🧠 From Sidelines to Bottom Lines: Inside the $500B Sports Industry: A Conversation With Sport Business Journalist Eric Jackson

In this episode of the African Americans in Sport Podclass, we sit down with sports business journalist Eric Jackson, whose career spans over a decade with bylines at Sportico, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and beyond. From his roots covering high school football in Georgia and Florida to becoming a leading voice on the business of sport, Eric shares his journey, insights, and the behind-the-scenes complexities that shape the $500 billion sports industry.

We explore the shifting landscape of college athletics, diving deep into the impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) policies—especially as they reach into the high school ranks. Eric breaks down how deals like the one between Playfly Sports and Mater Dei High School are redefining what it means to be a student-athlete and why “amateurism” in sports may be more myth than reality.

Eric also gives voice to the growing trend of athlete empowerment through media, reflecting on Paul George’s candid comments about podcasting, and why athletes—especially Black athletes—are often criticized for exploring opportunities beyond their sport. We unpack the tensions between traditional sports journalism and the rise of athlete-driven media, all while considering the future of sports reporting in the era of influencers and brand creators.

Plus, hear Eric's advice for aspiring journalists, career changers, and athletes transitioning out of competition. If you're interested in the intersection of sports, media, business, and Black identity—this episode is a must-listen.

📚 Each episode is a class. Each season, a semester. Join us in learning the lessons that shape African American experiences in sport.

Transcript

 What's good, everyone? Welcome to the African Americans in Sport podcast, a unique podcasting format where each episode is a lesson and each season is a semester where we detail the diverse experiences of African Americans in sports. Okay, okay, okay. To the loyal listeners of the African Americans in Sport podcast, we got another bombshell for you today. We got Atlanta, Georgia's own Valdosta State Rays, Eric Jackson. Welcome, my brother. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Yo, I love the intro, man. I appreciate you having me on, Alan. Thank you, sir. Yeah, so Eric is in the world of sports business reporting, has been doing it for about the past fourteen years. At places like Appin News, Peach State Sports, has been with the Lake City Reporter, Atlanta Business Chronicle, and most recently, Sportico. Where his uh, his current role resides and has done wonderful, masterful work, including some of the most hottest topics we can think of in college, around NIL, a lot of the, a lot of the really me, a lot of really messy things. That's how Eric gets the chance to really delve into. So I am excited to get rolling today to talk to you, to pick your brain and really just to have you just let us know what does the world of sports business reporting look like? Bro, I'm excited, man. Let's, let's unpack, man. Let's unpack. Cause that's a loaded question. So, and we can go on for a minute. So I'm going to try to hit some of the main points, but, but yeah, man, I mean the, you know, I used to say like, The business of sports has become so mainstream. I think there was a time where it was way like very nuanced and like people didn't really understand and didn't really have that much interest in it and it's been interesting to see over the years that More and more people are taking interest to, you know, how their favorite team is operating, right? Or why is their player investing in this, right? Or You know what I mean? I think that all used to be a small subset of fans, but now it's been cool to see more casual fans getting involved in the $500 billion sports industry, right? So, um. Billion with a B. Billy with the beat. It's a lot of money out there. So to get us get it kicked off here. Let's talk a little bit about your past and how you got to where you are. So how did you get involved with sports business reporting? Yeah, no, it's, it's been a journey, man. One that I'm super grateful for. And, you know, I'll just start back. I started out as a sports writer. Right. So I didn't really care about the business at first. Right. Like I wanted to write about, and I did write about. You know, who scored thirty points in this game or who's had two touchdowns, right? And you know, what's that mean? And I was constantly writing those stories and I enjoyed it, right? That was the beginning of my career. I covered high school football in the South, Georgia and Florida and You know, I don't know, for the listeners there who know about high school football in the South, it's the NFL essentially. It is really big time and people. So, you know, I, I enjoyed that part of my career and like getting the sports writing aspect in. And because for me, like I played basketball, right. And I realized that you're like, yo, I'm not going to the league, right? Like I, I had the realization playing basketball in the Atlanta area where we had current and former NBA players that that wasn't going to be for me. So what I did was. At a really young age, I realized I still loved writing and I still wanted to be around the game, right? So I really started to get, I was in yearbook in high school and then when I got to college, I bought Austin State, shout out Blazers. I joined the student newspaper, right? And I started covering all our sports and I became sports editor and I really leaned into it, right? Like, and that's where the journey really started, right? I'm so fortunate for that where I got to cover those, those