Two-timing Sunil

Sunil Gulati cracked a smile at a recent roundtable with soccer reporters when one asked if he was taking a leave of absence or sabbatical from his job at Columbia University as an economics professor during his US Soccer Federation term of service as president

"On sabbatical? A four-year sabbatical? Columbia doesn’t feel good about that. No, I’m not on sabbatical."

At the USSF's Annual General Meeting, however, one of the items up for potential approval is granting a salary to the president's position, which as of now has been unpaid volunteer work. So it might become more feasible for Gulati to take a break if that passes.

In his classes at Columbia, where he's a popular professor, Gulati fits in a few soccer references now and again. He gave the reporters an example, from, I believe, his Sports and Economics class:

"David Beckham – I put up a slide and I ask my class, 'How many of you know who this is?' 90% raise their hands. Then the next slide is of Jeff Sachs. I’m not going to embarrass anyone (the reporters, that is) by asking if you know him (I didn't). He’s probably the most famous professor at Columbia, literally trying to bring a billion people under the poverty line at the UN to a living standard. The third pillar of the Bill Gates, Bono, End Poverty in Africa movement. He’s a rock star at Columbia. People know his name, but not his face. Beckham, 90%, Jeff Sachs, ten people. Then I tell the students - 'By the end of this term, you'll know both, and you'll also understand why one can pull in a potential $250,000,000 million dollars.'"

When asked if his students knew about his involvement with U.S. Soccer, Gulati nodded. "They’re all aware of it now."