Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Biggest Question in College Sports Presented by The Wasserman Foundation

The college sports landscape has become a high-stakes marketplace. With NIL money, transfer freedom, and professional contracts all on the table, today’s athletes are navigating complex decisions that blend loyalty, brand, and long-term career value. This panel will explore how NIL is reshaping the athlete experience, from agents entering the fold to players weighing whether to stay, transfer, or go pro, and what it means for teams trying to keep rosters together in this new era.

This panel builds on last year’s SSAC conversation around the emergence of GM-style roles in college athletics by shifting the focus to the athletes themselves. As NIL ecosystems mature, the next frontier is understanding how players and the agents and advisors around them are navigating a dynamic landscape of brand deals, transfer decisions, and early professional opportunities. It brings new perspectives to the table in a rapidly evolving space that no one can quite figure out yet.