Hey team @Learfield..........let’s go!

College sports is the best sports of all the sports.

One of the most moving experiences of my life was visiting the 9/11 memorial with my family. There are so many tributes that can send emotions racing, but one of our favorites was this truck from FDNY Ladder Company 3, led by Capt. Paddy Brown. 11 brave men, 11 souls lost. I felt then - and am reminded today - that it’s emblematic of the spirit that spread that day; and, importantly, lives 25 years later. Damaged, forever altered, but strong, still. May all lost that day inspire memories that live forever.

Having nothing to do with the goofy guy in the post, I hope a bazillion people see this and take notice. It’s ok not to be ok, and there are people who can help. For our athletes, it’s even better - there are PEERS who can help. All thanks to team @OnriseCare. Let’s go!

This isn't just a loss for Tigers nation - it's a loss for college athletics and every fan of college baseball. I spent a few years with Coach Bertman as a young player (camps), and he was the most thoughtful and inspirational coach I ever encountered. He was also a terrific human being. The principle of "who holds your rope" is still a factor in my life and leadership 30 years later. Geaux rest well, Coach.

I’ve had the good fortune of knowing Kim for over 20 years, and I can say with certainty that she is one of the best executives in sports & entertainment. She’s a phenomenal leader, an even better human being, and an inspiration to working moms everywhere. Those of us at @Learfield are truly fortunate to call her a teammate. Congrats, @KimDSports!

No validation of $’s, but 100% validation of the comparison. When you take into account all men’s and women’s sports on a campus, there are few brands in pro sports that rival the passion and demand for college. Big day for @OhioStAthletics, @Learfield, and our entire industry.

Back in Dec, our team sold and announced the first jersey patch in college sports. In six months we’ve sold 20; 8 in the P4 alone. What this @Learfield team is doing at scale is unlike anything in global sports marketing.

💯 This is precisely why we created Learfield Studios. And it’s not just about college football. It’s about college sports and college fandom on the whole. Fans are fans all year long, and our job is to deliver unique content and unique experiences that meet them where they are, year round.

Here’s what I love about what this team is doing: they’re not selling sports marketing assets. They’re telling stories. Stories that are highly unique to the schools, their cultures, their athletes (current and former), and the brands that care about each of those stakeholders. This is the future of brand building around sports.

That pride goes in both directions, my friend. We’re all navigating new terrain, with a ton still to figure out. But with the right partnerships and the right principles, the future is bright. Zero doubt in my mind. Appreciate you! 👊

We’ve been silent on this from the start, but I think it’s time to make a few things clear. While we appreciate the plaintiffs’ position on Associated Entities, Learfield was not involved in this proceeding, and we do not expect this ruling to impact our NIL deal-making and fulfillment activities in any way. We intend to continue operating within the framework of the House Settlement, just as we’ve done since it went into effect. In the last year alone, Learfield has had more than 4,000 deals approved by CSC through the NIL Go portal, and we look forward to continuing to create more opportunities for brands, student athletes and our university partners.

Go do great things, @HenryGahagan!

A must-win game for district, and @HPScotsBaseball got it done - congrats boys! And @HenryGahagan, you continue to amaze. So proud of you, 11 - let’s keep rolling!

This acquisition is a testament to the extraordinary work of an extraordinary team. In an era of constant change, Learfield has remained the trusted leader, innovating beyond the curve, and delivering solutions that genuinely power an industry. We’re beyond thrilled to now continue this mission with our new partners at TPG.

Have a day, @HenryGahagan!

Absolute 🔥 !

Dr. King once said “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”. While it feels more challenging than ever, my hope is that we heed this guidance and continue striving for brotherhood over foolishness.

Giants, every single one. In this day and age, we don't give enough credit to the voices of our programs. Find any great moment in college sports, and I'll play you a goose-bump-filled call from the play-by-play and color commentary duo. Congrats to these legends...

Today marks my 6th anniversary with Learfield. To commemorate this thrilling ride, I thought I’d share 6 learnings (and a few reminders) from my first 6 years with the company:  1. There are not enough words to describe the level of grind, complexity and hard work that AD’s and their staffs face on an every-day basis. No other executive in sports and ent. works 7 days / week, spanning 20+ sports, with practically zero breaks over 10 months - to say nothing about the never-ending deluge of change and uncertainty. If you’re looking to enter the business of college athletics, have a clear-eyed view of this reality, and be prepared to work harder than you’ve ever worked before.  2. Culture is the most important factor to (a) overcoming obstacles; and (b) maintaining long-term success. Learfield has the best culture of any company I’ve encountered, and it’s not even close. More than any factor, our culture has driven our success, and allowed us to overcome some pretty unique obstacles. Speaking of which… 3. Hard things are hard, and they’re guaranteed in any business. Many in our space are quick to reference Learfield’s journey over the last 6 years, but our journey is just that - it’s ours. It’s unique to our circumstances. Every company - in every industry - faces their own set of challenges and obstacles, and in my experience, three C’s are key to navigating those obstacles, regardless of how unique: culture, conviction and commitment. The first gives leaders a solid foundation. The second and third are up to those leaders to establish and maintain. If they do, anything is possible.  4. College athletics is not broken - far from it. According to SBJ and Neilson data, College Sports as a holistic sports property is second only to the NFL in US viewership and first in aggregate attendance. Demand has never been higher. Yes, there are many challenges that still need to be managed and addressed, but those challenges do not translate to a “broken” state. To lead, you can’t be broken - but you can certainly be flawed. We need to work in the months and years ahead to simultaneously optimize value (as the market leader in US sports), and eliminate the flaws. This won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.  5. Beyond the flaws, there’s also been a commercial paradox in college sports for years: highest in demand, lower-ranked in commercial revenue (media deals, commercial deals, etc.). This has largely been a function of four things: (a) the independent conferences and rights arrangements; (b) broadly speaking, a lack of modern commercial tools (data-driven sales solutions, at-scale content and media platform, etc.); (c) a true national offering to brands and agencies; and (d) historical prohibitions by the NCAA on certain assets and opportunities. But here’s the good news: those of us at Learfield have solved for (b) and (c), and the NCAA is making big strides on (d) - ie on-field / on-court assets approved last year, jersey patches on the way, etc. This translates to big growth in the years ahead.  6. I’ve had the good fortune of seeing the business of sports and entertainment from every major angle, and I’m convinced there’s nothing on the planet quite like college sports. The history, the students, the generational fandom, the field rushes, the court rushes (sorry conferences) - all of it is unrivaled.  It’s been a remarkable 6 years at Learfield, and I can’t wait to see what’s next…