Michigan names Kent Syverud as president, signaling a shift in college sports governance

Kent Syverud, a Michigan alum and former Syracuse president, will lead with a history of backing sweeping college-sports reform—pushing ideas like a centralized league and athlete pay. His arrival comes as Michigan’s athletic department faces turmoil (Moore firing and a Jenner & Block investigation) and as the Big Ten pursues private-capital deals, making his approach to governance and private equity pivotal for the program’s direction.