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Utah AD Mark Harlan discussed the timeline of the Utes’ new private equity deal during the introductory presser for Football HC Morgan Scalley, noting that "there’s a lot of work going on right now to finalize that; take it to the trustees, I think, later this month or the first part of next; and we're already doing a lot of organization within the department on all the different units that we showed in the slides. So we're talking to the individuals involved and all that, and we're doing a lot of prep work with the real belief that we'll get the deal done. As far as what it will change for us, I think the most specific thing I'm excited about is we've really advanced in our NIL efforts." Harlan also spoke about a potential new or renovated on-campus arena: "We're doing a lot of work, and it's something that is a historical building with enormous history for us and certainly college basketball and other sports, but it's complicated. You mentioned Otro and certainly Utah Brands and Entertainment. They'll all be a part of that conversation going forward, and also the bonding that we do when we get to that place. … We're still trying to look through and say, Do we move it or do we renovate it? And I think this year is the year for us to make some decisions on that. And where we're standing today, Rice-Eccles, we can't just be in this beautiful south end zone and not think of the things that we also need to do for the stadium." (link)

KKR has agreed to acquire Arctos Partners in a deal valuing the sports investment firm at approximately $1B, with incentives that could push the total valuation closer to $1.5B. Bloomberg’s Allison McNeely and Preeti Singh report the transaction, which requires approval from major U.S. sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL to ensure no conflicts of interest, will keep Arctos Co-Founder Ian Charles and existing management in place while granting them KKR shares and allowing them to retain carried interest. McNeely and Singh also note: “Acquiring Arctos, which has about $15B of assets under management, gives KKR a foothold in two booming areas of private markets: sports and secondaries investing. KKR explored deals for other secondaries firms but was ultimately outbid.” (link)

Ohio State and Learfield have agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2036, and while financial terms were not disclosed, Buckeyes AD Ross Bjork tells SBJ’s Ben Portnoy: “It was a chance, given the whole landscape, to redo the whole deal based on the structure [and] create a revenue share model. It’s easy to race out and announce a big headline of a guarantee number. Well, based on the fact that we’re the biggest gross revenue partner in the country, I think people can deduce that this will be the largest deal towards Ohio State, toward any collegiate property. Now, it’s going to be on us to perform. … When we mapped out this new structure, it was about creating a partnership where, of course, Ohio State’s going to win, but also Learfield wins. As the property that has produced the biggest amount of sponsorship, multimedia revenue of any property in the country, we win on the upside, but also Learfield gets rewarded because the property continues to grow.” (link)

Tennessee AD Danny White appeared to bristle at fans who blamed him for the Vols’ lack of activity in the football transfer portal so far. After a fan suggested White "give up on turning Neyland into a night club" and spend more on NIL, White retorted on X: "I’ve been thinking that the Neyland Entertainment District could win us a national championship. Man, I’ve been thinking about this all wrong. Thank you for your insight!" The backlash stems from misconceptions about budget allocation as the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks clarifies that the $167M entertainment district is a public-private partnership funded by developers and unrelated to the $20.5M revenue-sharing cap limiting direct player payments. White later clarified: "There are no funds associated with this project that could be used, in any way, for NIL. There could, however, be NIL opportunities for our athletes once the project is complete and open for business." (link)

Yahoo's Jeff Eisenberg investigates the NCAA's recent leniency in granting eligibility to professional men’s hoops players like Baylor’s James Nnaji and various G League/European pros, suggesting the governing body may be strategically inviting "mass chaos" to pressure Congress into granting an antitrust exemption. Legal experts argue the NCAA is "exercising discretion" on its amateurism bylaws to avoid further litigation losses following the Alston ruling, with Boies Schiller Flexner attorney Sabria McElroy noting: "It’s becoming harder for the NCAA to defend eligibility restraints. They might have decided to allow these exemptions rather than open themselves up to more litigation challenges as they continue to hope that Congress will step in and do something." However, Eisenberg contends this open-door policy creates a slippery slope: if a player earning six figures in Spain is eligible, defending a ban on NBA two-way players becomes legally tenuous. McElroy: “Once you allow one exemption it becomes much harder to draw other lines, to stop players who have signed NBA contracts and things like that.” (link)