teams in Valdosta and Georgia and some of the local ones in the area. And that's kind of where it began. And then from there, I was fortunate of after I heard a hundred no's and this is for the younger people listening to still Be resilient, right? I heard a hundred notes before one editor finally gave me a shot, right? And, and all you need is one. Right. And that's what happened for me. Somebody gave me a shot. And from there I was doing the sports writing thing and I got another opportunity. Right. I worked for a daily newspaper in Florida and I was covering the Gators. And then I got a, This was kind of the crossroads for me, right? I realized that as I was going to UF and I was covering big time college football, SEC football, right? I mean, 100,000 people in the stands. I started to get an interest for the economics of it all, right? Because I realized that a lot of these players didn't have food to eat, but yet there was 100,000 people filling up the stadium, right? I saw that their jerseys were being sold in the team store, but they weren't really getting any of the benefit, right? So I started to realize I became more interested in the business side of sport, right? And why the things there were and, you know, who was the beneficiaries of all these things. And that was when I got an opportunity to come back to Atlanta to cover the business of sports. It was a big, it was a big pivot in my career of staying on the sports writing track or getting into the business side, right? And covering sports, but from a business lens. And that was a big, you know, that helped me a lot, you know, to make that decision. It really did because it allowed me to sort of, when everybody was going here, you know, the sports training lane, which is very competitive and which is great. I mean, it's all competitive. Journalism is competitive regardless, but. For me, I kind of, while everybody was, you know, zigging, I zagged to the business side, right, and where less people wanted to go, right, because And trust me, when I started to cover sports business, I didn't know anything about, you know, expenditures or, you know, revenue sharing or any of that stuff, right? I didn't even know how to tie a tie. I tell people, like, I was a fish out of water when I started covering business, right? And, um, But I got better, right? It's like learning another language. You get reps, you get more reps. And then, you know, after doing a pretty good job in Atlanta, I, um, Started working for a sports business journal a little bit who, you know, was in our parent company, um, SPJ's, you know, um, There's good people over there. And then, yeah, I moved to New York four years. I joined Sportico, right? Sports business publication. So, so yeah, man, it's been a journey and, but the business side always fascinated me, you know, just cause. It's more consequential, you know, like you're talking about taxpayer money, right? You're talking about things that even if you're not a sports fan, you're involved in whether you want, whether you want it or not. Right. And it, I think that's the stuff that really, you know, geopolitics too, right? Like, you know, how our foreign affairs, you know, those things impact sports, right? So. You know, our relationship with China, for example, right? And obviously the NBA has their relationship, right? And as uh, so it's So yeah, I just love that it touched other aspects because to me, I, I started to feel like, um, sports on itself was kind of small stakes, right? So I started to be kind of interested in Bigger picture things, right? So, and the business side kind of gave me an entry into that. So, so yeah, man, that's uh, the money, man, follow the money, right? So that's kind of where, that's kind of where everything went for me. Yeah, sports is such an interesting arena, particularly, you know, when thinking about just The monetary aspect of things and how deep it goes, right? It used to be professionals. I was like, you know, that's where, that's where sport and money really collide. And, you know, as, as you continue, as we continue, what, twenty years ago, sports in college athletics wasn't what it is today. So it was really interesting just to look at the transition and where they're going with everything. Yeah. Um, You know, especially college athletics. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. That's, it's, it's exploded, right? And I used to say college athletics is burning the candle at both ends. You know, on one end, you know, they're like, hey, we're, we're going to make everything amateur. Right. And they're like, we're going to get as many deals as we can, branding deals, a lot of folks to work with us, the name, the field, name the stadium, then the walkway into the stadium after people. No, it's become a professional model in so many regards now. I mean, it just, that's the truth of it. And a lot of people don't want to hear it because I understand they want to hold on to that, you know, that pageantry and the tradition and, and those things are still there, you know, but I think we, you know, you can't deny that. The professional model that has been adopted now, um, or, you know, I don't even like saying student athletes anymore, right? Because they are professionals in a lot of regards now, you know what I mean? They have Obligations and, you know, NIL duties to perform and there's a lot now. It's, it's interesting. Yeah. Well, I mean, speaking of NIL, why don't, why don't, why don't we talk down that avenue? Because obviously this is something that you've covered and particularly at the high school level. I've seen one of your articles, particularly that you you had on Twitter, as well as if you go to Sportico's website under your articles, you talk about the NL landscape and