The Athletic has a big article on this and the potential impact to college football:
The Athletic granted anonymity to four athletic directors so they could speak freely on the subject, and each of them laughed when the question was posed. Mostly nervous laughter.
“Oh, goodness,” said athletic director No. 1 before a short pause to ponder the question.
Athletic directors live in the world of athletic funding. Hiring coaches earns them plaudits from fans, but fundraising and balancing budgets are the biggest parts of their job, so they seemed like the best option to answer the question.
I also called two industry experts who consult with schools to aid their navigation of the ever-changing landscape of name, image and likeness for their takes.
“I’d say close to 50 percent of schools and athletic department leaders would navigate their way to yes,” industry source No. 1 said. “If you’d asked me before the LIV/PGA Tour came together, I would have said less than 10 percent. Because even the most aggressive and thoughtful athletic directors, everyone is afraid to go first when it comes to the PIF and their involvement in American sports. And the
PGA just went first.”
Any institution accepting money from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s government would absorb an avalanche of immediate, deserved criticism. A
CIA report released in 2021 concluded that bin Salman approved the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The nation executed 81 men in one day in 2022
amid reports that few if any of the victims received a fair trial. There are
severe restrictions on women’s rights and freedom of speech and homosexuality is illegal.
An
FBI report declassified in 2021 pointed to the Saudi government as complicit in helping fund the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington D.C.
“You know in some ways better than we do how much we will rationalize and twist to find a reason why something is OK because we want it to be OK,” athletic director No. 2 said.
Both industry sources saw a marriage between the Saudis and college football as something that could come to the sport soon. At the very least, they agreed a school pondering a possible engagement is imminent.
“There’s a way to say yes and do it,” industry source No. 1 said.
As for the athletic directors?
One said it won’t happen. Two said it’s all-but-inevitable. Another said it could happen, but it won’t look as simple as cutting a school a big check and getting a seat at the table.
So what would happen if college football’s newest super booster was the Saudi Arabian PIF?
“That’s a great question,” athletic director No. 1 said. “We’d make a lot of money.”
What would happen if college football’s newest super booster was the Saudi Arabian PIF? David Ubben asked industry insiders.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
www.nbcsports.com
