The Collapse of College Sports? NIL Chaos, Revenue Sharing Disaster & The Future of Athletics | The Right Idea

In this eye-opening episode of The Right Idea, host Brian Phillips and Chief of Policy Derek Cohen sit down with veteran college sports expert Michael Calabrese (New York Post, Action Network) to unpack the unprecedented mess in college athletics in 2026.

NIL deals are unraveling, schools are suing players to enforce multi-year contracts (see the explosive Darian Mensah-Duke-Miami saga), the House v. NCAA revenue-sharing model is straining budgets, most athletic departments are losing millions, and non-revenue/Olympic/women's sports face extinction. Is a super league or private equity takeover inevitable? Can pooling media rights or federal legislation (SCORE Act update) save the uniquely American institution of college sports?

Calabrese breaks down:

• Why NIL is NOT "schools paying players" — and why those contracts are almost impossible to enforce
• The Darien Mensah transfer lawsuit: what it means for retention & buyouts
• Revenue sharing reality: $20.5M cap isn't enough — even Texas lost $23M
• Transfer portal as unregulated free agency — solutions like residency requirements?
• The haves vs. have-nots: Power 4 dominance, Group of 6 as "AAA", high school recruiting collapse
• Private equity sharks circling + gambling revenue ties
• Why pooling media rights could unlock billions — and why conferences resist
• The dystopian future if nothing changes: dying programs, lost Olympic pipeline, reduced social mobility
• 
  

Timestamps:

0:00 – Cold Texas weather & snow day hot takes

3:16 – The crisis in college sports — NIL, revenue sharing, broke departments

5:35 – Guest intro: Michael Calabrese (NY Post, Action Network)

6:49 – What NIL actually is (and isn’t) — collectives, third-party money, no direct pay-for-play

8:59 – Darien Mensah-Duke-Miami case: multi-year NIL contracts, lawsuits, buyouts & precedent

14:00 – Can schools legally force players to stay? Contract loopholes exposed

18:00 – Fixing the transfer portal: residency rules, one free transfer, coach exit triggers?

24:07 – The $20–40M roster cost myth — boosters & collectives foot the bill

29:14 – Revenue sharing disaster: $20.5M cap too low, Title IX risks, foreign investment dangers

32:58 – Minor league / farm system comparison — short timelines kill loyalty

35:23 – Solution: New governing body + antitrust exemption + pooled media rights

47:11 – TV networks love the current discount — billions left on the table

51:41 – Gambling revenue, Saudi money, moral hazards if no fix

53:24 – Dystopia if nothing changes: organ donor programs, lost Olympic pipeline, middle-class mobility hit

59:04 – Federal legislation: SCORE Act status, executive orders, path forward