Texas Tech's billionaire donor goes off on why college sports are broken

Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell says college athletics is at a breaking point.

The prominent Texas Tech donor took to social media on Thursday to argue that the current model is unsustainable and threatens opportunities for thousands of athletes nationwide.

“College Sports are broken, and those who first made the mess and profit handsomely from the status quo do not want to fix it,” Campbell wrote. “Without meaningful change, opportunities for thousands and thousands of talented student athletes will disappear and women’s and Olympics sports programs will be canceled.”

Campbell explained his position and what he described as a “disjointed and disorganized revenue generation system” as the root cause of mounting financial strain. He referenced reported deficits within the Big Ten and SEC, alleging that even the wealthiest leagues are grappling with unsustainable debt while publicly defending the current structure.

College Sports are broken, and those who first made the mess and profit handsomely from the status quo do not want to fix it. Without meaningful change, opportunities for thousands and thousands of talented student athletes will disappear and women’s and Olympics sports programs…

“Our primary objective is to provide athletic programs, both big and small, the tools they need to achieve financial sustainability and preserve all of their programs, scholarships, and roster spots,” Campbell wrote. He added that reform efforts align with Donald Trump's “Saving College Sports” executive order issued last summer.

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Campbell’s proposal seeks to amend the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to allow conferences, specifically at the FBS level to pool media rights in a centralized model similar to the NFL and NBA. His Saving College Sports plan would also establish a new independent governing body to oversee revenue distribution and protect women’s and Olympic sports.

The push has drawn sharp opposition from the Big Ten and SEC. According to a joint eight-page memo distributed to lawmakers and obtained by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger and The Athletic’s Ralph Russo, the conferences labeled the proposal “well-intentioned but misguided.”

Titled “Preserving Autonomy and Stability in College Sports: Why Media Rights Pooling and SBA Reform are Misguided,” the memo argues that centralized pooling could harm cross-conference scheduling and diminish traditional rivalries. It also contends that market forces not government mandates should drive media rights value.

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The leagues further cited the failed College Football Association experiment in 1984, when pooled football rights reportedly generated less revenue than conference-level deals. However, Campbell maintains change is necessary.

“Change is difficult,” he added. “My sincere hope is that, instead of throwing up roadblocks to our congressional momentum, we can work together on solutions that put the student athletes first and preserve the viability of the great American institution of college sports.”

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