The Evolving World of College Athletics Highlighted at the Drexel Sport Business Conference
What’s the future of the NCAA, as NIL becomes a driving force in decision-making, revenue sharing is introduced for student-athletes and regulations change to keep up with the times?
The 2025 Drexel Sport Business Conference provided a platform for industry leaders and key stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions about the dynamic shifts in college sports.
Panelists during the forum, which was moderated by Greg Starks, sport business ’26, included:
- Ebiho Teresa Ahonkhai, attorney and Georgetown hall of fame athlete
- Maisha Kelly, director of athletics at Drexel
- Mark R. Koesterer, founder of The Players NIL
- Jeffrey Levine, associate clinical professor of sport business
- Maggie Ntim, DBA ’27, founder of Trinity 3 Agency
- Marquise Watson, director of sports partnerships at 160over90
Key topics of discussion centered around how student-athletes can create an impactful future for themselves, as well as how athletic departments and organizations involved in college sports can keep up with the times.
The House v. NCAA settlement, stemming from a class-action lawsuit alleging NCAA’s rules regarding name, image, and likeness (NIL) profits violated antitrust law, is a key piece to the future of college sports, panelists said.
The settlement could introduce revenue-sharing between athletic departments who opt in and student-athletes. However, the tradeoff for opting in could include roster limits since previously-used scholarship limits would become obsolete.
“It allows us to think about the resources we have and how we can best leverage them to our priorities,” Kelly said on the decision of Drexel Athletics to opt in to revenue-sharing.
Panelists noted other key areas the settlement could impact, including the introduction of a clearinghouse to review competitive fairness of third-party NIL deals.
The event also served as a networking opportunity for students, alumni and other members of the Drexel community, creating an invaluable opportunity to gain insights and meet top professionals in the industry.
