The Sponsorship Function in Collegiate Athletics: Discussing a Potential Outcome of the Jenkins v. NCAA Lawsuit

The Jenkins v. Nat'1 Collegiate Athletic Ass'n ("Jenkins") lawsuit is now at the forefront of the legal challenges that could forever alter the economic system of collegiate athletics. The Jenkins lawsuit claims that the NCAA and the five power conferences are violating antitrust laws by colluding in creating a system where all universities are restricted in only offering scholarships of equal value to players. The plaintiffs are seeking a ruling that will essentially create a system where there is competition in the recruitment and compensation of players. If a court ruling produces this open market system, universities will need additional financial resources to offer the requisite compensation packages to attract players.

Sponsors would appear to be willing to provide those resources because of the advantages of this promotional communication strategy. The purpose of this article is to analyze the potential role that sponsors will have in a free market, collegiate athletics economic system.