstone). Interested? Contact marsal.minor@umich.edu – any undergrad can declare after completing any (1) qualifying course. Here’s an endorsement from former U-M Coach John Beilein.
