06 10 25 CSU's director of athletics John Weber discusses colleges to pay athletes

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is Colorado's Morning News. It was a groundbreaking federal
ruling issued this past Friday. It's going to permanently ultra
college athletics. It now allows universities to directly pay student athletes.
That decision expected to significantly impact the University of Colorado
and Colorado State University. And joining me now in the
KA Commaspirit of Health hotline. It is the Colorado State
University Athletic Director. It's John Weber. John, thanks for coming

(00:22):
on with me this morning. This decision seems like it's
been in the works for a while from your purchase
an athletic director, what was your initial reaction?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
So this has been Marty. First of all, thank you
for having me on this morner. It's always great to
talk to you. This has been something that's been in
process for a while. You actually the last that we heard,
we thought it was going to come down from a
really perspective at the end of the month, and then,
you know, Friday night, I'm checking my phone and said, well,
let's it's time to go ahead and go So it

(00:51):
was it was a welcome ruling for Judge Welkin. I
think there's a lot of relief across all of college
athletics and it's time to get to work on new reality.
As you mentioned, it is absolutely a groundbreaking decision where
actually many of athletics leadership, collegiate athletic leadership is together
in Orlando right now, today, yesterday, and today, and it's

(01:16):
quite a time to be part of this industry.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Does this move Does this level the playing field at
all for universities that maybe aren't amongst the power five,
of which Colorado State looking to as sending back there
to get that money, versus schools that already are are
well healed. Does that level it at all? Or am
I conflating issues by this issue and that issue.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, it creates a new opportunity, I think is the
way that I would say it. You know, every institution
has a has a decision to make if they're going
to opt in or not, and to what degree that
they're going to opt in, So it'll be on an
institution by institution basis. It absolutely creates an opportunity for

(01:57):
those to compete that are focused on that, and we
are amongst that bunch.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Are you concerned at all that any of this is
another way of eroding the idea of the of the
student athlete and the academic riggers that it takes to
go to a college and institution like a Colorado State.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, I think that's a that's a fair initial reaction,
but you know when when you really look at the
way that collegiate athletics has evolved over over the years,
over the decades, it's a completely different model, that's a
completely different impact on the on the university than it
once was. And uh, you know this, this really gets

(02:33):
us into a position where there's probably much more of
a nod to the to athletics in terms of how
how important is to to each institution out there.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
You have a business background, so I'm curious if if
this the revenue piece of this is it is it equitable?
Is it equal? Is it fair? And that the revenue
generating sports, the basketballs and the footballs, are they going
to be on a similar footing or those athletes that
are are in track and field, and my reference to
sport like track and field beuse that's an elite sport
at Colorado State. They are elite athletes. They constantly win
and go to the NC Double as will they have

(03:05):
a chance to be rewarded at least at a similar
or same level as the athletes and the other programs.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Well, again, that's going to be something that's up to
every institution. You know, there is no clear guidance right
now from the NCAA, nor frankly do I expect it.
So that is going to be on an institution by
institution basis. And there are different sports at different institutions
that have different impacts on each of those institutions, So

(03:30):
you know, each institution is going to have to make
their own the seams.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Is that kind of why you're at the conference to
day to coalesce with other ads and say, how do
we come up with a framework? Because let's be honest,
and you know this, the nc DOUBLEA has really been
absentee on a lot of this and they have to
be dragged into this situation. So you really can't trust
them to have any framework or guidance with his can you.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, and in many respect it's probably not appropriate for
them to either. So yes, that is certainly a topic
of discussion. And here let me check my time. Here
in seven minutes, we've got a that's starting that is
going to you know, dive pretty deep into this for
the next hour and a half or so. I'm interested
to see the outcome of that of that meeting.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I know you need to catch that meeting. And I'll
ask you one final question. How soon I guess I
see July first, But is that realistic? D you get
it up and running or some sort of framework or
where this evolve over time to find what is if
you will best practice and the best way to go
about this.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Now, July first is when it gets implemented, and I
would you know, I can't speak for any other institution,
but we have been preparing this, preparing for this moment
for quite some time, and we've got tools and processes
and people in place to make sure that we're that
we're ready.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
To go exactly what I would expect from a top
tier research institution like the alma mater, Colorado State, Colorida
State Athletic Director John Webber, thank you so much for
your time.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Thank you, Martin