Innovate or Die

This article was originally published in the Makers of Sport Podcast newsletter which can be found here. It has been modified some for a public and broader audience’s comprehension.

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Technology plays a huge role in society today across many disciplines. Sports are no different of course. Athletes, coaches and teams have been using technological advances to increase performance since the beginning of athletic competition. From waffle soles (Nike) to the digital technologies and analytical data of today’s athlete, the industry is constantly innovating to find better, faster and stronger ways to win.

Brands like Nike, Under Armour and Adidas put heavy emphasis into the performance ability of their merchandise. And machines such as cryogenic chambers to surfaces (grasses & turfs) being used on playing fields are all part of the advantage teams are using to get a leg up on the competition.

Recently, the NCAA — that organization sports fans love to hate — published an article on their website that originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of their NCAA Champion Magazine that focused on technology in sports more from the digital angle. Within the article, the author discusses the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel which is made up of collegiate administrators and conference executives from NCAA Divisions I, II and III. This committee approves anything proposed by all of the sports’ rules committees.

While technological advances can be exciting to fans because of the world they open, the rules committees must take a sober look at their sports when discussing which innovations to embrace. Does it enhance safety of the athletes? If it is approved, will it create a competitive disadvantage? And would a rule addressing a particular technology even be enforceable? — Game Changers article from NCAA.com

We are all familiar with the NCAA’s inconsistent and sometimes heinous practices in enforcing their policies and rules violations, specifically in regards to fairness; but the subject matter of the aforementioned article is considering taking those practices to a new level that will truly put the NCAA behind the world of business in the modern era.

Digital technology is the one technology in the world of college sports that *does* level the playing field amongst colleges and divisions. One needn’t take a look at the University of Alabama’s football facilities or the University of Oregon’s new gridiron facilities to know that “fairness” is already not in play when it comes to the facilities side of sports. So why take a shot at the one area where anyone can participate?

Advances in cheap cloud computing, high-speed broadband and affordable devices allows anyone with an Internet connection to have a level playing field in regards to digital innovation. Sure, an Ohio State University or other large football school is going to have more money to play with in regards to experimenting with and purchasing tech products; but, colleges are ripe with hungry students willing to try their hand at the entrepreneurial landscape. Some schools even have programs that focus on entrepreneurship.

A place like Stanford University — which is in the Silicon Valley and is prime real estate in the U.S. for technology entrepreneurship and venture capital — may have the best of both worlds in Pac 12 money as well as entrepreneurial and technical talent. But, there are plenty of opportunities for athletic programs around the country to work and develop talent in-house. One look at the U.S. News & World Report’s most recent rankings for entrepreneurship data gives us proof that many schools which are not what one would consider elite athletic programs have entrepreneurial capabilities.

Most athletic departments run at a loss (although that isn’t really a true picture of the money flowing through college athletics as this most likely includes a little finagling in accounting so that they can take subsidies as public institutions), but there certainly is no lack of potential seed money flowing around, even at smaller schools.

For example, a couple of developers or designers with an idea and talent would kill for $50,000-$100,000 in seed money to get their idea off of the ground — which is basically one or two students’ tuitions. Seems as if an amount that small in the context of athletics could be used to invest in technology that may help drive the performance of an athletic program that can’t afford the bells and whistles. That money will go a long way for an entrepreneur with an idea, a will to work and a dream. Who knows, maybe they end up raising even more funding and become a big player in the market providing internship and career opportunities for student-athletes to better prepare them for life after sport.

Perhaps schools that don’t bring in the big-time Power 5 money should consider investing in and taking equity stakes in certain companies with potential developed in-market or in-house. Maybe even work with local the chamber of commerce, the state government, or the institution itself to provide grant money as research and development of new technology that solves problems specific to athletics.

With the College Football Playoff (formerly the BCS), big TV network deals, and the potential for (even if rumored) Power 5 schools to leave and form their own alliance sans-NCAA, the organization should really be focusing on innovation instead of stifling it.

Of course we will see what future holds, but my hope is that the NCAA wakes up in this era of ‘digital disruption’ and uses this as an opportunity to foster innovation and creativity, getting not only student-athletes involved but general student population and alumni as well.

And you…you should be thinking of ways to use your talent, knowledge and domain expertise to solve problems in the sport or area of your choice. Even if it begins as a side project. Let’s get out there and instead of just cheering for our favorite team and buying their merch, find a way to use our creative minds to innovate and provide an experience that can be directly tied to on-field/court performance or fan experience.