What would Arnie Berman think of college sports now? | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

What would Arnie Berman think of college sports now? recounts how a former observer of sports culture reflected on major changes in college athletics. The piece describes meeting Arnie Berman while the author was a graduate student near Brown University’s Rockefeller Library, discussing hoops as college basketball and its institutions shifted. It recalls an era of smaller-scale athletics: Brown played in a 1928 gym with limited capacity, and football was sometimes known for halftime shows as much as on-field performance, even though the program had historical moments such as Rose Bowl participation and a victory over the Carlisle Indian Industrial School led by Jim Thorpe. The narrative contrasts that with today’s landscape, including multimillion-dollar coaching decisions and high six-figure NIL deals for former pros. Overall, it uses Berman’s background and the author’s memories to frame questions about the evolving role of money and professionalization in college sports.