Dear SporticoU readers,
Happy Wednesday, and welcome to another edition of SporticoU. We’re doing something a little different to start our newsletters now, and so we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to The Study Guide. Don’t worry, this one doesn’t come with any exams or essays. The Sportico Study Guide will instead be a brief introduction that opens each newsletter, taking you through relevant college sports business highlights and sharing things we’re keeping an eye on.
Consider me your TA, here to help you keep up with everything happening that you might’ve accidentally slept through in class. Feel free to reach out if there are storylines you’re interested in us diving deeper on here, or questions you’d like answered. I’m at ecaron@sportico.com.
The rest of the newsletter will remain the same, with a Sportico feature story, an insightful guest column and a roundup of worthwhile reads so you can stay up to speed on what’s happening on our site and elsewhere in the college sports business world.
Without further ado, Sportico presents to you the very first—albeit abbreviated, since I’ve rambled enough already!—Study Guide.
College football has started to hit its stride, as tends to happen when fall starts to feel, well, like fall. Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama (which squeaked out a win over A&M last weekend to remain undefeated) and Clemson make up the first four slots in the Top 25. They all also happen to have some of the highest-paid coaches in the sport. ICYMI last month, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney signed a new contract that runs through 2031. He’ll make $10.5 million this year on the new deal, reaching a whopping $12.5 million at the end of his contract.
Speaking of football, the NCAA is going to trial over concussions and traumatic brain injuries, which could put pressure on the NCAA to update its protocols and procedures, similar to what just happened with the NFL and NFLPA in the wake of former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa’s injury.
We’ve got a really interesting op-ed on NIL for you below, which is timely considering Nike’s big news this week. The shoe giant signed five basketball players to NIL deals, including Bronny James, a senior at Sierra Canyon High School whose dad happens to have a lifetime Nike endorsement deal, Iowa All-American Caitlin Clark and Stanford All-American Haley Jones.
That’s all from me for now. Until next time, folks!
