The NFL issued $743M in new debt to fund stadium construction and provide working capital for participating clubs, according to Fitch Ratings. The total includes $338M earmarked for the G-5 Stadium Finance Program to support facility projects with maturities between 2038 and 2052, alongside $405M issued through the Football Trust to refinance existing team debt with maturities ranging from 2033 to 2041. The new tranches bring total outstanding NFL debt to $14.7B, with Fitch Ratings assigning "A" and "A+" credit ratings due to long-term media contracts and limited player costs and adding: "The ratings reflect the NFL’s position as the most popular professional sports league in the U.S. and its strong, well-regarded economic model." (link)

As it turns out, the New York Yankees are selling 16% to Apollo, which will make the firm the second largest shareholder after the Steinbrenner family. According to the New York Post’s Charles Gasparino there’s more intrigue with the deal details: “The Steinbrenner family would relinquish a ‘de minimis’ slice of its controlling equity, finalizing a transaction that will give the famed franchise a new, cash-rich partner. …Apollo’s $2.6 billion cash injection into Yankees involves both a debt and equity investment, and values the team at significantly more than $12 billion.” (link)

The Athletic’s Liam Twomey and Simon Johnson have more details on Clearlake’s acquisition of additional Chelsea shares via Todd Boeley and Mark Walter writing, “the deal is worth £950million ($1.27bn), and gives Chelsea an enterprise value of £5bn.” (link)

The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Salingo dissects "The Great Student Swap," examining how years of state higher education funding cuts forced public flagship universities to aggressively recruit out-of-state students to capture higher tuition revenues. While the strategy successfully generated much-needed capital, it simultaneously displaced thousands of qualified in-state applicants. Salingo notes that this lucrative model now faces severe headwinds due to impending demographic shifts reducing the total college-age population alongside increasingly restrictive visa policies that threaten the influx of international students. Here’s the breakdown…

➤ The Out-of-State Shift: Following state funding cuts after early-2000s recessions, public flagship universities aggressively targeted out-of-state students to boost revenue. For example, Alabama increased its share of out-of-state undergraduates from 23% in 2002 to 65% in 2022. Similar spikes occurred at institutions like South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

➤ The Financial Incentive: Out-of-state students pay significantly higher tuition (e.g., nearly $60,000 at Alabama compared to $34,600 for in-state students), making them crucial financial engines. Universities use a portion of these funds for generous merit aid to attract top-tier academic students who act as magnets for other full-pay out-of-state applicants.

➤ Displacing In-State Students: Studies show that about a third of the nation's top flagships have turned away qualified in-state residents to make room for higher-paying out-of-state students, sparking a cycle where displaced students look to public universities in other states.

➤ Future Headwinds: The era of easy out-of-state and international growth is facing major headwinds, including declining birth rates and high-school graduate numbers outside the South, alongside tighter federal visa restrictions and vetting for international students. (link)

According to an Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research survey of university chief business officers, just 43% of colleges regularly utilize more than three-quarters of their physical space. That rate plummets to 19% at public master's and baccalaureate institutions, driven heavily by nationwide enrollment declines and a shift toward hybrid instruction. The resulting surplus of unused space costs the higher education sector roughly $79B annually, according to estimates from facility management firm Occuspace. Survey data also shows that 29% of business officers flagged facilities as a top area of cost-revenue misalignment, trailing only academic programs (48%) and athletics (39%). Despite average campus building utilization dropping to 45% in fall 2025, only 13% of respondents reported active downsizing efforts, with many universities instead turning to adaptive reuse to convert vacant buildings into student success hubs. Occuspace CEO Nic Halverson: "Underutilized campus space is very much a real thing, and I don’t think it gets enough attention relative to how much it costs institutions every year. ... The opportunity is treating occupancy as an operating input—like enrollment or research dollars—so portfolio, energy and service decisions get made with the same seriousness." (link)

Nike is finalizing an agreement to supply apparel for Formula 1 management staff starting in 2027 as CEO Elliott Hill works to reverse a 6% decline in direct revenue and a 12% drop in digital sales for FY26, according to Business of Speed's Vincenzo Landino, who notes the company also recently appointed Moët Hennessy Deputy CEO Alexandre Arnault to its board, adding luxury retail experience as the brand attempts to rebuild consumer demand in regions like Greater China, where revenue dropped 11%. While current reports indicate the racing partnership is limited to staff kits rather than the expansive trackside retail rights held by competitors like Puma, the initial rollout provides an entry point into the sport's growing intersection of fashion and performance. Landino: "My bet is that, if the staff agreement goes ahead, Nike will pursue consumer apparel or footwear around it by the end of 2027. Puma’s precedent and the retail audience make that the likely next step. If Nike remains a uniform supplier, the argument that this deal supports a broader cultural recovery weakens." (link)

