GamePlanU

To refresh an iconic industry property… Those of you within my close network know that this seems to be the cycle of my career, either I have been on the launch side of a sport/property (NFL FLAG 90’s) or on the refresh side (Arena Football and Hoop it Up 3on3 Basketball) early 2000’s and most recent returning to my alma mater to raise money and upgrade 50 year old facilities. Both sides are extremely rewarding. Well I’ve been tasked with my next project, to refresh the iconic Walter Camp All American Teams, Media & Events. But this one is very special. It’s my hometown, growing up getting to attend the Annual Walter Camp Weekend at Yale in New Haven, CT as a High School and College Athlete was like going to the Oscars. To be invited with the football icons of the day in colllege and NFL was so special. Fast forward 65+ years and this project has deep meaning on many levels of anyone involved in not just football but college athletics. Why now? What most people don’t know about Walter Camp as a college student athlete in his junior at Yale that not only did he create American Football and fought for the next 20+ years to keep tweaking the rules to make it safer, training officials, authoring books on rules and coaching, promoting the sport as a ghost writer in NY newspapers and magazines, coaching several schools but he fought with the college presidents to keep them from not only banning football but all of college sports in general. And he won. Today what he is probably most known for is he created the very first college All American team to promote the sport nationally as it was mostly played in the Northeast and Canada back in the 1880’s. Camp was a student athlete innovator and an entrepreneur who single handily created, built and saved college athletics. He fought endlessly for the sport and to give student athletes a voice. He believed in what college sports stood for, what sports means to the universities, students, alums and most importly, how it shaped those that played and what he believed represented America. So 140+ years later and here we are again now faced with college sports again being disrupted, canceled, and fought over by lawyers, congress, presidents and donors. It’s has truly come full circle. But who saved it back then? A student athlete. This refresh is more than one sport, it’s about preserving the legacy of the man who stood and fought for college athletics and although it’s a mess right now, those that have played, coached and cheered, it matters. And so we begin to build the 2.0 programming around the 136th Walter Camp All American Team, Player of The Year activation and events for the 2025 season, it’s a clean slate to design new partnerships that will keep the legacy alive for the next 140+ years. DM me to explore and learn more.

The future of college athletics is poised for significant transformation, driven by several key trends and challenges: 1. Athlete Compensation: The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era will expand, empowering athletes to monetize their fame. This could evolve into a semi-professional model, with athletes potentially negotiating revenue-sharing agreements or salaries, blurring the line between amateur and professional sports. 2. Conference Realignment: Expect continued consolidation into "super-conferences," prioritizing media revenue and market reach. This may lead to a breakaway from the NCAA, forming a new governance structure focused on elite programs, potentially altering traditional rivalries and regional alignments. None Super Conference drops to D3 and Club Sports Programming 3. Legal and Structural Shifts: Ongoing lawsuits challenging the NCAA's amateurism model may force systemic changes, including recognition of athletes as employees. This could enable unionization, collective bargaining, and benefits like health insurance and workers' compensation. 4. Transfer Portal and Mobility: Increased athlete mobility, akin to free agency, will enhance player autonomy but challenge team stability. Schools might adapt by offering incentives for retention, reshaping recruitment strategies. 5. Health and Safety Innovations: Concerns over injuries, particularly in contact sports, will drive rule changes, improved protocols, and investment in safety tech. High-risk sports may see reduced participation or structural modifications. 6. Financial and Media Rigts: Growing revenue disparities between elite programs and smaller schools could create a bifurcated system, with top schools forming a separate tier. Media rights will shift toward streaming platforms, expanding reach but altering revenue models. 7. Gender Equity and Title IX: As NIL opportunities grow, ensuring equitable access for female athletes will be critical. Schools may need to balance support across genders to comply with Title IX, potentially leveraging NIL collectives to promote women's sports. This will challenge budgets and if the federal Government steps in to further complicate. 8. Academic Integration: Pressure to prioritize education may lead to reforms, such as guaranteed scholarships or academic bonuses. However, revenue sports will likely continue emphasizing athletic success, challenging the student-athlete ideal. Future: College athletics is transitioning toward a professionalized model, with athletes gaining greater rights and compensation, conferences evolving into media-driven entities, and the NCAA's role diminishing. Financial, legal, and social pressures will reshape the landscape, prompting debates over the balance between education, entertainment, and equity. The result may be a more stratified, commercially driven system that redefines college sports' role within academia and that is the oxymoron.