Just days after Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. signed a contract to return to Seattle for his junior season, the quarterback reversed course and announced Tuesday he would enter the transfer portal, and CBS’ Matt Zenitz reports LSU is “expected to be a team to watch” in Williams’ recruitment. One hiccup: The Athletic’s Sam Jane, Chris Vannini, Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo report: “Washington has no intention of releasing Williams from the contract he signed on Jan. 2. … The dispute could lead to a messy debate over the circumstances surrounding Williams’ status. Williams, however, had not filed any paperwork with Washington compliance officers to have his name entered into the portal before making his announcement on social media. As of now, nothing has been submitted. Washington is prepared to pursue legal action to enforce the terms of the contract, according to a person briefed on the situation.”  Making the situation more interesting, Jane, et al. report that “Williams and Washington head coach Jedd Fisch share the same agent at Wasserman football.” Miami (FL) and Oregon are also reportedly potential landing spots. (link, link)

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's John Steppe details Wisconsin Volleyball HC Kelly Sheffield's frustration with the modern transfer portal landscape, specifically the surprise departure of starter Una Vajagic following the team's Final Four run (Vajagic has landed at Arizona State). Sheffield, who described the situation as feeling like "we were sabotaged," revealed he learned that Vajagic's agent was allegedly shopping her to other schools during the NCAA Tournament: “An agent came and had signed up two of our players – and nobody told me – and they requested to go in the portal. And I learned that through compliance rather than them. Maybe that happens with bigger programs. That has never happened here. I’ve always learned from the players themselves. … We had no idea that stuff was happening.” Sheffield anticipates it will only become more frequent moving forward via agents because “all of a sudden it’s a lot easier if you’ve got other people that are hired to make you money to sit there and convince you that you are not respected enough because you’re not making what they think that you should be making. And so now all of a sudden, you start stirring emotions that weren't there. But now they become present. We’re all going to see more of that.” (link) 

People & Places…

➤ Outgoing Nebraska Chancellor Rodney Bennett is due a $1.1M severance package from the university, an arrangement that has riled up the school’s American Association of University Professors chapter, mainly due to the Faculty Senate submitting a no confidence in Bennett back in November. (link)

➤ Georgia State has promoted Senior Assoc. AD/Chief of Staff Doug Justice to Deputy AD for Administration and elevated Senior Assoc. AD for Student-Athlete Development Brad Horton to Deputy AD for Academics and Student-Athlete Development. (link)

➤ Delaware State has hired Edward Egerton III as Assoc. AD for Compliance from Siena where he served as Asst. AD for Compliance. (link)

➤ A full slate of coaching staff changes across 32 sports can be found in this morning’s edition of Coaches.wire. (link)

We offer our deepest sympathies to the South Alabama community following the passing of Mel Lucas, the school’s first AD and Baseball HC. (link)

The latest edition of CRO.ticker “moves at the speed of culture,” as both Ad Age and Marketing Brew catch up with executives to get their thoughts on what 2026 has in store. Additionally, The Athletic takes a look at the latest generation of English football stadiums, Country Music Association Director of Business Strategy and Insights Michael Farris joins the Sports Geek podcast to discuss how the trade association is leveraging data to modernize the country music fan experience and Blaize CFO Harminder Sehmi explains why it’s unnecessary to take a Ferrari on a grocery run. All this and more inside. (link) To subscribe to CRO.ticker, click here.

Zoomph analyzes the use of on-field commercial sponsorship in the second year of the asset's availability, finding that 67% of Power 4 programs sold the inventory for at least part of the 2025 season. The SEC led all leagues with 88% participation, followed by the Big 12 (63%), Big Ten (61%), and ACC (59%). In the Group of 5 (46% overall participation), the Mountain West achieved an 83% adoption rate—ranking second nationally behind only the SEC—while outpacing the MAC (46%), Sun Belt (43%), American (36%), and C-USA (25%). Across a 10-game Power 4 sample, Zoomph reports that on-field logos secured an average of 13 minutes, 42 seconds of time-on-screen and 167 exposures per broadcast, delivering a brand value of $94 per 1,000 unique viewers. (link); Downloadable report. (link)  

Despite existential questions facing the bowl system, TV viewership remains robust, with the Pop-Tarts Bowl leading the non-CFP pack with 8.7M viewers—the highest mark for a non-New Year's Six bowl since 2019-20. ESPN data shows four of its 23 bowls set all-time viewership records, while eight hit at least 10-year highs, including strong performances from the Pinstripe Bowl (7.6M), Gator Bowl (6M), and Rate Bowl (4.4M). SBJ’s Ben Portnoy concludes that "as long as bowl games continue to deliver on the airwaves, it’s hard to imagine stakeholders doing away with them.” More, including full bowl viewership data through December 27. (link)

