SEC Honors Students to Study What Future Means for College Athletics

Upsets in college athletics traditionally describe the shocking outcome of a single game, when an underdog defeats a perceived favorite. Yet viewed holistically, college athletics as an institution is experiencing arguably its most disruptive era ever — a sustained, systemic upset. Colleges and universities now face new challenges stemming from the transfer portal, NIL, legal battles, conference realignment and policy shifts.   

Honors programs at 10 universities in the Southeastern Conference are coming together to offer a forum on the future of college athletics. The initiative helps undergraduate students understand the rapidly evolving landscape of the modern game, including legal ramifications, revenue sharing, athletic department budgeting, licensing, sports marketing and journalism.  

By bringing together perspectives from multiple institutions, the forum offers rare insight into both campus-level operations and the broader, conference-wide forces reshaping college athletics. The result is an exceptional workforce development opportunity that provides students with unparalleled, cross-institutional exposure to the business, legal and media dimensions of the sport. 

"College sports is always experiencing change, but never at the rapid pace we have witnessed in the past decade," said Noah Pittman, associate dean for enrollment in the Honors College. "The field is fascinating because athletics can impact so many areas of a university, especially at a Division I FBS institution. Honors students across the conference will be given an opportunity to better understand where we currently are in college athletics, and more importantly, where we could be going in the years to come."  

The idea for the forum grew out of the popular Honors College course Razorbacks and the Nation, taught by Scott Varady, vice chancellor for University Advancement and former executive director of the Razorback Foundation, and Pittman. The course offers students an insider's perspective on the Razorbacks, often taking learning beyond the classroom and into athletic facilities.  

During the 2025 SEC Honors Conference hosted in Fayetteville, honors leaders from all participating institutions came together to propose expanding this approach through a conference-wide collaboration, creating a broader, shared conversation about the future of college athletics.  

"Honors colleges across the SEC are deeply collaborative, knowing that our students will be peers and partners in the next phase of their professional lives, whether that takes place in med school, law school, graduate school, industry or public service," said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. "This SEC Honors forum provides perfect fodder for honing professional skills among an ambitious, conference-wide cohort of honors scholars."  

The hybrid course offers virtual plenary sessions in which students learn directly from athletic leaders and experts. Each honors college will also host colloquia focused on the unique sports culture of its institution and provide in-person tours of athletic spaces. Such comprehensive exposure — both within and across universities — is exceedingly rare and equips students from diverse majors, including business, pre-law and journalism, with a competitive edge few undergraduates receive.  

Universities participating in the forum  

• Auburn University  

• Louisiana State University   

• Mississippi State University  

• Texas A&M University  

• The University of Alabama  

• The University of Arkansas 

• The University of Kentucky  

• The University of Missouri  

• The University of Oklahoma  

• The University of South Carolina  

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university's top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students' academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.