Collegiate Coaching Diversity Pledge
Menu
Powered by

Taking A First Mover Approach To Rev Share With VCU’s Ed McLaughlin

Guest Ed McLaughlin, VCU
23:31 min watch

Summary

VCU Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin sits down with ADU’s Steph Garcia Cichosz at the 2025 NCAA Convention to offer insight into the Rams’ decision to announce plans to share revenue with student-athletes as part of the House settlement. McLaughlin: “It was important for us to get out in front of it… I thought it was important for our program to be bold… and light people’s fires of looking at us and saying, ‘VCU’s for real on this.’ We look at ourselves as a program that should be a top 25 program in men’s basketball and women’s basketball and the only way to get there in the future is to make sure you have revenue sharing that matches your aspirations.”

McLaughlin and Garcia Cichosz discuss recent changes announced at Convention, including the approval of women’s basketball units, the impact of sports wagering, and issues related to the transfer portal. McLaughlin also reflects on the role of the NCAA and how Division I institutions manage and allocate their resources in a future professionalized model.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

  • - You recently announced plans to share revenue with student-athletes as part of the House settlement beginning in the upcoming academic year, a decision that will cost between $4-5M per year. Tell me about this bold decision and being a first mover in this space.
  • - Take us back to the strategic thinking that went into this decision; how long were you and your team were working on this decision?
  • - What are you and your team doing now to prep for April 7?
  • - What advice do you have for ADs who are navigating this very issue but maybe not feeling as convicted as you are?
  • - How has your Board reacted to this decision?
  • - You also recently broke ground on the 42-acre Athletic Village - how is this facility going to help VCU "match what our aspirations are"?
  • - In terms of these facilities, what will be the biggest draw from the student-athlete perspective, the coaching perspective and the community perspective?
  • - VCU recently had to play some games without fans due to the water shortage in Richmond following some winter storms. How was that reminiscent of the COVID season and how did the athletes respond?
  • - You're part of the Division I Council and the Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee - talk to me about the historic decision to approve Women's Basketball units.
  • - Women's Wrestling was also approved as a championship sport - talk to me about that decision.
  • - The membership process for transition to Division I has shortened - why is that significant?
  • - One other big topic at Convention has been sports wagering, including how basketball student-athletes have felt the harassment more than some other sports. There are also stories of student-athletes themselves participating in sports betting. Have the Rams been feeling this issue?
  • - What is the best role for the NCAA moving forward? How can the governance structure be altered to fit this "professionalized" model we're moving towards?

Video
From The Mailroom To The Big Chair With Western Michigan’s Dan Bartholomae
Video
Approaching Higher Ed With A Business Mindset With Lindenwood’s Dr. John R. Porter
Video
Making An Impact At Your Alma Mater With New Mexico’s Amy Beggin