CBS delivered its most-watched NFL regular season on record, averaging 21.25M viewers (up 11% YoY) to lead all networks. The 4:25 PM ET national window ranked as the No. 1 program on television for the third consecutive year, averaging 25.83M viewers. CBS also broadcast four of the season's top seven most-watched games, headlined by the record-shattering Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving matchup which drew 57.23M viewers—the most-watched regular-season game in league history. Paramount+ also notched its most-streamed regular season ever. (link)

The seventh annual Surefire Baseball Forum concluded yesterday at TCU, bringing together 28 college athletic administrators and 28 assistant coaches for speed networking and candid conversations around the coaching search process. Panel discussions included “A View of College Baseball from Agents” and “The Path for Growth of College Baseball.” Surefire notes that since 2018, 37 of 142 Surefire alumni have earned their first DI HC role. (link)

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Even more from NCAA President Charlie Baker’s sit down with SI’s Pat Forde as he shares his thoughts on private equity in college athletics…

 

➤ “I think there is value and possibility as long as you talk about the stuff that’s most important right up front. Part of why the Utah [deal with Otro Capital] feels a little different to me … is that they spend a lot of time on, ‘Well, what’s the point of this?’ I don’t want to talk about how much money. What are we going to do here? Like, what problem that we’re trying to solve is going to be part of this? What opportunity do you, the third party, see as possible for you? That conversation, they know strategically a lot more about what they think they’re seeking to do together than some of the folks who have been in these conversations before. 

 

➤ The second thing is they got a commitment on time, right? It’s basically at least five, and I think it’s at least five to seven [years]. … Utah still controls the voting seats on the board, and I think they control the management group, too. So the way I look at it is there’s way more clarity here about upside, downside and expectations and purpose in that one that I’ve seen and some of the others people have talked about. 

➤ Say you’ve got to build a new football stadium. You want to expand your suite capacity. You have a set of fields you want to either make over or develop. … I think there are third parties who’ve done this stuff a million times and can be incredibly helpful to people. … And they’ll bring a hell of a lot of knowledge to those kinds of particular programs that I think are hard to find elsewhere, and you’ll pay for that, but in the long run, if you structure the deal right, it’d probably be worth it to you.” (link)

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reports there may be good news coming in relation to college football’s chaotically messy calendar, noting the NCAA Football Oversight Committee “is expected to recommend potentially significant changes to several aspects as soon as this offseason.” Georgia AD/Committee Vice Chair Josh Brooks: “We’re trying to take a step back and look at everything in totality so we’re not doing one-offs that have an impact on other parts of the calendar. We’ve got to take a 30K-foot view and see how everything could be better.” Per SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, any changes to the calendar should begin with one idea in mind: eliminating the December early signing period. Sankey: “Put it back in February, maybe even mid-February. What we’ve done is pressured the front end of recruitment.” Dellenger: “Signing day is just one aspect that officials will explore in the examination of the calendar. Others include: 1. The future of Week Zero (will it become the new Week 1?); 2. The playing dates of the College Football Playoff (is there a way to return the semifinals to New Year’s Day?); 3. The date of the transfer portal (is a single spring portal gaining more momentum?); and 4. Spring and summer access periods (will the sport, finally, implement OTA-type summer training?). Overall, the goal of any calendar changes is to decongest December-January.” More. (link) 

Fox Sports President/COO Mark Silverman is stepping down after eight years in his role but will remain with the network as a consultant, per Puck’s John Ourand, who adds that President of Production & Operations/Executive Producer Brad Zager will succeed Silverman as President/COO. (link) 

The Tennessean’s Mike Organ reports the FCS National Championship game between Montana State and Illinois State, which drew 24,105 fans to Vanderbilt's FirstBank Stadium, has organizers optimistic about keeping the event in Nashville beyond the current two-year contract ending in 2027. The crowd marked the seventh-largest in FCS title history and the biggest since 1996, surpassing expectations for the first year away from Frisco, Texas. Nashville Sports Council CEO Scott Ramsey highlighted the enhanced player experience at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and upgraded production elements, including a custom pregame anthem by songwriter Casey Beathard. "For a first-year event that had been somewhere for 15 years, it exceeded our expectations and hopes. There were two or three things we focused on that we hoped we could elevate, being in Nashville. One, player experience: Gaylord Opryland Hotel has been a great host, and the players have enjoyed their stay. Game-day atmosphere with a great crowd and a loud crowd added to that. And with the video boards and everything else in the stadium, it really put on a championship-level experience for the players. … I think we've continued to try to build this national championship game up and hope we can keep it for a long time.” (link)

