The New Economics of College Athletics—and Why Advancement Leaders Can’t Sit This Out
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM PT
Speaker(s): Patrick Chun, Director of Athletics, University of Washington, Aaron Escobar, Vice President, Athletics Development, and Senior Associate Athletic Director, Oregon State University Foundation & Alumni Association, George Huber, Board of Trust Member, Vanderbilt University, Shannon Kelly, Deputy Athletic Director for Revenue Generation, University of Washington, Stephanie Oberhausen, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Development Officer, Vanderbilt University
Elective Session
We will explore how legalized revenue sharing and escalating athletics costs are fundamentally reshaping the higher education business model in athletic departments public and private, with a focus on the implications for advancement strategy, donor expectations, campaign messaging, and cross campus leadership. This session explores how these shifts force advancement leaders to confront uncomfortable questions:
- What happens when donor dollars increasingly support compensation rather than aspiration?
- How does fundraising strategy adapt when athletics looks less philanthropic and more transactional?
- What stories can advancement teams tell that preserve institutional trust while acknowledging this new reality?