its impact on college sports, particularly through the lens of modern day and their signing of a media deal. Can you tell us a bit more about that? Yeah, I think it was such a sign of the times that high schools now are now linking up with the services of a Playfly. So Playfly, a huge media company that does a handful of things. Including providing sponsorships and other things, but for a high school to leverage their capabilities and resources to grow their revenues says a lot because. Now, not only are they helping the athletic department, right, and the football team, but they're also helping the student athletes grow their own brands, right, and that says a lot about where we're at because in the state of California, NIL is legal for high school, so high school students can make money, right, so. And I think it's roughly, I think we have roughly forty states now that have approved NIL in their state in some sort of fashion. So yeah, that's another thing, man. It's crazy because so many people think NIL in college, right? They think of this college world, NIL. But a lot of people don't realize that at the high school level now, right? Like, for better or for worse, right? At the high school level now, you know, you can be sixteen years old, fifteen years old. An Inca deal with your local car dealership or, you know, whatever, right? So it's taken on a whole another trend now and that and that whole thing. And there's, I think there's pros and cons of the whole thing, right? I think now it's going to shape athletes even better in a sense because by the time they get to the NFL or the NBA or wherever, They're going to be so much groomed, right? And have more of a business savviness about themselves, right? And even if they don't become the 1% and play in the pros, even when they go out to the workforce, right? Like, they're going to have a better understanding of negotiating and tactics And so, you know, I, I think in some ways it's not great, but I think that in some ways it will be beneficial too, because I think the quicker you can learn about money and branding yourself and putting yourself out there, I think there is a lot of benefits to it. So. Just going back on Modern Day though, yeah, it's, you know, Modern Day never needed help recruiting, but now, uh, it's another recruiting tool for them, right? A private school to get, you know, now that you have The resources of a play fly to uh, get more student athletes to, or not student athletes, I said I don't, I said I don't like that one. Uh, I mean, in high school, I like the word better than in college, but yeah, um, to get more athletes to come to your school, right? And, you know, seeing it, and it's other powerhouses that are probably going to be doing the same thing, like IMG, It's going to be more at the private level right now to do deals like that because public schools, there's just more bureaucracy and you got to go through some more layers to do things like that. You know what I mean? So private schools are, they're kind of on an island. They can kind of do stuff like that a little bit smoother. So yeah. It's definitely an interesting phenomenon, right? Particularly when it gets down to the high school level and I'm thinking of the show Little Tykes or uh. Yeah, wait, was that the one in Texas? Was that? Yeah. So, I mean, they're, they're really monetizing recording the seasons of literally football players. That show is hard for me to watch at times. Very difficult. Very difficult. Cause I mean, at, at what point do you stop being a kid and then turn into a business person? Right. Because you know, obviously there, there's more. Well, for sure. Yeah. And like, it's like, all right, you should enjoy your high school experience. And it's like, But also you're like trying to do deals too. Right. And I think at the high school level, you're so young. So your parents are really involved and that can get murky too. And yeah, man, it's, uh, We call it the wild, wild west now, man, for sure. It's definitely, it's definitely wide open, you know, but some states like Like, have it, but it's like they're more strict on it, and you know, so not every state has the same sort of legislation, but yeah, man, I agree with you, though, man. Little Tex was crazy, man. Some of those coaches chewing out those kids, I was like, I was like, man. And I know it too from covering high school football in the South. Like, I know Georgia, Florida, Texas. Like, um, you're raised there to like... Play, play ball, you know? It's just how it is, like, but yeah, man, some of those clips are just like, God, man, like, I think some of those kids are gonna end up hating football just because you get so pounded into it as a kid, you know what I mean? And then, like, I mean, you see different things, right? And I also want to think about, like, in particular here with women's sports, right? And Just the amount of business that surrounds it, yet the lucrative deals don't necessarily happen for a lot of women, particularly at the highest level, but I mean, and now we're starting to see some major deals for men at the collegiate level, right? Yeah. Most recently, I think you wrote an article about the Notre Dame women's basketball player who had a chance to go and, you know, forego her last years and go to the league, yet decided to stay put at Notre Dame. Do you think that's, that's going to be a constant? Yeah, man, I mean, we're going through these weird growing pains, right, in the landscape because the WNBA has an expiring collective bargaining agreement going on right now, right? So Olivia is making the decision to stay and Listen, there's other, you know, maybe she wants to prove her game and get healthy and other things. You know, I don't like to say I know her exact reasons, but