Geoffrey Mearns on Ball State, Oklahoma City, and the NIL Era

In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Geoffrey Mearns, the 17th president of Ball State University. Mearns reflects on his path from federal prosecutor to university president, including his work on organized crime cases involving the Gambino crime family and the prosecution of Terry Nichols after the Oklahoma City bombing. Now in his ninth year at Ball State, Mearns discusses the university’s role in Muncie, its partnership with Muncie Community Schools, the revitalization of The Village and why Ball State is the only public university in Indiana recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as an Opportunity College and University. He also weighs in on the enrollment challenges facing higher education, the value of a college degree and why he believes the current college sports financial model is unsustainable.