Rising stakes in college sports—name, image and likeness deals, transfer‑portal movement and signing bonuses—are increasing mental‑health pressures on student‑athletes while athletic departments remain thinly resourced. An opinion piece cites NCAA and sector data showing fewer than 26% of athletic departments have mental‑health practitioners on staff, and warns suicide rates among student‑athletes have risen over two decades. Athletic directors, medical staff and campus counseling centers face choices about staffing models, telehealth partnerships and mandatory mental‑health programming as institutions balance competitive demands with duty‑of‑care obligations. The issue raises governance and budget priorities for university presidents and boards overseeing athletics spending and student‑wellbeing policy.