I will say the trend, I mean, she would have been a number two pick potentially, right? I mean, that's like... You would never see that in the NBA, right? Like, so we're, it's really unique to women's college basketball because with the CBA expiring, there's going to be a new deal soon. Most likely. So, and that's going to offer bigger rookie weight scale packages, right? The next one. So really it's like Olivia can make more money potentially by staying in college with NIL deals than her rookie salary, right? At the next level. So It's really the WNBA is trying to catch up, right? We're seeing like this growth happening and the W is like trying to catch up now, right? So, and while we're going through this little We have like this little overlap a bit here, which is interesting, right? So, you know, you're saying, you know, Olivia stayed back, AZ stayed back. I mean, Lauren Betts, UCLA, I mean, she's staying back. I mean, you're seeing so many who would have been first round picks and They have different reasons for it, but you can't ignore the elephant in the room, which is the money, right? So, you know, and I don't blame them, right? Listen, if I can go make You know, high six figures in college, then the $78,000 salary I was gonna get playing in the WNBA, yeah, listen, it's hard to, it's hard to bet against that, you know what I mean? Yeah. So, so yeah, man, it's, it's an interesting time right now. It's so much growth in women's sports to overall and seeing that momentum is really cool too. So I mean, it, it, Last year, was it like, yes, it was last year, um, with Caden Clark. Yeah, with Angel Reed, Aylin, I mean, they ushered in. Talk about marketability, you know? I mean, they, They ushered in that whole new era, you know what I mean? They really did. I mean, that draft class, I think when we look back in history years later, I think we'll, the league will have to give a lot of credit to that draft class for sure. You know, it's not just Kalen, but Angel and everyone else. I mean, yeah, it's, it's paved the way for the rest. Yeah. So I want to shift gears just a little bit. I'm talking about podcasting. So this is, this is something that, you know, folks have been talking about for a while. It's been a thing. And I've, I've heard, I've got a really good friend who says the CIA dropped off microphones in the black neighborhoods. And now you're playing it. But, you know, recently you retweeted something about Paul George and his comments on podcasting and how it's kind of therapeutic for him and his chance to really talk about things he doesn't get a chance to talk about, right? And as a former player, current player, you know, there's an opportunity to have your voice heard. I know LeBron and a number of different athletes have their own avenues for podcasts, right? You know? So, I mean, how do you feel... Podcasting has changed or is impacting the landscape of sports reporting. Yeah, you know, I've I've been, you know, I've helped put athlete podcasts together. I've hosted a podcast with athletes on it. I've watched this whole landscape, but I recently wrote that story, right? You know, a few days ago about this You know, I write a lot about the wave of athlete empowerment, right? We're going through this wave of athletes being empowered. Well, there's some turbulence that's come with that. And one of those turbulence points has been with podcasting. Because, you know, they've wanted to own their own narrative, right? Away from traditional media, like journalists like myself, which... I know some journalists who aren't necessarily fans of it because it takes away from their platforms at times and but it's hard for me to knock it because I'm all supportive of people wanting to You know, create their own lane and, you know, talk about things and put the narratives in their own hands too, right? So we're seeing a lot of that now. And, you know, whether it's Draymond Green, you know, LeBron just brought his back, right? And, you know, I mentioned the Paul George thing because I asked Paul Last week, you know, my, the impetus for me writing the story was because Podcast P, Paul George's podcast, ended on During the season while he was getting a lot of criticism and the Sixers aren't playing well and everybody's piling in on him and Paul was really honest. He was like, look, I knew there was going to be backlash when I started this and But like he said, it's very therapeutic and it's opportunity for talked about things that he never would probably really speak on, you know, publicly. So yeah, man, I find it really fascinating because it's really interesting. These fan bases are so passionate and they drive the business. They really do. You know, like without the fans, without the customers, none of this happens, right? Like... Everyone's relying on it, including me, the journalist, right, who, you know, the fans read this, you know, we're all dependent on the fans in a lot of ways, the broadcasters, the teams, the leagues. Yeah. But one of the downsides about being passionate fan base, they like to take out their anger, right, on the athletes, right, when the teams aren't playing well. And if you're podcasting, you're an easy target because it's like, hey, why aren't you focused on this or that? You know, Michael Parsons has been dealing with this as well. Plays in the Cowboys, right? Cowboys didn't have a good season. He's getting hit, right? People are like, why are you podcasting? So I still think it's this interesting narrative, and it's particularly in black athletes, and I'll say this, where they feel like, Fans feel like where you're supposed to be, you're supposed to be in the gym your whole, if you're not sleeping, you're supposed to be in the gym, you know? What was it, the whole Lauren Ingram thing