Private equity has officially arrived in college athletics.
The University of Utah is on the cusp of striking the industry’s first partnership with an equity firm in a marriage that features a nine-figure capital infusion and the creation and shared ownership of a for-profit entity to operate athletics business and financial elements outside of the traditional university framework.
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The new venture is expected to generate as much or more than $500 million in capital — a groundbreaking and innovative move that may pave the way for more schools and conferences to pursue such a concept.
Finalization of the project is expected soon pending authorization on Tuesday from the University of Utah Board of Trustees. The board is granting the university permission to move forward with the agreement with Otro Capital, a New York-based sports private equity firm.
Multiple officials with knowledge of the project spoke to Yahoo Sports under condition of anonymity.
The endeavor with Otro Capital is more than just a nine-figure infusion of cash.
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At the center of the project is the creation of a private, independent offshoot of the athletic department — Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC — in a first-of-its-kind partnership between a university athletic department and an equity partner. An executive team from Otro Capital, combined with athletics department personnel, will lead the creation and operation of the new company, which will live within the university’s foundation.
The university retains majority ownership and decision-making authority of Utah Brands & Entertainment. Otro marries the capital infusion with a team of experienced operators. A president from outside the university will preside over the company and report to a board, chaired by Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, with seats for trustees and Otro executives.
The project includes a fascinating wrinkle. The university is offering a prominent group of donors the ability to purchase a stake in Utah Brands & Entertainment. Already, university officials have culled a small donor base to generate millions in purchase agreements. The more than $500 million capital figure includes both the nine-figure cash infusion from Otro as well as those capital commitments from donors.
Utah Brands & Entertainment will house most of the components traditionally held within the university’s athletic department, including many athletic personnel and divisions. However, fundraising will remain with the school.
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The new company’s primary goal is to generate more revenue across an assortment of areas, including ticketing, concessions, corporate sales and sponsorships. Charged with overseeing and operating the revenue-share pay system for Utah athletes, the new entity provides the department with more flexibility and freedom considering it will operate separate from a public university.
The move isn’t completely foreign to college sports. Over the last several months, a host of schools — Kentucky, Michigan State, Clemson — have announced the creation of a private, revenue-generating entity outside of the athletic department as college sports evolves into a more professionalized ecosystem. None of those schools have partnered with an equity firm. However, Michigan State announced its own capital infusion of sorts in the form of a $401 million donation, a portion of which will go toward its new athletics entity.
As for Utah’s partnership, in exchange for the upfront cash, Otro will earn a large percentage of annual revenues generated from Utah Brands & Entertainment as it splits funds with the university. An exit strategy — in five to seven years — exists, and the university holds the right to purchase Otro’s ownership stake.
The emergence of private equity in college sports is a long time coming.
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For the last two years, as university athletic departments face mounting financial stressors, dozens of schools pursued private capital or equity deals, including conferences as a whole — most notably the Big 12 and Big Ten. However, when these projects reached the finish line, they were stymied for various reasons.
For instance, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has twice presented such a deal before his presidential board. Big Ten officials nearly reached the point of a vote on a $2.4 billion capital deal before at least two schools — USC and Michigan — scuttled the project.
Yormark’s pursuit of a capital deal caught the attention of Harlan and Utah administrators, who, more than two years ago, began the process that resulted in the potential deal with Otro.
According to its website, Otro seeks to invest in “sports teams, leagues and ecosystem businesses with strong intellectual property.” The company was founded in 2023 by partners Alec Scheiner, Niraj Shah, Brent Stehlik and Isaac Halyard, who all served as senior executives at RedBird Capital Partners, one of the globe’s largest sports industry investors.
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Scheiner has a deep background as a sports investor and team executive, spending time as president of the Cleveland Browns and senior vice president of the Dallas Cowboys. He was the point man for Legends Hospitality, a corporation providing food, merchandise, retail and stadium operations for venues and companies worldwide. Stehlik was the previous president of OneTeam Partners and worked as a chief revenue officer for the Browns.
Otro’s portfolio includes the Formula 1 Alpine Racing team, FlexWork Sports marketing and event company and Two Circles, a fan and data analytics platform. Otro will own a large share — but not a majority share — of Utah Brands & Entertainment, similar to its other projects. For instance, Otro invested $200 million in Alpine Racing to own a 24% equity stake.
According to a 2024 story on buyoutinsider.com, Otro was targeting $500 million for a sports-focused investment fund. The company has pitched its college plan to other schools — one specifically in the Big Ten — before Utah expressed serious interest.
It’s unclear if Otro has plans to execute similar agreements with other schools.
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In Salt Lake City, Otro executives, charged with revenue-generating goals, will have access to the school’s trademark and licensing rights, facilities, sponsorships and the university’s teams. However, decisions around coaching staff and player acquisition remain with university personnel.
In fact, the school cleared the partnership with NCAA officials. To remain under the NCAA’s umbrella, Utah’s university president and athletic director must retain the majority of decision-making.
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