1.question Podcast

@1QLeadership Question: How are athletic departments incorporating pro sports operating principles while protecting their school's institutional mission? Ed Kull, VP & Director of Athletics at Saint John's University, discusses how the athletics department is adapting to a rapidly changing, more professionalized era of college sports, especially men's basketball. He talks about using a revenue-first, startup-style approach and how that model intersects with mission, academics, and student‑athlete welfare. - Kull describes leading the department like a **startup**, emphasizing three parallel revenue streams: annual fund, capital projects, and new revenue-sharing obligations tied to the professionalization of college sports. He highlights resource constraints (small staff, no football, limited facilities) and how creativity in licensing, sponsorships, and partnerships is helping the department stay competitive. - The conversation also explores how Kull's corporate and pro sports background (Coca-Cola, Vita

@1QLeadership Question: How can university presidents creatively lead conference realignment while protecting academic priorities and strengthening institutional and league stability for the long term? Dr. John R. Porter of Lindenwood University, and Dr. Yancy Freeman of University of Tennessee Martin, explore how university presidents balance athletics and academics. The two CEO's discuss leading through conference realignment challenges in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They also cover using creative, business-minded strategy to stabilize and grow their respective institutions. Presidents' role in athletics The guests explain that athletics is often the most visible and attention grabbing part of a university, driving applications, enrollment, school pride, donations, and media exposure, which forces presidents to devote significant time and strategic focus to sports. They emphasize that athletics must enhance the academic mission, not overshadow it, so they deliberately balance funding and messaging bet

@1QLeadership Question: How can leaders in college sports build innovative, business-savvy organizations that still protect and prioritize the long-term wellbeing and development of student-athletes?   Gary Stokan, retiring President and CEO of the Peach Bowl, reflects on his 47-year career in sports and how coaching principles shaped his leadership in college football. He shares his core frameworks—TEAM (teamwork, empowerment, accountability, management), CARE (customer, attitude, relationships, excellence), and ROCKS (relationships, opportunities, competitiveness, knowledge, strategy)—as simple guides for building people-first, business-smart organizations.   Stokan and 1Q guest host, Steph Garcia Cichosz also unpack his role in growing the Peach Bowl, bringing the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, and navigating today's changing landscape of NIL, the transfer portal, and playoff expansion. Throughout the episode, he stresses keeping student-athletes' long-term wellbeing at the center while maintain

@1QLeadership Question: What exactly is the problem in college athletics? Sean Frazier, VP of Athletics and Recreation at NIU, discusses how and why the Huskies is restructured its conference affiliations, and also explores how new financial models can help sustain athletics without burdening the institution.   Frazier explains NIU's strategy to "decouple" football from its traditional all-sports conference, moving football to the Mountain West, Olympic sports to the Horizon League, and wrestling to the Pac-12 to reduce travel costs, increase media revenue, and better align regionally while maintaining academic and athletic standards   He describes the financial and strategic logic behind this model, including regional scheduling savings, expanded media markets, and using new conference affiliations to enhance both the university's athletic profile and potential academic and research partnerships   The discussion also explores private capital and private equity in college sports, distinguishing capital

How do you become indispensable to your athletics department and athletics director?    Charity Anderson, Assistant AD for Scholar-Athlete Success at UC San Diego, joins 1Q's Steph Garcia Cichosz to offer insight into this question after serving for five years as an Executive Assistant to then-Tritons AD Earl Edwards. Anderson discusses the impact of collaboration and how she remains compassionately curious while staying rooted in her core values.   00:00 - Introduction   01:24 - You've been with the Titans for six years, including five years as executive assistant to the great Earl Edwards. You have a background in sports psychology and you have experience working directly with athletes, including as a SAAC advisor. Walk us through your journey to San Diego.   03:52 - You said you had aspirations to be a sports psychologist - where did that come from?   06:57 - So in the ecosystem of athletics, you wanted to support the holistic, whole person side of an athlete - rather than serve as a coach

