What really happens behind the scenes in college athletics?

In this episode, Kevin Swanson and Todd Barney sit down with Jeff Konya, Director of Athletics at San José State University, for an inside look at how the world of college sports is transforming.

From name, image, and likeness (NIL) to revenue sharing and the realities of the transfer portal, Jeff shares how schools like San José State are helping student-athletes balance opportunity, education, and long-term success. He also reveals how the university’s Beyond Sparta program gives athletes real-world skills, from financial literacy to career readiness, that set them up for life after graduation.

What to expect:

• Real stories of how scholarships change lives beyond the field
• How NIL and revenue sharing are reshaping college athletics
• The importance of financial literacy and career education for athletes
• Why athletics drives school pride, alumni engagement, and community impact
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Jeff Konya:

• San Jose University
• jeff.konya@sjsu.edu

About our guest:

Jeff Konya was named Director of Athletics at San José State in 2021 and began his leadership of the department on July 12, 2021. Konya is responsible for athletics department stewardship and is the 15th Athletics Director in department history.

Under his guidance, SJSU athletics has reached peak performance as football and men’s basketball made postseason appearances for the first time in the same year in athletics history, while men’s basketball advanced to the Mountain West tournament semifinals for the first time and won a program-best 21 games in 2022-23. The women’s golf team continues to be ranked inside the top 10 in the country, making consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships and Lucia Lopez Ortega became the second straight Spartan to earn an NCAA runner-up finish at the national championships.

Konya hired Associate Head Coach Tina Estrada to take over the reigns of the women’s soccer program in 2022, and she became the first head coach to win the Mountain West regular season and tournament championship in their first year of leadership. He also hired new women’s basketball coach April Phillips that made history at the conference championship, becoming the first No. 10 seed to win a game at the tournament with a win over Air Force in the opening round.

Over the course of his first two years at San José State, Konya re-imagined the executive leadership team and organization of the department to provide a cutting-edge experience for the student-athletes. The Spartans enhanced their brand by signing strategic partnerships with NBC Sports Bay Area, increased their multimedia rights deal by significant dollars with Playfly Sports and became one of the first Mountain West institutions to provide Alston awards to student-athletes. SJSU produce a first-class Sammy Awards, recognizing nearly 500 student-athletes at the historic downtown San Jose California Theatre, televising the show on NBC Sports Bay Area.