Name Image and Likeness rules have changed the game in college athletics. With more money needed to attract and retain the country’s top talent, private equity and other firms are looking to bridge the financial gap and capitalize on the evolving landscape.
At the 2024 Minneapolis Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, panelists Blake Baratz of IFA, Katie Harms with Dinkytown Athletes, Cale Johnston of Roy Inc. and Gabriel Szerda of AB CarVal discuss the business future of college sports with moderator Steve Kozachok of Taft, offering insights into the trends and complexities driving this dynamic market. Here’s an excerpt:
“The NCAA reported, I think it was $1.2 billion of reported NIL deals in 2023 and they're forecasting almost $2.6 billion of reported NIL deals in 2025. So, it's an emerging market, and technology is starting to scale with it. That's on the holistic scale. But then you're hearing different programs like Ohio State football, they've been pretty public that their roster, when you're watching Ohio State football, it's a $20 million roster you're watching out there. And if you watch Ohio State play Oregon, that's $35- (million) $40 million on the field at one time.” - Cale Johnston, CEO of Roy, Inc.
You can catch the full panel discussion on the podcast.
