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The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has launched American RISE Ventures, a new business division aimed at enhancing revenue generation for the benefit of its member institutions.

According to a conference press release, the new unit “will lead all aspects of the league’s revenue generation, sponsorship strategy, media rights, brand partnerships, technology, emerging business ventures, and long-term commercial innovation across the conference.”

Bryan Calka has simultaneously been appointed Chief Commercial Officer of the AAC and will play a significant role in supporting RISE Ventures. Calka brings significant expertise from prior roles in revenue generation for the New York Yankees, New York Islanders, Barclays Center, and the Professional Fighters League.

The strategic investment comes amid a momentous shift in collegiate athletics, as direct athletic compensation from schools to athletes is rapidly approaching. 

NIL revenue sharing will begin this July, but it remains indeterminate in what form it will take place. If Judge Claudia Wilken grants final approval to the novel House v. NCAA settlement, each institution that opts into the settlement will be constrained to a maximum revenue sharing allotment — effectively a salary cap, schools would be limited to spending $20.5 million for the 2025-26 season across all sports. 

Without an approved settlement, revenue sharing will be subject to state law regulation. 

In any case, Group of Five Conferences, like the AAC, will continue to face significant challenges in their ability to compete with power conference peers that enjoy more revenue generation capacity through more valuable media rights and sponsorship valuations. 

As college athletes’ talents become increasingly valuable, and recruitment and retention are increasingly predicated on compensation, being able to pay as close to the NIL revenue sharing cap as possible is imperative for fielding a program worthy of national relevance. The divide between the haves and have-nots in college sports is anticipated to grow in the wake of direct payment to student-athletes. 

The AAC’s current media rights deal generates approximately $7 million annually per school, a stark contrast to its geographic power four counterpart, the Big 12, whose media deal nets roughly $32 million per institution starting in 2025-26.

Compared to super conferences like the Big Ten, the AAC nets only a small fraction of the $75 million distributed to each school annually through the landmark Big Ten broadcasting rights agreement.

In the wake of widespread conference realignment, the AAC has seen itself as one of the biggest impacted by the poaching of Group of Five schools that have achieved national success and prominence by power conferences that can offer more financial resources.

UConn left for the Big East in 2020; UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati left for the Big 12 in 2022; and most recently, SMU departed for the ACC in 2023. 

The AAC has already taken proactive steps to maximize the value of the brands it has been able to retain. The conference will require every institution, except Army and Navy (which are precluded from providing athlete NIL payments due to federal law), to provide a minimum of $10 million in revenue-sharing funds over the next three years. 

While the revenue sharing minimum requires schools to provide some investment in their direct athletic payment, the number is far below the virtually universal commitment of power conference schools to paying the full cap.

Empowering schools with new revenue streams at the conference level through RISE Ventures will ideally reduce the burden of finding ways to compensate revenue-generating athletes for AAC institutions. 

In the heart of Arizona, amidst the scorching heat and the relentless pursuit of excellence, a young quarterback named Sam Leavitt has emerged not only as a beacon of hope for the Arizona State Sun Devils but also as a shining example of altruism in the competitive world of college football. His recent actions, both on and off the field, have not only turned heads but also set a new precedent for what it means to be a leader in the modern era of sports.

A Leader On and Off the Field

Sam Leavitt’s journey is a testament to his extraordinary talent and unwavering character. As a player, his prowess on the field is undeniable, commanding the attention of fans and foes alike with his precision and determination. But it is his actions off the field that have truly captured the essence of his leadership. Arizona State’s Head Coach, Kenny Dillingham, couldn’t help but praise Leavitt, stating, “His willingness to sacrifice for his teammates, both on and off the field, is what makes him truly exceptional and a great role model for future Sun Devils.”

A Gesture of Generosity

In a remarkable display of selflessness, Leavitt recently made headlines not for his athletic achievements but for his generous spirit. At a youth camp, he made a significant financial gesture, donating a five-figure sum from his own earnings. This act of kindness was not just a donation but a statement, highlighting his belief in giving back to the community and supporting those around him. It’s a rare sight in the fiercely competitive arena of college sports, where individual accolades often overshadow team spirit and community support.

The Impact of a $3M NIL Statement

Beyond his philanthropic efforts, Leavitt’s approach to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities has been equally groundbreaking. By securing a staggering $3 million in NIL deals, he has not only set a new benchmark for collegiate athletes but has also shown a keen understanding of the value of his platform. This monumental achievement is not just a personal victory for Leavitt but a clear indication of the evolving landscape of college sports, where athletes are now recognized for their worth beyond the field.

A Role Model for Future Generations

Sam Leavitt’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact one individual can have when talent is matched with humility and generosity. His actions speak volumes about his character and set a shining example for young athletes everywhere. In a world where sports figures are often idolized for their physical abilities, Leavitt stands out as a role model who demonstrates the importance of compassion, teamwork, and community engagement.

Reflecting on a Bright Future

As we look to the future, Sam Leavitt’s journey offers a glimpse into the potential of modern athletes to influence society positively. His blend of exceptional talent, selfless acts, and savvy business acumen represents a new era of sportsmanship—one where success is measured not only by victories on the field but also by the impact made off it. For aspiring Sun Devils and young athletes around the world, Leavitt’s legacy is a beacon of hope, showing that true greatness comes from the heart.

In the end, Sam Leavitt’s story transcends the realm of college football, serving as a profound narrative about the power of giving, the importance of community, and the endless possibilities that arise when we choose to lead by example.

