New Episode of BBOC: Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris

New Episode of BBOC: Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris

On the latest episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus, a college sports podcast powered by Playfly Sports and sponsored by Short’s Sports Travel Logistics, JohnWallStreet Founder Corey Leff and Playfly Sports Chairman Michael Schreiber sit down with Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris.

In this 40-minute conversation, we touch on:

Structural Strength in a Volatile Era

By maintaining a financial aid–only model and opting out of revenue-sharing frameworks, Ivy League athletic departments have been able to avoid the expense escalation plaguing other college sports conferences.

“We’re the best equipped league to survive this incredible time of uncertainty and potentially existential change because we know who we are, we have a common philosophy and approach, we understand where athletics fits in the overall student experience, and we provide something special [in terms of a combination of athletics and elite academics] that athletes, students, and their families will continue to choose,” Harris said. 

The Ivy’s ‘Undertapped’ Revenue Potential

The Ivy League has historically chosen restraint with regards to commercialization. That means there is an opportunity for the conference to grow revenues without fundamentally altering its principles or model. Harris identified several potential growth levers:

• Sponsorship: “The value of our tournaments across all our sports —the quality of play, first of all, but also those who are watching— are of a level that sponsors should be paying to attract and promote their business to,” she said.

• Premium Hospitality: “Our athletic directors, to their credit, are prioritizing attendance and encouraging our fans to come, and not pricing tickets or experiences at a point that would deter attendance. So, while we provide those [higher end offerings] at some events, it’s not a big revenue driver candidly for us. But could it be? Absolutely,” she said. 

• Non-Live Content: “We’ve also talked about how we promote our stories, our messaging, and our successes across a variety of sports and themes. We’ve discussed whether we could do that through broadcast documentaries that would provide an opportunity for a sponsor to participate—where we benefit by promoting the story, which is what we’re trying to focus on, but there [is] a monetary upside as well,” Harris said.

Team Travel, Handled.

College athletics travel leaves no margin for error. Every departure, arrival, and transfer impacts preparation, performance, and peace of mind. Short’s Sports Travel Logistics exists to remove that pressure.

As the fastest growing sports travel partner in collegiate athletics, Short’s supports more than 110 athletic departments and 1,600 teams with fully integrated commercial reservations, air charter, ground, and hotel solutions. Our team approach is built on proactive planning, real time visibility, and experienced people who understand the demands of game day.

Travel plans change. Weather shifts. Schedules move. When they do, our team is already working behind the scenes to adjust, communicate, and execute. No guesswork. Just accountability.

Programs partner with Short’s because we deliver consistency when it matters most. Since 2020, more than 65 schools have chosen Short’s to manage their travel with confidence.

Short’s Sports Travel Logistics
Team Travel Made Easy.

Converting Engagement Data into Reach, Durable Rights Economics

The Ivy League leveraged demonstrated alumni demand and ESPN’s need for Plus programming to secure broader distribution and a 10-year media rights pact.

“At that time, we had been digitally producing and broadcasting over 1,100 events a year across our eight schools [and distributing them behind a paywall]…So, we had proof of concept for ESPN that our alumni and families would pay to watch the various sports. When we signed with ESPN —and it’s still true— the price for ESPN+ was lower than what people [were paying] for a subscription to the old Ivy League digital network,” Harris said. And “because we had digital content that ESPN really needed, we were able to expand [our] linear exposure. For many years, we had football broadcasts and occasionally regular-season basketball [on the cable network]. ESPN was producing the men’s lacrosse tournament. But through the negotiations, we were able to add to the number of sports that are broadcast throughout the year on ESPN linear. That [deal] has been a win-win all around and has done so much for our league.”

📺 Watch the full video on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube Page.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

We’ll be back with the next episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus Thursday January 29. Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill will be our guest.

In the meantime, make sure to check out our sponsor, Short’s Sport Travel Logistics—the fastest-growing company in collegiate athletics travel, and the trusted choice of over 108 athletic departments nationwide. Short’s simplifies every aspect of team travel (think: air charters, commercial flights, buses, and hotels) and helps to turn complex logistics into a competitive advantage.

Previous episodes of BBOC, including sit-downs with Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois, Maryland AD Jim Smith, American Commissioner Tim Pernetti, Pittsburgh AD Allen Greene, Wake Forest AD John Currie, and Kansas AD Travis Goff can be found on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe!