I love college sports.As a former college athlete, coach, broadcaster and someone who has spent a lifetime around tennis, I’ve seen firsthand how college athletics can transform lives.For generations, American universities have offered young people a remarkable bargain: earn an education, compete at a high level and develop the skills needed to succeed long after the games are over.That model has served America extraordinarily well.Today, however, it is worth asking a difficult question:RILEY GAINES: COLLEGE SPORTS IS BROKEN – HERE’S HOW TO FIX ITAnastasiia Lopata and Guillermina Grant of the Georgia Bulldogs compete in a doubles match against Daria Smetannikov and Lexington Reed of the Texas A&M Aggies during the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship held at the Hurd Tennis Center on May 18, 2025, in Waco, Texas.
(Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)Have universities begun prioritizing winning over developing students?The question extends far beyond tennis.In recent years, college athletics has undergone a dramatic transformation.The transfer portal, NIL money, conference realignment and growing financial pressures have created powerful incentives to pursue immediate success.
Coaches are increasingly rewarded for winning now, not developing athletes over time.COLLEGE SPORTS SEES PIVOTAL MOMENT AS SENATE LOOKS TO MOVE LEGISLATION ON NIL, TRANSFERS ACROSS GOAL LINEWhen immediate results become the priority, recruiting strategies change.The quickest path to victory is often to acquire older, more experienced athletes who can contribute immediately.That trend is particularly visible in sports like tennis.Current NCAA data shows that approximately 64% of men’s Division I tennis players and 61% of women’s players are international, the highest percentages of any sport.
In some conferences, the numbers are even more striking.But tennis is not the story.Tennis is the warning sign.The larger story is what these changes may mean for the ...