Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company, drives growth for its partners across the sports ecosystem – including 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams and 65+ college athletic departments. Playfly operates an expansive portfolio of services with a data-driven and fan-focused approach to maximize revenue yield in key growth areas, such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, premium experiences and fan engagement offerings. Learn more. 

Key nugget from CRO.ticker

 “We believe this is really the next phase, next step in enhancing our fan experience. We want people in their seats, we want people to enjoy their time in our stadium, rooting on our team; we really don’t want them waiting in lines.”

Andrew McIntyre

SVP, Tennessee Titans, on the new Nissan Stadium featuring a "completely checkout-free" concessions setup with over 50 Amazon Just Walk Out stores

Check out today's new CRO.ticker for more on frictionless revenue & high-speed retail plus insights on the job of a board member and merch that moves beyond "shrink it and pink it". (link)

Charlotte is expected to begin AD interviews this week with the goal of finalizing the hire by mid-February, per CollegeAD. (link); For those in the mix, don’t go into the interview unprepared. Make use of the D1.dossier available for the 49ers opening. (link)

Newly appointed Michigan President Kent Syverud has "no mandate" from the U-M Board of Regents regarding the future of AD Warde Manuel, according to the Detroit Free Press' Tony Garcia. Syverud is emphasizing a measured approach as he comes to Ann Arbor: "Having been a president once before, coming in with intentions about personnel is a big mistake. You need to first be on the ground and learn and talk to people." UM Regent Jordan Acker confirmed personnel decisions are solely the president's purview, while regent Paul Brown adds: "I think Warde is one of the best athletic directors in our history and in the country today. But there is obviously some prerogative of a new president to pick his team and obviously, too, for the board to examine closely the mistakes that were made in this last incident." Brown also tells Garcia that ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips called Syverud "my best president in terms of understanding and supporting athletics." (link)

The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson highlights the financial and cultural impact of Miami's unexpected run to the College Football Playoff national championship as the No. 10 seed as the Hurricanes will pocket the full $20M payout due to the ACC. Canes AD Dan Radakovich confirmed the funds will support general operations and likely the NIL collective, noting: "It’ll help for sure, and our job is to make sure it doesn’t get spent many times over." Radakovich also emphasizes the importance of having support from President Joe Echevarria and the university: “In today’s athletic world, it’s absolutely critical that you have that alignment. That word gets thrown around a lot, but it’s important. Everything that they talked about and how they wanted to be involved and how they wanted to move things along has certainly occurred.” (link)

Puck’s John Ourand reports that “nobody knows how many tickets are actually on the market” for the College Football Playoff national championship at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, noting that the cheapest nosebleed seats on the secondary market are listed for more than $3,500, and 50-yard-line seats have a five-figure price tag. Ourand notes each team gets 20K tickets to distribute to season-ticket holders, “and Miami hasn’t allotted them yet. Once those tickets are assigned, there’s a chance the secondary market will see an influx of new inventory from fans selling their tickets or brokers on the alert for national championship passes. In the meantime, Miami is putting fans who buy a full schedule next season into the drawing for a chance to buy tickets to Monday’s game. Those tickets will be allocated on Tuesday.” Eventellect Co-Founder Patrick Ryan tells Ourand: “With the get-in price being so high—and it’s been that high for a decent number of days now—it’s just really hard to maintain that level. I imagine we’ll see a decrease in some price areas. I do think we could see some softness with premium tickets in between the 30-yard lines. But we don’t know yet. The bottom line is that we haven’t seen all the inventory in the market yet. That’s one big piece of the puzzle.” (link)

Ohio State AD Ross Bjork confirmed that Learfield has begun exploring potential jersey patch sponsors for football and other varsity sports, pending the NCAA's expected rule change that would allow commercial logos on uniforms effective Aug. 1. Bjork emphasized that the university will be "thoughtful, diligent and mindful" in selecting a partner given the Buckeyes’ value. The department is considering opportunities across all 36 sports—potentially with a single sponsor or category-specific deals—but Bjork explains: “Some uniforms are different. Gymnastics leotards are different than a soccer uniform, so we’ve got to be thoughtful about how it lays out design-wise and things like that, but all 36 of our sports could have some opportunity. Now, you could have one sponsor for all 36, or you could break it up in different categories. Those are all the things that we want to create some intelligence around and what the market might be interested in.” Regardless, Bjork prefers a "less is more" aesthetic, stating: "We will take our time as needed to make sure that we get the value and right partner." (link)

Last week’s Ole Miss-Miami (FL) Fiesta Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal averaged 15.8M viewers and peaked at 17.2M. (link)

