Why Coach K Thinks NCAA Should Run College Basketball 'Like a Business'

The longtime Duke coach weighed in on what the sport needs to remain relevant moving forward.

While Mike Krzyzewski no longer roams the sidelines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, the longtime Duke coach is abreast of the changes that have taken place in college basketball and the sport’s current state within the NCAA.

Krzyzewski, who spent 42 years at Duke, recently came out of retirement in May to serve as the NBA’s special advisor to basketball operations. In a Q&A with The Charlotte Observer, the former Duke coach explained why college basketball should be organized and managed “like a business” going forward to keep the game relevant.

“It’s [college basketball] a billion-dollar business,” Krzyzewski said in the interview. “It’s the only thing that runs the NCAA. Football does not run the NCAA. Football runs conferences, and they make millions of dollars. The NCAA does not get one penny from football. … So their main source of revenue is men’s college basketball. My feeling is you should combine men’s and women’s basketball, make them an autonomous group, have a leadership structure and marketing and run it like a business. But, what do I know?”

With Krzyzewski’s “big business” mindset of college basketball, it is also why he believes that it is important for Duke, UNC and the entire ACC to persevere its “common ground” to “perpetuate the game.”

The Naismith Hall of Famer led the Blue Devils to five national championships and 13 NCAA tournament Final Four appearances. Krzyzewski also notched 1,202 wins, earning him the title of the winningest men’s coach in the NCAA.