Reflecting on How Sports Business Has Transformed with Wharton Professor Ken Shropshire

Sports business has changed dramatically, from the rise of NIL in college athletics to soaring franchise valuations and growing private equity investment. What does that mean for athletes, investors, and the next generation of sports business leaders?

In the latest conversation in our "What I've Learned" series, Wharton dean Erika James sits down with sports business expert and longtime Wharton professor Kenneth L. Shropshire to explore the forces transforming the sports industry.

Shropshire discusses how name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights are reshaping college sports, the persistent questions about race and access to positions of power in sports, the extraordinary rise in professional team valuations, and why investors and private equity firms increasingly view sports as an asset class.

Drawing on decades of research, teaching, and work across the sports industry, Shropshire also shares advice for students interested in sports management and reflects on what leaders like Bill Walsh and Dusty Baker taught him about bringing out the best in people.

00:08 - Shropshire’s path from Stanford football to sports law 05:50 - How teaching became a career 08:01 - How college sports have transformed, including by NIL 13:33 - Race, ownership, and power in sports 18:10 - Why sports has become such an investment opportunity 23:25 - Leadership lessons from Bill Walsh and Dusty Baker 25:42 - The importance of mentorship and personal connection

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