In the past few months, we have learned about several scandals in college sports – hazing at Northwestern University, sports betting by Alabama’s baseball coach, and racial insensitivity and misconduct by basketball coaches at West Virginia University and Texas Tech University. Impropriety on higher education campuses is not new, but why does it continue to occur?Scandals occur in college sports for a variety of reasons, often involving a combination of factors related to competition, money, pressure, and the complex dynamics within the sports industry. The factors influence leaders to make decisions that do not align with personal, professional or institutional values. Below is a brief overview of the underlying factors that cause scandal in college sports: Competition and Pressure: the pressure to
One week after Ohio State University claimed the national championship, Ohio State Athletics Director Ross Bjork made a compelling statement: “You can have all the money, all the collectives you can have, but if you don’t have a foundation of leadership, culture, and chemistry, then it’s not going to matter.” In today’s college athletics landscape, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) collectives are spending millions to recruit and retain top talent. Ohio State, like other top programs, leveraged NIL deals to secure elite athletes. However, can money alone guarantee success? While NIL played a role in Ohio State’s championship run, simply attracting talented players with lucrative deals isn’t enough. Once those players join a team, the real challenge begins—building a cohesive unit with a shared purpose. As Bjork highlights, leadership and culture ultimately determine whether a collection of great athletes can transform into a championship team. The Blueprint for Building a Championship TeamThe most successful teams, including Ohio State, focus on these core strategies to cultivate strong leadership and culture: 1. Define a Clear and Inspiring Goal Establish a
IntelliSport Analytics will continue to partner with USA Swimming by collecting post-event experience data on athletes and coaches who participated in the 2024 Swimming Olympic Trials. USA Swimming is committed to hosting the premier Olympic Trials competition in the world. Data mined and analyzed by IntelliSport will inform USA Swimming’s best practices and commitment to continuous improvement for the 2028 Olympic Trials.