with the bra shut up and dribble? Like, I think there's this whole, like, thought process with some fans that, well, you're just like a jock, you're just an athlete, you should just be focusing on that and You know, why are you doing these other hobbies or other things to create for yourself? And, and, you know, I give a lot of credit to the athletes who are like, look, I'm more than a basketball player, right? Like, I have other things I want to get into. And for some, they have broadcasting ambitions, right? Like... So, so yeah, man, they're, it's funny how they love you, but when you're not playing well, they turn on you, you know, so. Real fickle. Yeah, exactly. And it's, and you know, and the athletes, they love the fans and it can be a complex relationship because, you know, they love the fans. I think even the ones, I think Michael would say this, I think Paul would say, they do love the fans, but I think a lot of fans also too, I think it's unrealistic to think that a player is only supposed to be focused on Their craft, right? And to act like they're not a human being and have other interests is, especially in today's world, this whole creator economy, it's unrealistic to think that you should be only focused on this, right? Because now more than ever, more than ever, Athletes are so many multifaceted, right? Well, they're in fashion, right? They're doing those things or, you know, launching their own ventures, right? Or entrepreneurial about themselves, right? Because podcasting helps you start a business, right? And understanding how to do those things. So like, so, you know, it's. It's funny, I wrote that article when Paul George's comments, right, came out and all the people again, all the same fans are like getting on them again. In my mind, I'm like, it proves the whole point of Like, I don't know. A lot of the fans, I feel like, approved the point that he was trying to say. I'm like, so yeah. And I, listen, I get it. Some fan bases are different than others. Philly, you know, and I appreciate it. Seriously. Come in. You know, I love Atlanta fans, but it's different. Up here, New York, Philly, Boston, you know, like. Big markets. Big markets, they're passionate, you know, it's, it's just, they're, they're a different breed out here. So, and I, I have a lot of respect for that. I really do. But I also think that making athletes as targets, um, When your team's not playing well, especially when they're in the gym all the time and giving everything, you know what I mean? So I think that's, I think that's unrealistic. So yeah. Now does it, I do want to ask about this. So most recent or not most recent, but recently LeBron and Steven had gotten into it. And that's, that's been part of first take is many times I could turn the TV on in the morning. Right. Yeah. And I had another really good friend who gave me, who talked about the CIA dropping off microphones in black neighborhoods, also said that ESPN has turned into basically reality TV for men. Because it's not necessarily just about the sport, but it's about responding to people and wanting that drama aspect to it. For sure. Do you, and, and Maybe this is just my thought, my opinion, but I feel like podcasts have shifted how you cover sports. I remember Stephen A. Smith. I remember the ticker. Yeah. And you could see what the next topic was. It was coming up and they would go through it and Michael Wilbon and Yeah, PTI does it. Right, right. Really great times to talk about stats and who's going to win the next game and what are they going to do as an organization next year versus, you know, Talking about people's fatherhood or, you know, how they father kids or some of their extracurriculars that aren't necessarily sport related. Do you feel like it's blurred the line between what used to be sports reporting? Yeah, yeah. I guess where we're going. No, absolutely, man. And I, you know, I got into this business because I really appreciated some of the old school journalistic ethics, right? And I do think Things are changing a bit now, right? And, you know, the journalist I looked up to, though, didn't have to worry about clicks and metrics and engagement, right? So we're seeing a shift, right? And I think. Touching on polarizing topics like a Bronny James gets people tuned in, right? And listen, I have so much respect for Stephen A and his career and like, I really do. I would never knock it, but I think there is a reason why, there is a reason why the ratings are high, right? You know, you're bombastic, you're exciting, you're talking about polarizing topics and, you know, and what comes with that. Then you have LeBron upset because You know, it's uh, he maybe feels like his son is being talked about too much, right? Opposed to other things that could be discussed. On the more general topic, I definitely feel like that because the way the, I mean, the media landscape has shifted, you know, if you have a smartphone and an Instagram, you know, you can be what's cool. A journalist, you know, not what I would necessarily call a journalist necessarily per se, but you know what I mean? Like everybody has a platform now, right? So in that sense, it's created this sort of dynamic where, and it's a little scary because I think sometimes the public Can't decipher a journalist over someone who's just spewing out information, right, on their platform, right? So I think that's where it gets a little shaky for me because Someone, even my own mother would be like, yo, I saw this on Facebook. Is this true? And it'd be something completely inaccurate, right? But people don't know where to get their sources from necessarily now. They're new sources and everything else. So yeah, it gets a little shady, but yeah, from a sports media standpoint, I definitely agree with