Rethinking the Collegiate Sports Model: The Rise of Professionalism

By Qi Ren, Ryan Gordon, Chengting Wu, and Jialan Wu Collegiate sports continue to stand out as a significant economic driver, generating billions in revenue each year, even amid the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2022-2023 season alone, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (“NCAA”) and its Football Bowl Subdivision (“FBS”) amassed over $11 billion in revenue (Today, 2024; Football Bowl Subdivision | College Athletics Database, n.d.). However, this