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Listen "A Blueprint to Save College Athletics: Add More Athletes"
Episode Synopsis
College sports are changing… fast. IMG Academy CEO Brent Richard and Drew Weatherford (Weatherford Capital co-founder, former FSU QB, FSU Board of Trustees) join Adam at IMG Academy to lay out a simple, bold solution: Add More Athletes. Instead of cutting “non-revenue” sports, expand roster spots and create JV/“varsity-lite” teams—an on-campus farm system that develops talent, reduces portal chaos, and adds revenue.
We dive into the House settlement, NIL, the SCORE Act, Title IX implications, tuition economics (why “non-revenue” is a broken label), and a 2035 vision where football may operate outside the NCAA while the rest of college athletics becomes more local, developmental, and educational. If you care about athletes, coaches, or college campuses thriving, this conversation is the blueprint.
PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp
For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]
SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1
FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:
INSTAGRAM | https://shorturl.at/d9IdQ
X | https://x.com/NextUpWithAdam
TIKTOK | https://shorturl.at/qasuc
SPOTIFY | https://shorturl.at/5ZdaK
APPLE PODCASTS | https://shorturl.at/mW49D
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
3:24 - When Brent knew there needed to be a change in college sports
4:56 - Drew’s perspective on the new era of college sports
7:45 - Brent Richard’s background and career path
11:05 - Drew Weatherford’s background and career path
13:33 - Advice to student-athletes that are interested in entrepreneurship
15:43 - Financial literacy at IMG Academy
17:46 - Bren’t favorite moment as CEO at IMG Academy
22:11 - Making the transition from high school to college easier
23:18 - Drew and his company investing on youth sports
26:05 - Add More Athletes initiative
30:30 - Implementing Add More Athletes at universities
39:45 - Add More Athletes makes the Transfer Portal less chaotic
45:38 - Olympic sports in college
51:50 - Conversations with administrators about Add More Athletes
53:20 - Implementing Add More Athletes legislation
57:00 - Dealing with big change in college sports
1:05:07 - Who needs to support Add More Athletes
1:07:52 - General public being in support of Add More Athletes
1:08:44 - Most pivotal moment of Drew’s career
1:12:36 - Brent on Overcoming Adversity
1:19:15 - Teaching belief in yourself at IMG
1:20:45 - Advice to younger Brent and Drew
On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.
Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports.
Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.
We dive into the House settlement, NIL, the SCORE Act, Title IX implications, tuition economics (why “non-revenue” is a broken label), and a 2035 vision where football may operate outside the NCAA while the rest of college athletics becomes more local, developmental, and educational. If you care about athletes, coaches, or college campuses thriving, this conversation is the blueprint.
PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp
For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]
SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1
FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:
INSTAGRAM | https://shorturl.at/d9IdQ
X | https://x.com/NextUpWithAdam
TIKTOK | https://shorturl.at/qasuc
SPOTIFY | https://shorturl.at/5ZdaK
APPLE PODCASTS | https://shorturl.at/mW49D
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
3:24 - When Brent knew there needed to be a change in college sports
4:56 - Drew’s perspective on the new era of college sports
7:45 - Brent Richard’s background and career path
11:05 - Drew Weatherford’s background and career path
13:33 - Advice to student-athletes that are interested in entrepreneurship
15:43 - Financial literacy at IMG Academy
17:46 - Bren’t favorite moment as CEO at IMG Academy
22:11 - Making the transition from high school to college easier
23:18 - Drew and his company investing on youth sports
26:05 - Add More Athletes initiative
30:30 - Implementing Add More Athletes at universities
39:45 - Add More Athletes makes the Transfer Portal less chaotic
45:38 - Olympic sports in college
51:50 - Conversations with administrators about Add More Athletes
53:20 - Implementing Add More Athletes legislation
57:00 - Dealing with big change in college sports
1:05:07 - Who needs to support Add More Athletes
1:07:52 - General public being in support of Add More Athletes
1:08:44 - Most pivotal moment of Drew’s career
1:12:36 - Brent on Overcoming Adversity
1:19:15 - Teaching belief in yourself at IMG
1:20:45 - Advice to younger Brent and Drew
On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.
Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports.
Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.
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