What Will It Take to Stabilize College Athletics? JMI Sports CEO Erik Judson | Behind the Blue

Описание: College athletics is changing fast—NIL, revenue sharing, rising costs, and the transfer portal are creating a moment of chaos.

Erik Judson (CEO of JMI Sports) joins the University of Kentucky’s Dr. Eric Monday (Exec. Vice President for Finance & Administration and Co-Exec. Vice President for Health Affairs) on this video podcast to unpack why the current college athletics model isn’t sustainable — and what the next era might look like.

*In this episode, we cover:*
Why “disruption is good, chaos is not” in college sports
Revenue sharing (House settlement) and what it changes for athletic departments
NIL escalation, compliance ambiguity, and the need for enforceable rules
Cost pressures: coaching salaries, staffing, facilities, and “arms race” realities
Ideas like a *hard cap* and *luxury tax* to create fairness and transparency
What “professionalizing” athletics could mean without losing core values
A 5-year outlook: what could surprise fans by 2031

*CHAPTERS*
0:00 Intro: disruption vs chaos + need for guardrails
1:57 Business of UK begins + framing the moment
2:46 Erik Judson’s background + why his perspective matters
6:00 Why the model isn’t sustainable
8:52 Cost drivers: revenue share, scholarships, inflation + NIL
14:39 Transfer portal “whiplash” + cap uncertainty
16:40 Guardrails: rules, transparency & enforcement
21:59 Running athletics like a business: revenue vs costs + infrastructure
28:38 2031 outlook + why college sports still matters
32:31 Wrap-up + feedback

*About the guests*
*Dr. Eric Monday* — University of Kentucky, Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration and Co-Executive VP for Health Affairs
*Erik Judson* — Founder & CEO of **JMI Sports**, 30-year sports business leader (facility development + multimedia rights)

*Series:* Business of UK (Behind the Blue podcast)
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