Ole Miss has filed its appeal of QB Trinidad Chambliss’ denied waiver request for a sixth year of eligibility, according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who notes the “appeal goes before the DI academic eligibility committee, which has in-person meetings scheduled for this week at the NCAA convention. As noted on Friday, Chambliss’ legal counsel, Tom Mars, is drafting a lawsuit on his behalf to file in Mississippi state court in the coming days.” (link)

Dayton AD Neil Sullivan confirms Iona transfer Adam Nije Jr. is no longer a part of the men’s basketball program. In October, UD acknowledged it had been “notified by the NCAA of potential eligibility concerns related to Adam Njie, connected to matters that occurred prior to his enrollment at the University. In light of these concerns and the ongoing review process, Adam will not be participating in athletic competition at this time.” Previous reporting by ESPN & other outlets noted Nije’s involvement in the NCAA’s sports gambling probe. (link, link)

Washington State has promoted alumna Bridget Adams to Senior Assoc. AD for Administration. Adams, who joined the department in 2012 and previously served as Asst. AD for Internal Operations, returns to athletics after a stint as Principal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. (link)

Cincinnati has signed Director of Football Sports Performance Niko Palazeti and GM Zach Grant to contract extensions that could keep them with the Bearcats through at least 2028. (link)

Appearing on SBJ’s “On My Mind,” Playfly CEO Craig Sloan explains how the understanding of content consumption is a major opportunity in the sports industry. Sloan: “I think that the biggest opportunity for us in this area is the consumption of content from fans and utilizing that as fan engagement for more ways to create more data, more information and then feed the beast of the marketing cycle. I think when you look today at how many fans a property and rights holder can identify, it's only a small fraction of what we believe are the total number of fans that are out there because they have not created a two-way relationship with fans yet. Most of the consumption that's happening is things being pushed at the fan without much actual return from those fans to learn more about them, learn their interests, behaviors and then actually try to serve them better.” (link)

North Texas has officially named its soccer and track facility the Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium in honor of the UNT alumna, lifelong soccer supporter and former minority owner of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mean Green AD Jared Mosley: "Norma Hunt's influence on soccer was rooted in authenticity. She believed in the game, believed in the people who played it and believed in what sport can make possible. Naming our stadium in her honor is a meaningful way to celebrate that spirit and to inspire the student-athletes who will compete here for generations to come." (link)

Baylor has received the largest gift in its baseball program’s history from alumni and Magnolia founders Chip and Joanna Gaines to support the program's anticipated capital projects. In recognition, Baylor will rename the park as Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark. Bears AD Doug McNamee: "Through their family's special connection to baseball, this transformational gift will benefit not only Baylor Baseball, but all student-athletes and coaches across Baylor Athletics.” (link)

Le Moyne has received a $1M gift from alumnus and trustee Joseph M. Savage to support enhancements to the basketball arena, which will be renamed the Donald J. Savage '51 Basketball Arena in honor of Savage’s father. (link)

UNC Asheville has unveiled the Sherri and Rob Daniels Golf Center, a new on-campus practice facility for the women's golf program. The facility replaces the previous one lost to Hurricane Helene in fall 2024 and was funded by the Daniels, who learned of the team's need while mentoring a student-athlete in the department's "Leaders for Leaders" program. (link)

San José State Athletics to leverage Autonomous AI-driven fundraising technology

Through this collaboration, Spartans Athletics will deploy a custom AI fundraiser named Sami, an intelligent Virtual Engagement Officer designed to deliver personalized information to donors and prospective supporters. Powered by Givzey’s Version2.ai, the AI-powered Virtual Engagement Officer will answer questions, share impact stories, recommend giving opportunities, and guide supporters through the donation process with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

“As college athletics enters a new era shaped by evolving revenue-sharing models, innovation isn’t optional, it’s essential,” said Jeff Konya, SJSU Director of Athletics. “Our partnership with Givzey | Version2.ai positions us at the forefront of national fundraising strategy."

 

Read the full release >>

NCAA President Charlie Baker visits with Puck’s John Ourand on The Varsity podcast to discuss a number of topics including his thoughts on the ideal transfer rule and more…

➤ “Everybody should be allowed to transfer once at least, right? I think you should be allowed to transfer again if there's demonstrated some sort of exigent circumstance. … If the coach moves, kids should be allowed to move, period. End of discussion. … I think after that, it has to be really special circumstances, and I think we’ve got to pay a lot of attention to how they're doing academically, because even at that top level we're talking about … 90% of us aren't playing professionally, and the opportunity to get the degree is really going to matter. But I think the right transfer rule is once, no questions asked, can't be in the same season, obviously.”

