Big time college athletics (BTCA) is a fascinating phenomenon, one that presents the management scholar with intriguing questions. On the one hand, according to the words of university leaders, there is minimal congruence between BTCA and the core mission of universities. On the other hand, BTCA continues to grow and, some might argue, thrive. Consistent with the 2014 Academy of Management Meeting theme, the proposed symposium will investigate the Power of Words to resolve this “lack of congruence— yet thriving” paradox. More specifically, the central questions to be addressed in this symposium are: (1) why words haven’t had the power they might in addressing the lack of congruence between BTCA and the mission of universities?; and, more importantly, (2) how words can positively influence the congruence between BTCA and the mission of universities. Four panelists and two discussants will address these questions. Two panelists are experts concerning extant words describing BTCA challenges—one is a journali...