Coming out of WCC Executive Council and Presidents’ Council meetings, the conference has adopted a new format for its basketball championships starting in 2027, that will see the seven through ten seeds compete in an opening round before facing the top six seeds in the quarterfinal rounds. Also, the WCC men’s and women’s soccer tournaments will be held at the highest seed’s venue. Commissioner Stu Jackson on the league’s positioning in the new NCAA governance structure: “Our membership’s commitment to supporting our programs is represented in our tremendous success across our sports. Our success is vital to be a voice at a national level, and I applaud our membership for their efforts in ensuring we are recognized and represented as a success conference. This is a testament to the strategic leadership, recruitment of student-athletes and elite-level coaches we have across this conference.” More. (link)

People & Places…
➤ Pittsburgh officially welcomes Colorado Deputy AD/Assistant Vice Chancellor for Philanthropy & Strategic Initiatives Leon Jackson III as Deputy AD for Philanthropy & Engagement. (link)
➤ Penn State Senior Assoc. AD for Strategic Communications Kris Petersen steps down after nearly 20 years with the Nittany Lions. (link) 

➤ Global law firm Latham & Watkins welcomes Hogan Lovells Global Head of Sports Group Partner Matthew Eisler and Corporate & Finance Partner Russell Hedman as partners in the mergers & acquisitions and private equity practice, as well as the entertainment, sports & media practice. Per SBJ’s Ben Fischer, “the duo will focus their practice on complex M&A and investments, from buying and selling sports teams to the creation of joint ventures and investment vehicles.” (link) 

Coaches Corner…
➤ La Salle hires Saint Francis (PA) Field Hockey HC Mackenzie Allessie for the same role with the Explorers. (link)
➤ Siena elevates Men’s Lacrosse AHC Tim Cox to HC. (link)
➤ Winthrop selects Lander (DII) Men’s Soccer HC Dale Parker to lead the Eagles’ program. (link)
➤ Indiana Women’s Volleyball HC Steve Aird agrees to a contract extension that could keep him in Bloomington through the 2031 campaign. (link)
➤ Kent State Women’s Gymnastics HC Brice Biggin announces plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season after 35 years at the helm. (link)
➤ UTRGV Women’s Soccer HC Mark Foster resigns amid ongoing treatment for Myelofibrosis after four seasons at the helm. (link) 

Boise State Asst. Professor Sam Ehrlich reports “a federal district court in California has granted preliminary approval to the NCAA's $303M settlement of a lawsuit by ex-’volunteer’ coaches (non-baseball) who were barred from receiving pay under a since-repealed NCAA rule. A final fairness hearing is set for May 11.” (link) 

World champion Cuban wrestler and prospective Iowa State student-athlete Reineri Andreu Ortega has dropped his eligibility lawsuit over rules he said unfairly barred him from competing for the Cyclones, telling a federal judge that the 2025-26 season will conclude before a ruling on his injunction request could be made. The suit challenged the NCAA’s so-called “Five-Year Eligibility Clock” and the manner in which the NCAA decides when that clock begins running and thus when a student’s eligibility to compete expires. Attorneys for Ortega argued the NCAA’s application of the rule violated antitrust laws and unjustifiably restrained the ability of Ortega and other college athletes to “earn meaningful compensation that is now available to (other) NCAA Division I athletes.” More behind the paywall. (link) 

Elevate acquires chef representation and culinary consultancy Sweet Management Group, enabling the agency to deliver culinary marketing services. (link) 

Texas State receives a pair of $2M gifts from alumni Scott and Lynda Irvine and Chris and Shannon Rasmussen to support the $16M transformation of the university's baseball and softball facilities. The renovations are slated to include new indoor batting cages for both sports, a pitching lab, weight room, training room, locker rooms, hospitality club level and coaches' offices. (link) 