➤ “Second time, if there's some set of circumstances that would support that, and I think obviously being told you're not part of the next couple of years at our program would be one of those things. But after that, I do believe they need some stability here, and I think a lot of the kids I've talked to have said that. It's funny, the ones that get left behind when there's all this transferring, they speak to the fact that it's hard to create a culture, and it's hard to count on what your team's going to look like and how it's going to work from one year to the next.”

➤ On Washington Football student-athlete Demond Williams’ recent NIL contract situation: “This is a good example of the growing pains associated with having a model where you now give schools and student-athletes the ability to negotiate, right? He was represented by an agent who I assume was qualified and brought all the right capabilities to his side of the table. The school obviously, I'm sure, was well represented. He signed a contract and the school signed a contract. When people sign a contract, I think it's expected that they live up to the terms of the agreement that they sign. … But I think this is part of the growing pains associated with entering into a world where you do have revenue sharing and you do have NIL agreements, many being negotiated by a lot of different people across that upper echelon of college sports.” More from Baker. (link)

The latest NIL Deal Flow Report has been released by the College Sports Commission with 17,321 total deals listed as cleared, for a total value of $127.21M, and just 524 deals that haven’t been cleared ($14.94M). Since the platform’s launch on June 11, 2025: 52% of submitted deals have been resolved within 24 hours; 73% of deals reached resolution within seven days following submission of all required information; 10,848 unique student-athletes have had at least one cleared deal, 44% of whom play a sport other than Football or Men's Basketball; and student-athletes playing more than 40 unique NCAA sports have registered at least one cleared deal. Since the last NIL Deal Flow report was released in early November, 5,146 deals have been cleared with an aggregate value of $39.71M. Overall, the platform now boasts 35,306 student-athlete, 1,263 institution and 4,202 representative users. (link)

Columbia announces a $10M gift from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine and their family to support both men’s and women’s basketball while also endowing the women’s head coaching position as The Lavine Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball. The support for the women's team represents the single largest gift for women's athletics in the department's history. (link)

Alabama Men’s Basketball is splitting approximately $2.9M in revenue-sharing funds or 14% of the school’s total rev-share contribution to its student-athletes, per the Tuscaloosa News’ Emilee Smarr, who notes UA doesn’t disclose individual earnings or how much House settlement money is allocated to each sport and that the figure doesn’t include NIL deals struck with either the Yea Alabama collective or outside deals. Crimson Tide AD Greg Byrne previously noted the school structures its allocation of settlement funds based on revenue generated by each sport with six Alabama teams receiving shares while 15 others do not. (link)

No charges will be filed against Notre Dame Football HC Marcus Freeman over an alleged physical altercation that recently occurred at his son’s wrestling tournament at Mishakawa H.S., per the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. From a statement: “Based on a review of all of the evidence, the State would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred.  While the evidence suggests that a touching may have occurred, an inadvertent touching is not sufficient.  The State is therefore declining to file any criminal charges.” More. (link)

People & Places…
➤ New Mexico State unveils a number of key staff additions and executive leadership updates, that include: Texas A&M Asst. AD for Football Academics Molly Tye has been tabbed as the Aggies’ Deputy AD for Internal Operations/SWA; Georgia Southwestern State (DII) Senior Assoc. AD Eric Crawford has been hired as CFO; and Utah Director of Football Academics Josh Hadley has been named Senior Assoc. AD for Student-Athlete Services. In addition, staff adjustments include: Chet Savage now serving as Deputy AD/CRO; Associate AD for Marketing and Promotions Nicole Sack being elevated to Assoc. AD for External Engagement; and Athletics Operations Manager/HR Director Joseph Almaguer being promoted to Assoc. AD for Administration. (link)
➤ Kennesaw State highlights a trio of new administrative appointments as Temple Executive Senior Assoc. AD/SWA Dr. Jessica Reo joins the staff as Chief Administration Officer, Huron Consulting Director for Strategy and Operations Tierra Thompson comes aboard as Chief of Staff and Georgia Tech Director of Facilities and Administration Christie Hughes gets hired as Asst. AD/Athletics Events and Operations Manager. (link)   

➤ Omaha taps American Heart Association Development Director Lindsey Vande Hoef as Assoc. AD of Development. (link)

