The Metro: Is money in sports good for the game?

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For a while now there has been tons of money in sports. Professional athletes have been cashing in for decades, but in recent years, student athletes and sports fans have been officially brought into the fold. The NCAA’s name, image and likeness policies have given student athletes the opportunity to be paid. Student athletes with some of the top deals are making around $4-6  million.

Sports betting has raised the stakes on games for fans who are looking to turn a quick profit, and it’s growing. Michigan’s revenue from internet sports betting increased 23% last year. But gambling experts are concerned that sports betting could lead people to develop a gambling addiction.

Today on The Metro, we explore the sports betting boom along with its potential consequences. Plus, we discuss whether paying student athletes is good for sports.

Guests:

• Rachel Volberg: A professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who researched problem gambling.
• David Ridpath: A professor of sports management at Ohio University, and an expert in the NCAA, athlete/coach issues, intercollegiate sports and sports administration.
• Risa Isard: Professor in sports management at the University of Connecticut

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on March 19, 2025: 

• DTE Energy recently filed another request for its plan to raise rates. The request comes just months after Michigan regulators approved another DTE rate increase. In January, the utility was OKed to raise rates by $217 million. Khary Frazier with Soulardarity, a nonprofit working to make energy accessible and affordable to all, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss how high energy costs affect metro Detroiters.

• The city of Detroit recently doubled funding for homeless shelters and increased outreach to people on the street who are experiencing homelessness. But Detroit housing analyst Alex Alsup says officials aren’t getting to the root of the homelessness problem. Alsup sat down with Metro Producer Sam Corey to discuss why programs that help reduce tax foreclosures are key to reducing homelessness.

• Bridgett M. Davis is an author and daughter of Detroit. Her latest book, “Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy,” tells the story of her sister and shines a light on women’s health. Davis joined The Metro to talk more about the book and share stories of her mother Fannie, sister Rita and Detroit.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.