A new DI college soccer white paper from a committee of coaches, administrators, and conference staff outlines a student-first revamp: an academic-year season, tighter regional play, and a clearer postseason to cut travel, protect classes, and grow the sport’s value. This article explains why this plan matters and discusses the implications for other Olympic sports that will try to stand on their own as football economics shift.

Even in conferences built on basketball tradition, football drives the business of college sports. In the ACC, for example, football now accounts for roughly 75% of total athletic revenue—a striking reminder of how the economics of college athletics shape everything from budgets to roster sizes.

In our latest article, we look at what that means for counselors and student-athletes: why football attracts so much attention and funding, how other sports adapt around it, and why this imbalance is likely to keep growing unless the NCAA’s structure changes.

Looking for a trustworthy starting point on sport management programs? COSMA is the program-level accreditor for sport management and explains what quality looks like in this field, from learning outcomes to assessment and continuous improvement. Its searchable Program Directory lists accredited and candidate programs by degree level and location, making it easy to verify quality and build an initial college list. It will not include every strong program, but it is a credible first stop for counselors, students, and families.

Sport management is a family of majors that prepare students for the business and operations of sport, and where the program lives on campus matters. Some are in colleges of business, others grow out of education or kinesiology, some stand alone, and a smaller group sits in areas like public health or hospitality. Each home shapes coursework, internships, and alumni networks. This article is a quick guide to the main program types, what they tend to emphasize, and examples to help counselors match students with the right fit.

NIL headlines are loud, but the day-to-day impact for most high-school recruits is small. Outside a narrow slice of marquee programs and athletes, deals tend to be modest and local, while the bigger compensation shifts tied to House v. NCAA and revenue sharing are likely to pool in a few sports at a few schools. For counselors, the message is simple: keep NIL in view, but keep the focus on academics, coaching fit, cost, and a real path to playing time. This article breaks down what the NIL era actually looks like for the vast majority of prospective athletes and how to guide families accordingly.

Opendorse sits at the center of the NIL marketplace, and their annual “NIL at 3” report offers some of the clearest insights into where the money is actually flowing. From market growth to sport-by-sport breakdowns, the data gives counselors a realistic picture of what NIL means today. Read more here.