@1QLeadership Question: What role do external partnerships, internal collaboration, and campus engagement play in growing the athletics program’s visibility, revenue, and fan base? From the 2024 PacNet Conference, Phil Wang, Sr. Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at UC Irvine, talks about his almost 20 years at UCI. His transition from finance to external affairs, and how the department is maximizing automation and innovation with Learfield and Paciolan.  Wang also covers collaboration with campus, the value of athletics within the university and broader community, and how the department operates with resources that could be considered limited in the context of the athletics industr. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can student-athlete development programs be effectively built and measured within collegiate athletics? Dr. Marissa Nichols, Sr. Associate AD for Student-Athlete Experience and Director of the Cameron Institute at Cal, shares her approach to creating measurable student-athlete development initiatives—from conducting needs assessments and aligning with institutional strategic goals to setting clear metrics for measuring program outcomes like career placement, mental well-being, and alumni engagement. She also talks about the three skill sets she brings as a college athletics executive: Program building  Engaging stakeholder to get resources Measuring outcomes Nichols, a future TEDx speaker, believes the direction of college athletics should be refocused on the student-athlete experience. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadershp Question: What are some useful elements of cultivation for fundraising in college athletics? Mimi Hill, Sr. Associate Athletics Director at Hampton University, talks with 1Q guest host Jazmin Elliott about Hill's journey working in college athletics advancement.  connect and listen to donors personalize your engagement cultivate each interaction Hill gives a few personal stories involving failure, success, mentorship and much more. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can an internship directly impact your early years as a young professional? Brandon Fisher, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development at UNT, and Colby Wilson, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development at Pitt, discuss the mindset and competencies they learned during the NCAA Post Graduate Internship Program, and now apply during their first full-time job as young professionals.  Fisher - Understand how your supervisor operates Wilson - Advocate for yourself When asked where they see themselves in the future. Fisher wants to merge his passion for sport with his passion for leading people, while Wilson is driven by the impact of developing talent. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: What role does leadership play in shaping feelings of inclusion (or exclusion) among Black women in college athletics administration? Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, Head Volleyball Coach at Augustana University, discusses her dissertation research outcomes after interviewing multiple Black women from all divisions of college athletics. One of the key findings is that the default for leadership is to be exclusionary, meaning helping people feel included is not automatic. There were no inclusionary moments that didn't have direct involvement with supervisors Inclusive leadership is an active process Dr. Jacobs also talked about her fundraising process at Augustana, which supports 75% of her annual budget for the volleyball program. She has raised roughly $1 million over the past few years. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can college athletics departments best support student-athletes in navigating the transition out of competitive sports, particularly in addressing the challenges of athlete identity and life after sports?   Caitlin Broadwell, Athletics Case Manager at Long Beach State, discusses the curriculum used in a class for senior student-athletes on campus. The semester long class focuses on values, developing community, find hobbies away from sports, and other foundation building aspects that help athletes feel better prepared for retiring from competition and the inevitable "Athlete Identity Syndrome" that comes with retirement.    Broadwell, on her way to becoming a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, developed the curriculum used in the semester-long class for senior student-athletes. She was a multi-school and multi-sport transfer, finishing her career as a beach volleyball player at LSU. With experience from playing, research, and practical knowledge, Broadwell brings passion and

