As college athletics accelerates into its professionalized future, much of the national conversation has focused on the Power 4, and particularly how top-tier conferences will restructure, redistribute revenue, and maintain competitive equity in a post-House world.

But what if the more interesting question isn’t about the top of the pyramid, but the base?

In the second installment of AthleticDirectorU's video series on private capital and college sports, Marcus Stroud (Managing Partner, Sequence Equity) is joined by Jamie Boggs (VP of Athletics, Grand Canyon University) and Sean Frazier (VP and Director of Athletics, Northern Illinois University) to examine the overlooked opportunity at the Group of 5 level. What follows is a compelling argument that mid-major programs, precisely because of their constraints, may be the most fertile ground for innovation in the years ahead.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing:

1:14 - How are you thinking about positioning your athletic department while the gap between the Power 4 and Group of 5 continues to widen in the post-House era and the concept of private equity might seem more appropriate?
3:23 - Jamie, what about you and Grand Canyon?
5:20 - Marcus, how do you and Sequence Equity analyze the Group of 5 space? Is there a different model or approach than with a Power 4 partnership?
8:16 - Sean, NIU has always punched above its weight in football. Is the goal to compete with the Power 4 or Power 2 or is it to say, "We're going to do the best at the level we're at"?
11:34 - Jamie, Grand Canyon has been incredibly innovative. How are you approaching this? Is it "We want to be part of the Power 2 in basketball"?
13:50 - Marcus, how do you think Group of 5 schools, basketball-focused schools, mid-major schools can approach this era? What are some ways you're thinking about generating revenue with some of these institutions?
15:38 - What does "success" look like for your institutions? Where do you want to see your programs in the next five years?
18:06 - Jamie?
19:40 - Marcus, what do you predict things will look like five years from now at the Group of 5 level?