Connecticut, despite its size, has been a hub for significant impact to sports, media, and entertainment industries. Over the past 140+ years, innovators from this small but dynamic state have revolutionized the way we watch, play and engage with sports on a global scale. CTSportsInnovation Center

Fun Fact: Did you know that the rules of American Football were created in New Haven, CT? The legendary Yale Coach, Walter Camp created much more than the iconic Walt Camp All American College Football Team, he created the offical rules and saved the sport of America Football as we know it today. It’s not just about the pizza in New Haven, it’s the official birthplace of American Football in 1880. CTSport Innovations Learn more https://lnkd.in/eFV-diUZ

I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Willett several years ago when he founded WalkOn Nation. Despite the challenges posed by Covid and beyond, many would have given up, but Michael persevered, staying true to his vision of empowering student athletes with a comprehensive approach to self-identity, brand value, and impact beyond the field. Thanks to his resilience and unwavering determination, Michael has positively influenced thousands of student athletes, instilling in them the Walk On mentality of seeing things through and overcoming obstacles in both life and sports. Today, we are excited to announce our collaboration to expand our reach to millions of high school and college athletes, guiding them through crucial career discovery and development milestones. Join us and learn more at https://www.gameplanu.org/

We are evolving.. GamePlanU360 is a network of accelerators, educators, innovators and athletes who are impacting how we watch, participate, consume and work in sports. Learn More…https://www.gameplanu.org/

Raise your hand. Your path as an athlete molds you into a pillar of the community, a figure in your family, and a leader in business. Displaying gratitude distinguishes you, highlighting the interpersonal skills honed during your collegiate athletic journey. Embrace the chance to show appreciation to those who lift you up so don’t be afraid to raise your hand. ?? #Gratitude #AthleteLeadership

You can teach someone how to start a business as a startup founder, but the title of entrepreneur is earned and the success rate is about 10%. The critical traits needed to earn the title are not taught. But being a current or former college athlete has the same traits and your percentages of success goes up. Comparatively, the success rate going from high school athlete to college athlete are roughly 5% Success rate. Entrepreneurship is the new Internship and those traits are all transferable. A coach nor a professor has a playbook or exam to teach you determination, persistence and courage. I’ll bet on college athletes beating the odds to earn the title of entrepreneur all day.

Through every major life and career pivots, startups and the start-overs, she has been at my side cheering, coaching, supporting and holding me accountable. But always with a reaffirming “You got this Rob”. As I make the turn teeing off on the back nine, transitioning from my alma mater back into GamePlanU Studios which has brought us many fun projects, podcasts, founders and events that are impacting sports innovation and new ways to watch, participate and consume sports. The best part, is we get to choose working with people and projects we enjoy, and at this point in life, that matters most. She is also quick to add… “Don’t screw it up” Cheers to the next round….FORE!!!

This is Harold “Pat” Dugan, my grandfather. In the late 1930’s before him and his teammates left for the uncertainty of returning from World War II, he was captain of his High School Football Team in West Haven, CT. A sport that meant the world to him and he knew it was the foundation for the rest of his life. A sport that was started less then 50 years earlier a few miles away from our hometown. This group of tough young men were raised, coached and disciplined by teachers, coaches and nuns that were born in the late 1800/early 1900’s. They were tough, gritty people who were living through the Great Depression and upheaval in the world. They were tough people. They lived in a part of the country that was a central hub of the industrial revolution in New Haven and the Connecticut River Valley. They made the guns, uniforms, boots, hats, etc for the military. And that took everyone to work in the factories and mills including women and pre teens. They were tough people who fought, prayed and worked for the war. Built between 1913-1914 the Yale Bowl is the original and first fully enclosed football stadium in the United States. Years later he would say The highlight of his life was playing on Thanksgiving at the Yale Bowl in front of 50,000+ in High School. What a time to be alive, playing High School Football in the first football stadium in the birthplace of what we know American Football to be today in front of that many fans at the very beginning of World War II. They were a tough amazing generation at a pivot and scary time in the world. But there was one thing in my grandfather and is teammates life that connected them for 60+ years after when they would meet Saturdays for breakfast back in their hometown, and it wasn’t the war, it wasn’t their careers…it was the bond they formed playing all those years ago playing High School Football together. They told the same stories using the nicknames that stuck a lifetime later which seem to go too fast regardless of the troubles or happiness they shared together. As my grandfather said at the end of his life “where did the time go, it went by so fast” They were tough people. Happy New Year, have courage, it all goes by too fast. ——————————————————- Explore more https://lnkd.in/eFV-diUZ