you. I definitely think people are farming for engagement. You know, they, they want to drum up attention. Yeah, man, and I, you know, that's always been something that I've tried to steer away from, you know, to the detriment sometimes, you know, I've, uh, you know, I probably annoy my boss sometimes for not trying to go viral and, you know, trying to do certain things that'll get more attention, you know, but... You know, some of that stuff is not comfortable for me, right? Because I think it's really important to remain, and this is a note to all journalists, younger ones, especially to You know, stay true to you, right, and not let the pressures of corporate get you into doing things that, you know, feel inauthentic, right, to you. So I, so yeah, it's an interesting time where I do think we see more than ever The sports media landscape talking about whether it's politics or different things that kind of drum up attention. Right. So, so yeah, I totally agree with you, man. It's the landscape has definitely shifted from when, you know, a Stuart Scott and the, you know, some of the others of the past or in the, In the business verse where things are at now, right? Because now you have influencers, you have huge platforms and they're doing their thing. And you know, it's, it's crazy, man. You have people who. Never worked for a publication ever, right? But they're getting more attention than the people who put in a lot of hours into this business. And so it's. So yeah, it's um, I just hope that with more and more time, the general public will be able to see the difference between a talking head, a pundit, right? Who's looking for engagement versus, you know, a journalist who's just trying to stay objective and Give you the best, the best information to make your own decision. So, so yeah, man, it's, um, critical thinking is at a high right now at a high. It's just, I mean, it's an interesting landscape, right? It's, everything is changing. Everything's gonna go through its iterations, its seasons, all of that, yet this has just been a very interesting one, and as you pointed out a bit earlier, it's When you, when you're talking about a black athlete, when you're talking about something a black athlete does that's outside of sports, it's, it's going to make, because they're like, okay, we'll shut up and dribble. Go back to the arena. Go back to doing, that's, that's what you're here for. Yep. You know, I mean, we, we folks are, are able to do, they're, they're multifaceted, they're multidimensional. They're able to do a lot of different things. And if you want to keep up with the world, you know, everybody's like, what do you do? I do this and I do this on the side and I do this on the side. I do that on the side. Everybody has Multiple avenues of. Yeah. No, unfortunately, and these are the wrong people, but they're upset to see people when they're not one dimensional, right? And that they have to. Other things to offer and that they actually are pretty intellectual and smart and they're not just jocks. And you know what I mean? I think it's, I think sometimes people have this misconception that just cause you're an athlete is that's your whole thing. That's all you have to offer, right? Like, you know, the amount of athletes I've talked to who go into a board meeting, right? And I talked to Metta World Peace about this, right? And they go into a board meeting and everybody's like wants to talk basketball to them, right? And they're like, I actually had a lot of other things to talk about here, right? You know what I mean? Like, people just think that's all you have to offer is your knowledge on basketball, right? Or football or whatever it is. And, you know, I, you know, the amount of athletes I've talked to kind of get frustrated because it's like they think, you know, they go into these rooms in these different places and That's all that people want to talk to him about as if that's, you know, that's all they have to offer. So it's, so yeah, man. And I know it firsthand. That's why, you know, for a lot of guys and even gals too, like, I try to talk about with them anything else but sports, right? Because, or their sport or whatever, you know what I mean? Because, and I get it, in some regard it is, can be kind of insulting because Depending on the way you go about it, right, to think that that's all that they have, that they bring, right, to the table, right? So, yeah, man, it's uh, for sure, man. Outside of that trend, you know, thinking about your last fourteen years within the industry, what other things are you noticing that are going to help, you know, our listeners kind of look forward to in the future or some things that may be budding that we don't know about? Yeah, man, I would definitely say, I mean, overall in my career, I definitely think we're going to see more of, from a media standpoint, shift standpoint, I do think we'll have... More of the influencer type, right? I think content creators kind of stepping in more from your traditional journalist and And there's nothing wrong with that. I think there's like, it's been interesting to see like content creators take things from journalists, right? It's almost aggregating like things that they read, blah, blah, and kind of repurposing it on theirs and And I have no problem. As long as people get credit, you know, I think sometimes people don't want to give credit to where they got some of that information, but as long as they give credit, I'm fine with that. And it's interesting to see that landscape shift. A little bit the landscape shift in that regard. So I think we'll see more of that. And then from just a sports business standpoint with athlete revenue sharing coming into the fold here. It'll be interesting to see NIL get it regulated a little