The estate of late musician Jimmy Buffett is the subject of a legal dispute over a $275M marital trust as widow Jane Buffett and co-trustee Richard Mozenter filed competing lawsuits seeking sole control. The Wall Street Journal's Katherine Sayre reports the trust holds an $85M valuation for a 20% stake in the Margaritaville enterprise—which brands 230 restaurants and 50 lodging offerings—along with $35M in real estate, $15M in airplanes, $5M in vehicles, and $2M in music equipment. Friction peaked when Mozenter projected the trust would generate less than $2M in annual net income and initiated a legal transfer to grant Jimmy’s sister, Lucy Buffett, veto power over future inheritance distributions. Jane Buffett is now threatening to withhold a $75M inheritance from daughter Savannah Buffett following a public disagreement. Mozenter's attorney John Gatti: "Jimmy deliberately limited Mrs. Buffett’s authority for his own reasons, and Rick must ensure Jimmy’s wishes are carried out and administer the trust as he expressly intended. That is exactly what he is doing." (link)

The Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates is compounding financial challenges for private-equity firms, trapping a record $349B in aging "zombie funds," The Wall Street Journal's Matt Wirz and Mark Maurer observe, noting that the U.S. private-equity sector, which controls over $2T, saw investments stranded in funds older than 10 years surge 65% from 2021 to 2025, per PitchBook data. Average returns dropped to 7% in 2025, while industry fundraising fell to $211.9B through mid-September, trailing the $334.4B collected in 2025. Major firms including Apollo, Blackstone, and KKR face mounting pressure as higher borrowing costs complicate company sales and limit liquidity. Specifically, software-heavy portfolios face increased default risks, with Thoma Bravo losing a $5B investment in Medallia and Clearlake negotiating options after lenders marked down a $2.1B loan to Cornerstone OnDemand and a $1.5B loan to Symplr Software by more than 30%. Kroll Managing Director Mitchell Mansfield: "You’re going to see an increase in funds entering that zombie zone. The longer these funds stay in existence, the more your return on capital as an investor plateaus, then declines." (link)

A recent survey of 300 U.S. C-suite executives at organizations with at least $100M in annual revenue reveals that 61% consider large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot leading tools for strategic decision-making, according to Board. The reliance is highest among finance chiefs, with 69% of CFOs citing LLM influence compared to 58% of COOs and 56% of CIOs. Executives now prioritize AI over traditional inputs such as industry peers (42%), technology vendors (37%), market trends (30%), and external consultants (28%). Furthermore, 48% of CFOs report following AI recommendations over their own conflicting judgment, a stark contrast to 33% of CIOs and 11% of COOs. A separate study by PEX noted a lingering trust gap, finding that while 66% of finance leaders want to use AI, only 28% are comfortable with it handling routine decisions and 36% point to accuracy concerns as the primary barrier. Board CFO Gordon Pothier: "CFOs, by nature, are typically a little bit more conservative and skeptical, so I think what this shows is that the AI wave is so strong that it can’t be ignored. ... There’s a responsibility when AI conflicts with your own judgment to do some due diligence. You don’t just go along with what AI is saying." (link)

Meanwhile, 60% of finance leaders expect artificial intelligence costs and technical complexity to rise through 2027, according to a Deloitte survey of 1,434 executives at companies with at least $1B in annual revenue. While 35% of respondents expect costs to remain modest, 54% of finance leaders now direct enterprise AI capital allocations and 48% oversee spending controls. Among organizations requiring formal approval for large tech investments (66%), 27% utilize a stage-gate funding model while 25% mandate quantified ROI projections, though another 25% allocate capital based solely on C-suite or board mandates without a valuation process. Deloitte U.S. finance services leader Ed Hardy detailed the shifting oversight responsibilities of finance executives as technology investments grow: "The CFO mandate is expanding from financial stewardship to helping shape how the enterprise invests in, governs and creates value from AI and technology." (link)

As enterprise adoption of AI-assisted software development – aka "vibe coding" – accelerates, tech executives emphasize that human oversight remains essential to manage security risks and software errors, according to IT Brew's Eoin Higgins. TieTechnology COO Mike Wehrs, for instance, notes that organizations utilizing multiple AI models in parallel significantly reduce failure rates compared to relying on a single engine. However, Checkmarx VP of Product Marketing Eran Kinsbruner cautions that current LLMs fail to automatically incorporate security guardrails unless developers explicitly instruct them to do so. Quickbase CTO Jon Kennedy likens an engineer's role to a commercial pilot overseeing autopilot: "You have to know what the airplane’s doing. At any moment, you might need to take control and hand-fly. You still need to understand the stuff you’re building, the code you’re writing—you need to review the code, it does make mistakes, it lies to you, it does dumb things." (link)

U.S. jobless claims dropped to 196K for the week ending Sept. 12, falling 10K below the previous week's unrevised 206K and missing the 207K mark expected by economists, according to The Wall Street Journal's Dean Seal. Continuing claims also declined by 39K to 1.73M for the week ending Sept. 5, signaling a resilient labor market despite broader economic headwinds. The strong employment indicators suggest policymakers may need to implement further rate hikes this year to combat inflation. Seal: "Persistent signs of a strong labor market will put pressure on the Federal Reserve to continue tightening monetary policy going forward. The central bank raised rates on Wednesday for the first time in three years as it pushes to get inflation under control." (link)

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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days).