Northwestern Softball inks an agreement to play its 2026 home campaign at The Ballpark at Rosemont while its home facility, Kip & Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium, undergoes renovations. Overall, the Wildcats will play 12 home match-ups against Big Ten opposition at the 2K-seat stadium, which currently serves as one of the homes of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). More. (link) 

Bellarmine Men’s Basketball is teaming up with sponsor Shenanigans Irish Grille to go all-in on attracting students to the team’s ASUN home opener on Thursday against Central Arkansas by offering free beer and ice cream to students. Only free pizza missing for the trifecta. (link) 

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(NEWEST!) Head Coach, Women's Field Hockey (University of New Hampshire / Durham, NH): Responsible for leading & managing all aspects of the program, including fostering a culture of integrity, inclusivity, & excellence, prioritizing student-athlete development both on & off the field. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Associate Athletics Director, Major and Leadership Giving (Boston College / Boston, MA): This position is responsible for the cultivation and solicitation of major and leadership gift donors to BC Athletics through their portfolio work and the management of six frontline fundraisers. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant AD, Business and Financial Reporting (George Mason University / Fairfax, VA): The Assistant AD, Business and Financial Reporting manages the day-to-day operations of the Athletic Department Business Office. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant Commissioner for Championships, Administration and External Operations (South Atlantic Conference / Rock Hill, SC): Responsible for the coordination and administration of the Conference’s 24 championships (22 in 2026-27), oversight of sport policy manuals, and leadership of league external operations initiatives. (DII) More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Director of Player Management (University of Georgia / Athens, GA): Serve as the primary point of contact with prospective and current Olympic Sports student-athletes (and their representation) for the negotiation of NIL licensing agreements. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Director of Graphic Design (United States Air Force Academy / Colorado Springs, CO): Principal graphic designer from conception through production; researches, strategizes, conceptualizes, proposes, and designs creative projects for electronic, print, web, and interactive media More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Graduate Assistant: Athletic Marketing (Belmont University / Nashville, TN): Belmont University’s Department of Athletics is currently accepting applications for a Graduate Assistant position in Athletic Marketing for the 2026-27 & 2027-28 academic years (two-year commitment). More details HERE.

Job openings by discipline, posted in the past 15 days...

Learning Specialist (The George Washington University / Washington, DC): More details HERE.

Assistant Director/Coordinator of Business Operations & Payables (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): More details HERE.

 

Sr. Associate/Executive Sr. Associate AD/Leadership and Culture Development (University of North Texas / Denton, TX): More details HERE.

Assistant Coach 1 - Women's Soccer (Middle Tennessee State University / Murfreesboro, TN): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Men's Tennis Coach (University of Texas – San Antonio / San Antonio, TX): More details HERE.

 

Director of Recruiting Strategy (University of Oklahoma / Norman, OK): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Coach, Women's Volleyball (University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ): More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director, Marketing (University of Alabama / Tuscaloosa, AL): More details HERE.

There are currently no job listings in this field.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development (Towson University / Towson, MD): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Athletics Director, Eagles Club (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): More details HERE.

 

Director of Development (United States Air Force Academy / Colorado Springs, CO): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Director of Development, Athletics (University of California – San Diego / La Jolla, CA): More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development (Towson University / Towson, MD): More details HERE.

 

Director of Athletics (Lawrence University / Appleton, WI): (DIII) More details HERE.

 

Sr. Associate/Executive Sr. Associate AD/Leadership and Culture Development (University of North Texas / Denton, TX): More details HERE.

Senior Athletics Operations Associate, Mount Vernon Athletic Facilities and Barcroft Park (The George Washington University / Washington, DC): More details HERE.

 

Athletics Groundskeeper (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): More details HERE.

There are currently no job listings in this field.

Athletic Trainer (University of South Carolina – Upstate / Spartanburg, SC): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Director, Behavioral Health & Performance (Tulane University / New Orleans, LA): More details HERE.

 

Director, Strength and Conditioning (The George Washington University / Washington, DC): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Athletic Trainer (Swim & Dive) (San Diego State University / San Diego, CA): More details HERE.

There are currently no job listings in this field.

Senior Director of Ticket Operations (Texas A&M University 12th Man Foundation / College Station, TX): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Director of Ticket Operations (Texas A&M University 12th Man Foundation / College Station, TX): More details HERE.

 

Associate Director of Ticket Services (East Carolina University / Greenville, NC): More details HERE.