➤ NACDA elevates Senior Director Nick Strah to serve as VP. (link)
➤ Kansas City Men’s Basketball HC Marvin Menzies will depart the program at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season after four years at the helm. (link)
➤ Cincinnati Football GM Zach Grant has reportedly inked a contract extension that will keep him with the Bearcats through at least 2028, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. (link)
➤ Overtime Elite hires former Atlanta Hawks (NBA) GM Landry Fields as its President of League Operations, per The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman. (link)
➤ College Sports Communicators unveils its 2026 CSC Hall of Fame Class to be recognized at the CSCUNITE26 Convention in Las Vegas, Nev., over June 7-10. Division I representatives of the six-member class include: Ohio State Assoc. AD for Communications-Football Jerry Emig; Arkansas Alumni Association COO/Assoc. Executive Director Kevin Trainor; and retired former Western Carolina Assoc. AD/SID Steve White. More. (link) 

Adidas wasted no time taking advantage of the momentum created by its brand-sponsored schools Indiana and Miami (FL) advancing to the upcoming College Football Playoff National Championship by creating an overnight website launch highlighting new product offerings while working up plans for a pop-up merchandise activation on South Beach as well celebrations with both schools, per JohnCanzano.com’s eponymous publisher. Adidas VP of Sports Marketing Chris McGuire: “It’s amazing. It helps build on the momentum the brand has in the US. The opportunity to celebrate a national championship with one of our partners will be surreal.” Canzano: “Whenever Adidas and Nike are matched up in a high-profile sporting event, it’s a high-stakes proposition. Employees in Portland buzzed about Friday’s game during meetings. McGuire pointed out that several large newspapers wrote stories in the run-up to the semifinals about the surging football schools at Adidas. … Be sure, it’s a storyline this week. … Indiana vs. Miami marks the first time that two Adidas-sponsored teams will play for all the marbles. … Bjørn Gulden, the CEO of Adidas, is going to travel from Germany to Miami for the Indiana-Miami game. Why not? It’s a big deal for the American arm of his company’s business. I’m interested in how Adidas will capitalize on the momentum.” More. (link)

Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl attendance was up for both games that served as College Football Playoff Semifinals this season, per SBJ. The announced crowd for the Miami (FL)-Ole Miss Fiesta Bowl match-up was 67,928, up from last season’s total of 63,854 for the Penn State-Boise State CFP Quarterfinal, while the Peach Bowl between Indiana and Oregon drew 75,604, up from 71,105 from last year’s Texas-Arizona State CFP Quarterfinal. Composite attendance for the first three rounds is down slightly from last season -- 805,611 to 750,172 -- as a result of the campus sites used in the first round with last year’s opening round contests at Penn State, Texas and Ohio State all drawing more than 100K. (link) 

Deal Corner…
➤ Davidson inks a renewal of its long-term partnership to have Learfield continue providing integrated data, digital and revenue solutions designed to support a new era of college athletics and drive strategic growth for the Wildcats. As part of the deal, the Davidson Sports Properties team will hire a new Business Development Manager to assist in enhancing brand partnerships, activating key assets and advancing NIL opportunities for student-athletes. Davidson will also expand its use of Fanbase and Fan365 to tap into demographic, geographic, and profile data metrics to better target Wildcat fans and maximize brand partnership opportunities. (link)
➤ Cal, T-Mobile, Collegiate Mobile and Learfield are collaborating to introduce Bears Mobile, a phone service that offers student, university employee and fan plans ranging from $15 to $45 per month, with a portion of each payment to support the Cal Athletics Fund, Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship Fund or the Student Emergency Fund. Bears Mobile customers are also eligible for exclusive game day perks, including: home game VIP experiences, such as access to the hospitality sideline lounge; mobile seat upgrades at Cal Memorial Stadium and at other Bears sporting events; and the opportunity to win special giveaways, including pregame hospitality and signed gear. (link)
➤ Campus Ink has closed a $3M investment round, highlighted by the participation of former Purdue Men’s Basketball student-athlete/current Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey as the company’s first former athlete investor. The company also announced the spring launch of Urban Champs, a new lifestyle brand designed to bridge the gap between campus life and professional careers. (link)

Interested in advertising a job opening in D1.ticker on CollegeSports.jobs? Submit your position here.

 

(NEWEST!) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) (Missouri Valley Conference / St. Louis, MO): The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) is a key member of the MVC senior leadership team and serves as a strategic partner to the Commissioner on all financial matters. More details HERE.

