Mar 05 2025 63 mins 1
In an hour-long conversation covering a wide variety of hot topics in SDSU, Summit League, and big-picture college athletics, 17th-year athletics director Justin Sell informs and opines about where things sit.
As the Summit League men's and women's basketball tournaments tip off in Sioux Falls, Sell discusses how the SDSU women have ascended status a consistent Top 50 national Div. I program (out of over 350), and how the conference tournament is somewhat of a Jackrabbit Jamboree — both in the high percentage SDSU fans that make up the crowds (and therefore revenue for the conference) and in SDSU's performance. The Jackrabbit women have won 11 of the 16 tourneys there, while the Jacks men have captured seven of 16 titles.
How much of that success is the virtual home court advantage, how can it sometimes actually work against the Jacks, and how does Sell respond to some of the league's leaders (presidents and A.D.'s at other schools) who (privately) take issue that advantage — a topic that coincides with the conference's recent announcement that it might start re-distributing long-time all-session ticket holders (many of whom are SDSU fans) to make way for fans from other schools?
Meanwhile, why is SDSU deciding to not "opt-in" on sharing revenue with student athletes should the "House vs NCAA" settlement be approved, which is expected? (Would SDSU decide to opt-in, that revenue sharing would begin on July 1. Per the settlement, the pool of revenue to be shared per school is expected to be at least $20 million).
Is SDSU considering an eventual move from the FCS to the FBS, and what would it take for that to happen? How might the college football landscape shift dramatically in the next five years to where it might not even matter what move they would make?
What is the latest on the NIL "collective" that can pay (and entice) student-athletes at SDSU? How does the athletic department its emphasis on making sure that is strong versus providing the "traditional" resources to bring and keep the highest-level-possible athletes to Jackrabbit teams?
Finally, what are Sell's early observations of the Dan Jackson era for SDSU football, and what has Eric Henderson done to build and keep the SDSU men's basketball program among the best in the Summit League for the last six years?