bit more and to see how that impacts programs too. Cause now with the revenue sharing pool, schools are now asking for donor money because Now they have to go pay not just their current players, but former two, right? Coming from the settlement of the NCAA versus the house. So, so that's going to be another interesting aspect to that. I think. Everybody should be on the lookout for as well as to see, you know, how these programs respond now that the athletes, now that they legally have to pay the athlete. So how should they respond in your opinion? Well, definitely to pay them for sure, but that's going to impact everybody now because now that the programs have to pay the athletes, Now, don't be surprised when your season ticket sales go up, right? Because now they're looking for all these different revenues, right? Don't be surprised when that hot dogs cost a couple dollars more now, right? So it's, this impacts everybody, right? It's not just like the athletes, it impacts Everybody who goes to these games and is a part of the stakeholders in all of this, right? So, but yeah, I mean, I'm always supportive of players. I want them to get paid, no doubt about it. It'll just be interesting to see now it's regulated. So yeah, from an NIL standpoint like that and yeah, man, just, you know, from my perspective, it's been fun to just watch this wave of athlete empowerment like I mentioned and just Seeing them become CEOs of their own brands, right? And really taking initiative and, you know, in some regards, you know, doing business on their own. I think there was a time where athletes relied on other people so much to do their business, to do their marketing, to do the contracts, to do everything else. You know, the athletes at thirty years ago are so much different now than the ones today, right? They're way more polished, right? And groomed and have their own teams and families and, you know, they have their own council and so it's uh, You know, they're more powerful than ever. You know what I mean? So, so I don't think that'll ever stop. When you talked about having prices increase at that The hot dog stand, your season tickets, your parking, you name it at the university. Do you think the bloating of university athletic departments Is gonna have to be restricted? Or like, is it gonna be cut down? Are there certain things? Is it gonna run like a business versus more so a non-profit? Right, right. No, that's a great question. And, you know, I think the way the temperature is right now, definitely probably more like a business because listen, I mean, most sports don't make money, right? Like, I think we all know that. I mean, football, basketball usually carry the load for most athletic departments, but now you're just starting to see that they have to get more creative now, right? Just because like, for example, coming to America, right? One of my favorite movies. St. John's just did a whole giveaway for people who, so I don't know if you know, you know, you've seen Come to America, right? Of course. The scene in the, it was a St. John's game that when he goes to Madison Square Garden, which they played, uh, Rick Smith, Eric, They played, where did Rick Smits go? Oh my god, I can't remember now. But, but people who attended that game, right? Because we just had the anniversary of it. So people who attended that game, if you had like your ticket stub, You could get a thousand dollars from the school and they would keep it and repurpose it. And so, and it went really well. They just did a whole like halftime event of this basketball season at St. John's commemorating coming to America and And to me, I found it interesting because that was a unique way that these schools are getting creative of driving revenue, right? Like, you're going to see more collectible stuff, right? Like, you're going to see more, like, stuff where ADs of the past never really thought of, right? So, So yeah, man, it's interesting times, man. And it's a reckoning that was due, right? Because for so long, athletic departments made money from the students, right? Yeah. So I, I, I don't feel bad for, you know, the, the ADs and athletic departments who are upset about all this because they, they, The reason they were able to build those stadiums and all these things were on the backs of so many athletes. So it's just due for them to finally get a piece of the puzzle, you know, so. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's hard for me to feel bad for athletic administrators. Yeah. And I know they're, they're, they're people obviously, but. Right, right, right. You talk about athletic administrators and their experience over the last twenty years, it's been, it's moving towards this model, right? It's moving towards that business aspect of it. And, you know, on top of that, like football, as you said, football and basketball pay the salaries. Right. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's just, it's going to be very eye opening and interesting to see where it is in ten years. Let's be real. So many, especially football, basketball, like you come there to play football and basketball. Like, let's be honest, like, and not to knock the importance of education because it's so important and I think guys should go back and get their degrees and everything else. But I also think that we've created this sort of environment, right? Where we're like, Hey man, don't worry about your classes. Just focus on ball. Everything's going to work itself out. Just focus on this. And then they leave, they get her and they have nothing to show for now. You know, I think it was always setting up athletes to fail our previous system. So now I think now they're having some equity in the whole process now and If they do blow out their knee, that they're