 

(NEWEST!) Assistant Director of Event Management and Facilities (Baylor University / Waco, TX): The Athletics department at Baylor University is seeking an Event Management and Facilities Assistant Director to support the mission of the university. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Director of Athletics (Menlo School / Atherton, CA): Menlo School, a leading private independent school in Atherton, California, seeks a mission-focused, inspiring, and strategic leader to serve as the next director of athletics. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant Athletic Director Ticketing (University of Northern Iowa / Cedar Falls, IA): Manages all related functions of ticketing for UNI Athletics; develops and executes event creation, programs, and maintains the ticketing system More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant Director of Academics/Academic Counselor (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): Monitor the academic progress of student-athletes in compliance with NCAA, Southeastern Conference, and the University of Arkansas rules and regulations. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant Director of Marketing - Athletics (West Virginia University / Morgantown, WV): The Department of Athletics at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Assistant Director of Marketing. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Computer Technician, IT (University of Central Florida / Orlando, FL): The selected candidate will assist the Director, Information Technology with the administration and direction of UCF Athletics' I.T. services. More details HERE.

 

(NEW!) Assistant Coach 1 - Strength and Conditioning (Middle Tennessee State University / Murfreesboro, TN): Assist the Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning with general oversight of the Strength and Conditioning Program. More details HERE.

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

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Director of Sport Administration & Policy (Patriot League / Bethlehem, PA): More details HERE.

 

Associate Athletic Director of Budget and Finance (The Citadel / Charleston, SC): More details HERE.

 

Coordinator, Business Operations (Western Kentucky University / Bowling Green, KY): More details HERE.

 

Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations (Tufts University / Medford, MA): (DIII) More details HERE. 

 

Assistant AD, Business and Financial Reporting (George Mason University / Fairfax, VA): More details HERE.

 

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

Assistant Men's Soccer, Goalkeeper Coach (University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA / Los Angeles, CA): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Coach - Baseball (Eastern Michigan University / Ypsilanti, MI): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (Abilene Christian University / Abilene, TX): More details HERE.

 

Head Coach, Women's Field Hockey (University of New Hampshire / Durham, NH): More details HERE.

 

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

Executive Director, Creative Design, Department of Athletics (Wake Forest University / Winston-Salem, NC): More details HERE.

 

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

 

Graduate Assistant: Athletic Marketing (Belmont University / Nashville, TN): More details HERE.

 

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

Director of Sport Administration & Policy (Patriot League / Bethlehem, PA): More details HERE.

 

Customer Success Manager (RealResponse / Remote): More details HERE.

 

Director of Player Management (University of Georgia / Athens, GA): More details HERE.

Chief Executive Officer (IPTAY / Clemson, SC): More details HERE.

 

Assistant/Associate Athletics Director for Development (Fresno State / Fresno, CA): More details HERE.

 

Executive Director of Development, Athletics (California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo / San Luis Obispo, CA): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Athletic Director of Development, Annual Fund (Syracuse University / Syracuse, NY): More details HERE.

 

Executive Director of Operations, Events and Donor Relations (Syracuse University / Syracuse, NY): More details HERE.

 

Foundation Development Director (MAPGA Foundation / Stafford, VA): More details HERE.

 

Asst. Director Gamecock Club - External Operations (University of South Carolina / Columbia, SC): More details HERE.

 

Associate Athletics Director, Major and Leadership Giving (Boston College / Boston, MA): More details HERE.

 

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

Chief Executive Officer (IPTAY / Clemson, SC): More details HERE.

 

Commissioner (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference / Madison, WI): (DIII) 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.

Director of Sport Administration & Policy (Patriot League / Bethlehem, PA): More details HERE.

 

Director of Athletic Facility Operations (Texas Christian University / Fort Worth, TX): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Commissioner for Championships, Administration and External Operations (South Atlantic Conference / Rock Hill, SC): (DII) More details HERE.

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Sports Dietitian (Iowa State University / Ames, IA): More details HERE.

 

Associate Athletic Trainer - Football (University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA / 90095, CA): More details HERE.

 

Assistant Director Of Olympic Sports Nutrition (Mississippi State University / Starkville, MS): More details HERE.

 

Coordinator, Sports Performance Operations (Mississippi State University / Starkville, MS): More details HERE.

 

Sports Dietitian (Director, Football Performance Nutrition) (United States Air Force Academy / Colorado Springs, CO): More details HERE.

 

Associate Director of Athletic Training - Football - (250000QF) (Towson University / Towson, MD): More details HERE.

 

Athletic Trainer (Texas Christian University / Fort Worth, TX): More details HERE.

 

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

There are currently no job listings in this field.

Ticket Sales & Operations Manager (University of Texas – El Paso / El Paso, TX): More details HERE.