A Knight Commission survey of Division I administrators found broad pessimism: 60% of college leaders say big‑time athletics are headed in the wrong direction, with 75% warning a new revenue-sharing settlement will harm budgets and most predicting negative effects for women’s sports. Presidents and athletics directors flagged worries that athletic programs consume institutional funds and student fees, prompting questions about governance, conference realignment and federal intervention. Separately, BDO’s campus operations analysis found colleges are pursuing strategic partnerships, technology investment and operational consolidation to manage financial strain. Nearly half of campus leaders surveyed cited budget constraints as their top concern and indicated interest in public–private partnerships and mergers to stabilize finances. Together the studies underscore a sector balancing mission and margin: leaders must reconcile athletics’ revenue pressures with core academic investments and consider new organizational models to sustain student services and academic offerings.