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How the Sports Industry Is Rethinking Its Talent Pipeline with Scott Rosner

Next League Episode 58

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0:00 | 39:59

Scott Rosner collected hundreds of rejection letters he got trying to break into sports. And it shaped exactly how he thinks about the candidates knocking on Columbia's door today.

Private capital has rewritten ownership, NIL and conference realignment have blown up college athletics, and AI is changing how every function operates. The curriculum can't look the same as it did ten years ago.

As Program Director of the Sports Management program, Scott believes the industry needs people who can think across disciplines, absorb disruption, and figure things out when there's no playbook. His graduates are stepping into roles across agencies, media, and betting — often inside organizations navigating that complexity in real time.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • How Columbia structures a 40+ adjunct faculty model to deliver practitioner-led instruction at scale
  • Why career outcomes are increasingly skewing toward agencies, media, and betting over ticket sales
  • What Columbia’s 60-second video essay reveals about candidate decision-making under pressure
  • What curriculum changes are required to keep up with AI adoption and disruption in college athletics
  • How Columbia evaluates grit, failure response, and long-term potential in admissions decisions


Resources and Links:

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

Connect with Scott Rosner on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.