@1QLeadership Question: Are athlete injuries predictable? Henry Abbott, Founder of TrueHoop, discusses his new book "Ballistic" which follows the story of Dr. Marcus Elliott and the Peak Performance Project (P3). Abbott talks about how Dr. Elliott's research is being used by NBA athletes to prevent injury. Similar to the way biomarkers are used to inform of possible cardiac emergencies, P3 has developed a way to process data about body movement that can detect an impending athlete injury.  Abbott also goes into the importance of storytelling and its impact on the world of sports. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Is there a success blueprint for leadership in college athletics? Dr. Jacqui Schuman, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at UMASS-Boston, asks Anthony Azama, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics at WashU, about his blueprint for success as a leader in college athletics. Azama describes his view on college athletics and its benefits to all involved.  Passion does not run on fumes the way purpose does College athletics teaches people how to respond to failure better than anybody else on a college campus Both Schuman and Azama were student-athletes at Vanderbilt before starting their respective journeys in college athletics administration. They reflect on their experiences and how they have shaped some of their current thoughts on leadership. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: What goes into an effective graduate sport administration program? Dr. Patty Raube Keller, Sports Administration Graduate Program Director at Boston College, discusses how her background and experiences shaped her approach to building the sports administration program. After working in college athletics, she transitioned to academia to be more present for her daughter. Her doctoral focus was on the marginalization of women in college athletics. Raube Keller focuses on practical education as all classes in the program are taught by practitioners who work in sports. The program has a heavy emphasis on technical skills and soft skills as alumni work in all areas of sport. She also talks about the new graduate program in sports analytics. – One Question Leadership Podcst – Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Can work-life integration be a necessity when considering future employers? Yulander Wells, Jr. , Deputy Athletics Director for Finance, Operations, Revenue & Business Strategy at Notre Dame shares how family has been an integral part of his career in college athletics. He also covers how his business background informs his leadership style, especially given Notre Dame's non-traditional approach to athletics. Wells emphasizes the importance of integrating family into his professional life and modeling this approach for younger staff members.  – One Question Leadership Podcast – Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How do you integrate a leadership philosophy that emphasizes collaboration and informed decision-making within an athletics department? Dr. Jackie Shuman, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics and Recreation at UMass Boston, discussing her leadership philosophy and approach to decision-making within college athletics.  Gather as much insight as possible from stakeholders who have the most to gain or lose from a decision  Consider the timing and level of impact of decision Regularly reassess the department's organization, processes, and priorities  Conduct executive leadership retreats to evaluate progress, restructure meetings, and adapt to changes in the college athletics landscape Dr. Schuman emphasizes collaborative leadership, stakeholder engagement, and prioritizes safety when making decisions as a leader on campus. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Podcast: What happens when someone who always wanted to be in the background assumes the leadership position? This conversation initially took place on AthleticDirectorU.com. Deana Barnes, President at Paciolan, shares insight into her collective leadership strategy and how her longevity with the organization provides her with perspective. The conversation took place after Barnes had been in the position for roughly a year. She talks about vulnerability of leadership, and feeling better suited in the No. 2 position. She also talks about being a former point guard and how it translates in her leadership style. – One Question Leadership Podcast – Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Can someone who dropped out of high school excel in college athletics administration? Randale Richmond, VP and Director of Athletics at Kent State, and Dr. Ron Moses, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director at Old Dominion talk about culture, athlete identity, and leadership.  Ron Moses discusses his journey to college athletics, including dropping out of high school, enlisting in the military, and starting his career in football Randale Richmond discusses his decision to hire Ron Moses at ODU, emphasizing Moses' unique ability to cultivate and elevate the student-athlete experience Both Richmond and Moses discuss their involvement in programs that address the challenges athletes face when transitioning out of sports - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How does a Vice President of Student Affairs develop a philosophy on college athletics? Sarah Comstock, VP for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at University of Puget Sound, discusses how she developed her philosophy on athletics after the department was recently reassigned to report to her. She talks about her input in creating a profile for hiring a new director of athletics. Comstock also gives insight into the importance of the position and how athletics fits into the mission of the university. Student-Athletes make up 33% of students on campus Rewriting Student Affairs strategic plan to include the student-athlete experience Comstock talks about studying other schools and figuring out what works best for Puget Sound in terms of leadership for the department. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown  

@1QLeadership Question: How much does an athletics director think about succession planning? Alex Ricker-Gilbert, Senior Vice President and Athletics Director at Jacksonville University, discusses hiring coaches and succession planning with Lamarr Pottinger, Director of Leadership Development with NCAA. Ricker-Gilbert has a process of identifying assistant coaches that could potentially be head coaches in the future and engaging with them regularly. He also talks about being aggressive with head coaches who show early signs of success, such as extending one Jacksonville head coach to a 10-year contract after his first year. "Will this person care more about our student-athletes as people than as athletes?" "Tell us why you want to be at our institution" "If you do a good job hiring, the rest of the leader's job is much easier." Ricker-Gilbert believes upward mobility at Jacksonville is the department's competitive advantage. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown