SBJ College: The future of sports betting

Mike Leach brought innovation, personality and humor to college football.

College sports has to make decisions on its future with sports betting. SBJ College: The future of sports gambling was the most important session at the Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

There are 31 states that have legalized gambling and five more are poised to do so. IMG Arena Senior Director of Sales Brian Clayton explains the benefits of sports betting. Learfield exec VP Solly Fulp says 50 of the company's 180 multimedia rights clients have cleared the sports gambling category so Learfields can pursue a sports wagering operator.

Embrace it. Work with operators to define it and provide value and transparency to the books.

In sports betting, information is power. Different schools have different policies about releasing player injuries. Some hide the information behind student athlete privacy laws. Holt says the solution is to make available vs. unavailable information irrelevant.

Army-Navy's double overtime game on CBS drew 8.1 million viewers. The game was overshadowed by the FIFA World Cup match. CBS's broadcast in 2021 will draw 8 million more viewers than this year's. Alabama missed the CFP this season. Ohio State and LSU had three games in the top 15 most-watched CFB telecasts this term.

Mike Leach died. He was a great coach and a unique figure in the college football industry. His legacy will live on. He had a law degree but never practiced it. Tulane is going to a New Year's Day bowl for the first time since 1940. The Heisman Trophy ceremony drew the lowest audience yet in its traditional window. USC's win over Caleb Williams drew 1.65 million viewers. There is pent-up demand for a celebration among alumni and fans. It's a sad day in college sports. Mike Leaches was an innovative football mind. Gus Malzahn, John Cohen, and Mack Brown are fond of him.

ESPN drew 1.65 million viewers for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Tulane is going to a New Year's Day bowl for the first time since 1940. AD Troy Dannen talked about the importance of moving out of the Superdome and the expansion of CFP.