🏅 Private Equity and College Sports

Hey there,

The college sports world is undergoing unprecedented transformation before our very eyes. As a result of the proposed House settlement, private equity could be coming to college sports — oh, and more conferences are mulling over a potential name change too. Is softball going to survive athletic department cutbacks? There’s tons to dive into — let’s get into it.

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for our interview with Tyler Jaynes, the CEO of Influxer. We loved this one—you won’t want to miss it!

If you can think of any ways we can do better, let us know at [email protected]. Now, let’s take you to the news!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Private Equity is Coming to College Sports

Private equity investments are coming to college sports – it’s only a matter of time. The Big 12 is reportedly considering a deal with Luxembourg-based private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, which would see a 15%-20% stake in the league sell for up to $1 Billion. 

This isn’t the first time private equity has been floated in the college sports world. In 2018 the Pac-12 tried to secure a private equity investment, but nothing came of the effort. If the Big 12 were to make a move in the private equity space, it would be the first of its kind.

What are the logistics of a potential deal? Would the investors be able to push schools into cutting staff, or raise ticket prices to increase profitability? There are a ton of other angles to this news that, frankly, Matt Brown covers really well in his most recent piece. You can check it out by clicking the following link. (More)

Is Women’s College Softball Trending Up or Down?

The 2024 Women’s College World Series set record viewership numbers this year – a 24% increase from last season’s playoffs. Ratings are up for television; attendance is up for in-person matchups… but despite all this progress, softball coaches are not bullish on their sport’s future growth.

That’s because softball programs could take major blows from the impending budget cuts coming to athletic departments as a result of the House antitrust settlement.

“I don’t fear the sport dying, but I do say I feel badly that I don’t believe the amount of teams are going to be able to sustain what’s coming in the future,” said UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez in an interview, “That’s just potentially what could happen because we’ve had conversations of understanding the impact of what could happen.” (More)

More Conference Name Changes Coming?

We told you about a hypothetical “Allstate 12 Conference” last week as part of a story on the Big 12 potentially selling its naming rights. Well, it seems as though they’ve set off a chain reaction of sorts. The Mountain West Conference, Conference USA, and the American Athletic Conference are all now exploring the possibility of changing their names in exchange for a rapid influx of cash.

While very few fans actually support these moves (The Google Pixel Southeastern Conference doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue), they may be necessary for schools to pay off their portion of the House settlement – which could reach over $1M annually for many universities.

The silver lining? Discussions about which sponsors would best fit each conference. (More)

Teaming up with

The N.I.L. Playbook, developed by NXT Level Holdings, is a comprehensive guide designed for college and high school student-athletes looking to learn more about their new opportunities.

The book is useful to coaches, administrators, parents, alumni and NIL industry pros to help navigate the rapidly evolving landscape in college and high school athletics.

The Playbook covers everything. Topics include: how to utilize social media to build your personal brand, how to seize potential N.I.L. partnerships, and what to look for in contracts — not to mention tons of other resources and strategies that student-athletes can use to enhance their profile and monetize their Name, Image and Likeness.

Check it out today!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Athlete Con Awards Ceremony

You might remember us talking about Athlete Con last edition — well, if you weren’t able to attend, here’s the next best thing. Relive the event’s award ceremony and see how student-athletes are taking control of their NIL future by clicking the video below. Until next year, Athlete Con!

DOWN TO BUSINESS

🚨 The NIL Store Awards are Coming 🚨 

The NIL Store just announced the first annual “NIL Store Awards” set to take place on July 1^st of this year – a date the company has deemed “NIL Day”.

The award show will include categories such as “Merch Moment of the Year”, “NIL Director of the Year”, and “Highest Earning Athlete” – both male and female. You can see all of the categories here.

This award show isn’t like the Oscars, either. While fans can’t pick the nominees themselves, the winners are decided via voting online. If you want to get in on the action, click the link to cast your votes in each category! (More)

• U.S. Senators are hopeful they will pass college sports legislation before the new year. However, with an upcoming election, federal college sports changes could fall down the priority list.   

• North Carolina just banned NIL for high schoolers in the state, so long as they attend public schools. Private school students, however, can still exercise their NIL rights.

COLLECTIVE 101

Tennessee Collective Gives Baseball a Boost

Tennessee is on the brink of advancing to the College World Series finals in Omaha, but prior to the tournament even beginning, their NIL collective was already throwing financial support at the squad. Last week the Tennessee players signed a team-wide deal with the Volunteer Club to support the school’s NIL collective by wearing custom shirts:

Tennessee possesses one of the most thorough NIL infrastructures in the entire country, which allows for “playoff bonuses” like this deal. Their payment is a direct result of the team’s success during the regular season. (More)

• Despite the massive roster turnover, Wisconsin volleyball embraces the portal and NIL. “Given the choice you’d rather have a player for four or five years,” coach Kelly Sheffield said, “But we’re not thinking that’s the only way that we’re going to recruit.”

•  The Texas One Fund just announced a partnership with NIL service provider Passes, becoming the first NIL collective to do so. Fans can become members on the platform to access exclusive content.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Flaujae Johnson

• School: LSU

• Position: Guard 

• Sport: Basketball

• Class: Junior

• Accolades: 

• 2024 Second Team All-SEC

• 2024 Albany 2 All-Region Team

• 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year

• 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team

• 2023 SEC Freshman of the Week (11/15/22, 11/22/22, 1/2/23)

• 2022 Goombay Splash All-Tournament Team

NIL BLITZ

♦️ The College Football Playoffs and the NFL will play on the same day. Is that a good idea?

♦️ Another top-ranked basketball star will join OTE to make $100K in NIL

♦️ Ohio State is selling preseason practice tickets for $50 to bring in more money

♦️ Playfly Sports just named a new CFO

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Are you okay with conferences changing their names for money?

• Yes, so long as it helps them balance budgets and put more money towards the on-field product: 46%

• No, it's another way the game is being overrun by corporations: 54%