College sports are in a weird place these days.

It’s hard to keep up with all the media reports and chatter about the NCAA, ongoing conference realignment, NIL, potential revenue-sharing, a future CEO and so on and so forth.

Much remains in flux. One thing that is clear is that collegiate athletics, as I knew them when I was a student at Syracuse University from 1996 to 2000, is toast. Assuming a federal judge approves the House settlement, and that hadn’t transpired as of this past Friday heading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Syracuse Orange and its peers nationwide will be able to start directly paying their athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness.

If revenue-sharing does occur beginning with the 2025-26 sports season, there are some things to monitor as it pertains to SU Athletics and other athletics departments across the country.

Keep tabs on these potential themes related to Syracuse Orange Athletics.

One thing to monitor. Could SU Athletics end up cutting staff in the future due to upcoming revenue-sharing? In recent days, a report came out that Oklahoma’s athletics department would lay off 15 people “due to the looming realities of starting to share revenue with athletes.”

That’s unfortunate. But this is where we are. If athletics departments elect to set aside millions of dollars every year to pay their players, that could force these departments to cut overhead, resulting in layoffs. I hope this doesn’t transpire at SU Athletics, but I’ll be keeping a watchful eye.

To be fair, SU Athletics earlier this year made a new hire, bringing on board veteran sports executive Kevin Morgan as the department’s first general manager and chief revenue officer.

A few weeks ago, Kentucky’s board of trustees approved the school’s athletics department converting to a limited-liability company called Champions Blue LLC.

On May 22, Vanderbilt announced that it had hired long-time hospitality industry executive Markus Schreyer as CEO of that school’s newly created Vanderbilt Enterprises, which will focus on, among other things, “enhancing Vanderbilt Athletics resources, support for student-athletes and the fan experience.”

Might SU Athletics convert to an LLC in the future? We’ll have to wait and see. One other item to keep tabs on. Syracuse Orange athletics director John Wildhack, in early March, said that effective July 1, he will streamline the third-party NIL entities supporting ‘Cuse players and not have all three organizations operating into the future.

Those entities are Orange United, SU Football NIL and Athletes Who Care. Even with revenue-sharing potentially on the horizon, it’s vital for the Syracuse Orange to have strong third-party NIL to remain competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally.

Was Indiana football always a sleeping giant, simply short on the necessary investment to the elevate the program, and often lacking a competent head coach?

Probably.  That’s what Curt Cignetti thinks, anyway.  And he certainly has a more than adequate frame of reference to make that determination.

“You’ve got to be good in football nowadays, because that’s where the money is.  And maybe Indiana was a little late to the game in realizing that.  I think getting a president in Pam Whitten who loves football and is from Alabama really helped,” Cignetti told ESPN’s Greg McElroy earlier this month.

He believes IU has always had the potential to achieve the new heights the football program experienced in 2024.

“What happened here in the past is only because of neglect.  We’ve got a great campus, great university, great resources, second-largest alumni base in America.”

Neglect is a harsh word delivered by a man who isn’t known as one to sugarcoat his thoughts.

But on his way out the door, Cignetti’s predecessor Tom Allen signaled the same kind of concerns.

IU made some moves over the 15 prior years that signaled some degree of recognition the investment in football had to increase.  Both ends of Memorial Stadium were enclosed, a locker room project was completed, and other amenities were added.

But during Allen’s tenure, Indiana was confronting the new realities of college football in the NIL era.

And in Allen’s mind, IU’s efforts were inadequate.

“College football has changed dramatically over the past several years. Some of those changes have been a shock to the conscience of those who support IU football. The time has come to fully embrace those changes and I pray that IU does just that,” Allen said in November 2023.

As he set out to replace Allen, IU AD Scott Dolson knew he had to demonstrate to prospective candidates Indiana was ready, willing and able to test the limits of successful football at Indiana.

IU was at a major inflection point in 2023, with the Big Ten expanding to 18 teams and a massive new media rights deal about to help replenish the coffers.  The opportunity was there for university leadership intent on building a competitive football team.

It started with securing significant investments from donors in Indiana’s forgotten revenue sport.

“Coach Cignetti would not be here if we didn’t have a robust NIL program,” Dolson told WRTV last year.  “That’s just because you have to have the resources to be able to win. As good as he is, he needs those resources as well.  The NIL opportunity for us has enabled us to really level the playing field around the country.”

Ironically, one of Indiana’s biggest initial investments in the program was the $15.5 million it paid Tom Allen to buy out his contract in 2023.  In addition to that and the NIL commitment, IU leadership has substantially increased the salary pool for assistant coaches, and then gave major raises to Cignetti and his entire staff.  IU’s spending on football coaching salaries alone has more than doubled over the last six years.

But the investment goes much deeper, into things like recruiting budgets, player perks and benefits, the gameday experience, support staff, and more.

According to information published in the Knight-Newhouse database, IU has increased its football expenditures every year since 2021, from $23.9 million to $61.6 million.  2024 was the first year at least going back to 2005 that IU exceeded the Big Ten median in total football spending.

Cignetti believes he’s getting what he needs to not rev the IU football engines like he did in 2024, but keep the Hoosiers in the national conversation going forward.

“I felt a real commitment from the President Pam Whitten and the Athletic Director Scott Dolson to get football going,” he said.  “I mean football generates 90% of the athletic revenue across the country, and they wanted to get it rolling.  I think you can win anywhere in America with the proper commitment from the top.”

For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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