The world of college sports has definitely been in flux for the last five years.
Initially there was the difficulty of how to navigate how to get through the coronavirus pandemic, as some entire seasons or much of seasons were halted or shifted as to when games were played.
On the heels of that, there has been massive changes in the lay of the land in the Division 1 college conference composition, as to what colleges were in what conferences, as the Big 10 grew to massive proportions, and teams in other conferences lost longtime foes.
College football, which is a cash cow, was the driver in the conference realignment, but the changes also impacted the other sports that have lesser reach in the media and are frequently competed before smaller crowds.
At the same time, a change came in May 2021, when the NCAA and the so-called "power five" athletic conferences reached a groundbreaking agreement that ended the century-old tradition of amateurism in college sports by allowing athletes to receive pay directly from the colleges and universities they play for.
The agreement was part of a class-action lawsuit known as House v. NCAA.
And on top of that, women’s basketball the last few years has seen a new level of fan support, driven in large part by the Caitlin Clark effect, who played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, so our area has been instrumental in that growth.
For this edition of What’s The Frequency, to talk about all these college sports topics is Jacqui Kalin, a Sioux City native who was a high-performing basketball player at the high school and Division I college levels.
Kalin is now a business owner, and a color analyst for women’s basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference, which is winding down the current season, as March Madness lies ahead.
For the last few years, college athletes can be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness — known by its abbreviation "NIL".
The laws allow athletes to make money for things like endorsement deals, signing autographs and social media content.
Kalin discusses her concerns about the changing landscape of college sports, saying the pendulum has swung too far too quickly: "It totally missed the balance in the middle."
*Click on the audio link above to hear the entire show.
What's The Frequency, Episode 54.