(NEW!) Assistant Business Manager (University of Texas – Austin / Austin, TX): To provide support assigned Sport Programs and Departments within Intercollegiate Athletics, in the areas of budget management, travel, procure to pay, and related business functions. More details HERE.

Data Analyst I (University of Alabama / Tuscaloosa, AL): The Data Analyst I gathers, audits, analyzes, and reports low- to moderate-complexity data under general supervision. More details HERE.

Deputy Athletic Director (University of Washington / Seattle, WA): Washington Athletics has an outstanding opportunity for a Deputy Athletic Director to join their team. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Seattle? Click HERE.

Assistant Director for Business Services (University of Connecticut / Storrs Mansfield, CT): The University of Connecticut is seeking applications for the full-time position of Assistant Director for Business Services More details HERE.

Assistant or Associate Athletic Director, Business Operations/SWA (Sacred Heart University / Fairfield, CT): Provides operational leadership for Athletics' business functions. Oversees financial management, budgeting, purchasing, contracts, revenue and expense tracking to ensure fiscal responsibility More details HERE.

Associate VP & Chief Commercial Officer/Chief Revenue Officer (Ohio State University / Columbus, OH): Responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive revenue growth strategy for the Department of Athletics and Buckeye Enterprises at The Ohio State University. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Columbus? Click HERE.

Director, Business Office (Spartan Ventures / East Lansing, MI): This role, in conjunction with the Spartan Ventures CFO, will manage all financial activity related to the organization and contribute directly to the success of Michigan State University Athletics. More details HERE.

Manager, Financial Planning and Analytics (University of Texas – Austin / Austin, TX): This position will serve as a point-of-contact for financial planning and internal control functions within the Department of Athletics. More details HERE.

Director of Athletics Budget and Finance (Syracuse University / Syracuse, NY): The Director of Athletics Budget and Finance oversees the comprehensive stewardship, fiscal integrity, and business operations of the athletic department More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Business Operations (FINANCIAL ANL SUPV 1) Job 88459. (University of California – Davis / Davis, CA): This position is responsible for overseeing all Business Office operations, including account management and oversight of an approximately $50M budget as well as all purchasing and travel activities. More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director (California State University – Fullerton / Fullerton, CA): Assist the AD with overall organization and management of the Athletic Department, operational and strategic planning, sport supervision, policies and procedures, assist with budgetary decisions. More details HERE.

Assistant Director or Director of Business Procurement & Operations (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): The role supports the financial and operational functions of the Athletic Business Office. More details HERE.

Chief Revenue / Chief Marketing Officer (Atlantic 10 Conference / Washington, DC): Provide strategic leadership by identifying and developing new commercial opportunities, generating revenue, strengthening the A10 brand, growing audiences and building corporate partnerships. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Washington, DC? Click HERE.

Vice President - Human Resources (Atlantic Coast Conference / Charlotte, NC): Serve as the senior HR professional leading and overseeing the human resources function, including HR practices, policies, procedures, systems, and all employee-related matters. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Charlotte? Click HERE.

Athletics Business Manager (Augusta University / Augusta, GA): The Athletics Business Manager (Business Manager 1) position manages all matters of financial reporting, budgeting, contracts, and collection of funds for the Athletic Department. (DII) More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Business & Finance (University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA / Los Angeles, CA): Manage key financial operations, including departmental revenue, accounts receivable, financial reporting, budgeting, Foundation funds and procurement, in a dynamic collegiate athletics environment. More details HERE.

Associate/Senior Associate Athletic Director for Business and Administrative Operations (Ohio University / Athens, OH): Serves as a member of the Athletics Executive Team and responsible for providing strategic oversight, implementation, and management of the Athletics financial functions, procedures, and policies. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Athens? Click HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Officer (Murray State University / Murray, KY): Serves as a senior leader responsible for advancing revenue generation, philanthropic development, commercial strategy, customer engagement, and business innovation for Murray State Athletics. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Murray? Click HERE.

Director of Business Operations/Assistant AD-Business Operations (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee / Milwaukee, WI): Position performs all financial duties within the athletic department. Supports the Deputy AD in budget management and advises staff on policies. Has the potential for an Assistant AD title. More details HERE.

Director of Business Operations (Louisiana Tech University / Ruston, LA): Louisiana Tech Athletics is seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve in Business Operations. More details HERE.

Operations Analyst for Roster Management (University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN): Support athletic roster strategy through data management, modeling, reporting, dashboards, and analytics focused on player valuation, revenue sharing, scholarships, performance, and financial planning. More details HERE.

Executive Assistant to the Director of Athletics (University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA / Los Angeles, CA): Serve as a key partner to the Director of Athletics, managing strategic priorities, executive communications, and high-level projects that support the leadership and operations of the department. More details HERE.

Executive Associate Athletics Director, Business & Finance (University of Nevada – Las Vegas / Las Vegas, NV): The University of Nevada, Las Vegas invites applications for Executive Associate Athletics Director, Business & Finance. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Las Vegas? Click HERE.

Associate or Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Business Operations (Oregon State University / Corvallis, OR): The Director of Finance & Business Operations provides strategic leadership for all financial and business operations within the Department of Athletics. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Corvallis? Click HERE.