Why More College Sports Programs Are Hiring GMs
I recently read ESPN’s article, Inside the New Gold Rush: How the GM Role Is Taking Over College Football, which does a great job outlining the rise of General Managers in college football - why the role has become so valuable and where it’s likely headed.
It’s a trend that isn’t stopping with football. We’ve already seen several men’s and women’s basketball programs hire GMs, and a few college baseball teams have done the same. I expect many more to follow. This shift isn’t just a title change - it’s a necessary evolution in how college sports operate.
College Sports Are Becoming More Like Pro Sports
With shifting regulations - NIL, the transfer portal, and looming roster limits - college athletics now mirror professional sports more closely than ever. But the fundamental challenge for any program isn’t simply to win games or generate revenue. It’s to maximize available resources to win. Meeting that challenge demands professional-grade structure and strategy.
In pro sports, responsibilities are typically divided into two primary areas:
Business operations, focused on revenue generation (ticketing, marketing, sponsorship, etc.)
Sports operations, focused on winning (player personnel, coaching, analytics, etc.)
But effective sports operations groups aren’t just spending to win - they’re focused on spending efficiently. Their goal is to get more wins at a lower cost by making smarter decisions, maximizing each player’s value, and building systems that consistently deliver results.
The Same Structure Now Applies to College Athletics
College athletic departments face a similar setup. They operate with university support (their version of an ownership group), while managing both business and sports operations across a wide range of teams.
In sports operations, it’s no longer realistic to expect traditional coaching staffs to handle every aspect of team building - especially in football, basketball, or baseball. Today’s coaches are expected to:
Evaluate players at scale
Navigate the transfer portal
Negotiate NIL deals
Develop players
Integrate new technologies
Strategize to win games
That’s simply too much to do well without specialized support. And it certainly doesn’t allow for the kind of efficiency needed to win more with less.
Why the GM Role Is Essential
This is where the GM becomes critical. General Managers are responsible for:
Building systems to evaluate thousands of potential players quickly and accurately
Managing roster construction, including scholarships, NIL budgets, and eligibility timelines
Negotiating contracts with agents or players
Integrating technology into player development and performance processes
Take an example I shared in a previous post: a coach negotiates a contract with a player one day, then has to coach him in practice the next. That dynamic isn’t sustainable. It puts both the player and coach in a difficult spot. As responsibilities grow, the staff must grow too - and someone needs to lead that growth strategically. That’s the GM.
This Isn’t Just for the Big Money Sports
Even in non-revenue sports - where financial investment may be lower - the need for optimized decision-making around roster construction, development, and resource allocation remains. Having someone dedicated full-time to maximizing those areas can create a real competitive edge.
And there’s a measurable return on that investment. In Major League Baseball, front offices have expanded dramatically over the last 15 years. Even small-market teams with limited payrolls invest heavily in analytics, development, and infrastructure because the margins are so high. One better-informed decision can change the trajectory of a team.
The same logic applies in college sports: smart decisions create real value.
Leadership Is the Key
Leadership is central to this transition. Forward-thinking leaders recognize that the landscape has changed. The best don’t just react to change - they anticipate it and build systems that allow their programs to thrive in it. That means empowering people with the tools, authority, and responsibility to succeed.
This isn’t about replacing traditional coaching, it’s about enabling it.
By investing in personnel and processes, just like pro teams do, college programs can relieve pressure on coaching staffs and make smarter, faster, more informed decisions. The schools that embrace this model now will be the ones that succeed in the years ahead.
The GM era in college sports is here. And it’s just getting started.