set up to, you know, continue an actual career and maybe have a few dollars in the bank when that time is there, right? So it's shifting for the better, right, in their long-term prospects, so. Yeah, man, it's uh. We'll see. It upsets the ones who were benefiting before, but It's time for the actual athletes to get their due, you know, so. You just shared a pie, man. Exactly. I finally got a piece of the pie. Hey, it only took like a hundred years, you know, so. And I think I underestimated when July 1st, 2021 came around. I think I didn't even realize how big it was. You know, I covered that whole thing. I broke the story when Georgia, you know, I was at the state capitol when the, you know, Georgia actually put legislation to pay college athletes. And yeah, man, it's taken on a whole mind of its own, but in a good way. It's, it's good things. It's progressive. And I think it's, it's all for the better ultimately. So. I always want to wrap everything up as we're talking in a way that you can speak to some of our listeners that want to do the same thing that you're doing. They want to, you know, go to Valdosta State. They want to be born in Atlanta, Georgia. They want to have a great business reporting career. I would just say go after it. You know, I, when I speak to students, I tell them the same thing. Like, just start where you can. Like, start wherever you can. You're a college newspaper or you have a blog. I had a blog for a long time when I was eighteen You, you know, and nowadays with the technology, you can get on WordPress, like you can launch your own YouTube channel. Like you don't need any. And this goes back to our previous conversation of. You don't need to get that newspaper job necessarily to start. Like, you don't need that. Like, you can start right where you are and get going and get writing and, you know, covering the athletes that you want to and the sports that you want to. I would say full steam ahead. Obviously sports, a lot of people like sports, right? And it's competitive, but that shouldn't deter you. You know what I mean? I think a lot of us were former athletes, so we are competitive and we like the challenge, right? And like I said in the beginning of this, right, I've heard a hundred no's, right, so, and I also tell people don't get discouraged because, you know, just because you get some no's, you get some knockdown, you know, you brush yourself off, you stand up, and you keep going, you know, so, and I promise It is so much more fulfilling when you do have some success after you go through some of those bumps. So yeah, I would say, you know, get your writing chops up, get some video experience if you can, even some podcast experience and keep pushing on. What is a important for the folks that are, you know, let's say they're in a career already and they want a career switch or for the athlete that is about to stop playing. They're like, you know, how do I stay around the sport? No, that's a big one because the amount of athlete to end up like, hey, I've been doing this my whole life and You know, your body betrays you at any moment, right? It's, it's really a tough realization for a lot of athletes because you take your SEO, you get cut and then dang. All right. Now what do I do? Career's done. And is sports just so unique where your career ends at late 20s, right? It's like, it's, it's unlike the real world in a lot of ways. So for a lot of people, it puts them in a position of like, dang, what do I do now? Right? So, and the thing I tell athletes is like to tap into their network, right? I was just talking to a former NFL player this morning, like he's tapping into his college, right? And finding the network there and refigure out his own passions, right? And And for the pro athletes who are listening, I tell them all the time, you'll never have that exposure ever again, right? Like you need to go talk to the owners, right? The limited partners, go in the suites, the people who are watching the games, right? You know, Ndamukong Su, I love him, you know, and he's, he's one of those assets I think of who did that, right? Him and Warren Buffett, he's a Nebraska guy. Him and Warren Buffett created a relationship very early on. Still to this day, he talks to him, right? Like, I think the athletes who are thinking The smartest in long term realize that, you know, they call the NFL not for long for a reason and you got to take advantage of those relationships, right? Because there will be a day when You know, nobody gets to play forever. Even Tom Brady, you know, eventually had to hang him up, right? So, uh, you know, sports aren't forever. So we all have to figure out what's the next thing. So follow your passion. That would be my, um. Advice. Wise words. Eric, I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you. I appreciate your thoughts and sentiments today. And it's, it's going to be amazing to follow your career after this. But it won't be our last. Absolutely, man. Thank you for having me on, man. It's been a blast to be on here and talk a bit about myself and, and, and same to you, man, for sure. You have inspired me to, you know, maybe go back to school and get a PhD like yourself. So, uh, I'll, I'll follow up and maybe we could chat more about that. Absolutely. Always here to do so. So to the listeners, this is Dr. Albert Logan Jr. signing off here. Thank y'all for another episode. It's another time for you being in this journey with us. Um, and we will see y'all at the next episode. Y'all have a great day, morning, evening, whenever you're listening to this. Peace out. Thank you for joining today's class. If you learned from and liked what you heard, please leave a review, give the class five stars, or donate to our Patreon. A link can be found in the show notes.