The PGA Tour is hiring NFL government vice chairman Brian Rolapp as its CEO to work alongside commissioner Jay Monahan, sources instructed ESPN on Thursday.
In keeping with ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Seth Wickersham, Rolapp has agreed to depart his function with the NFL after spending 22 years with the league. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell despatched a memo to workforce executives and presidents on Thursday, informing them of Rolapp’s departure.
The PGA Tour declined remark when reached by ESPN on Thursday, although a coverage board assembly is scheduled for Monday, wherein Rolapp’s hiring may very well be finalized, sources instructed ESPN.
The PGA Tour has been trying to find a CEO since December; NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles and others had been additionally linked to the place.
Sources instructed ESPN that Rolapp, because the chief media and enterprise officer, was the lead architect of the NFL’s media and enterprise playbook throughout a time when the league’s development exploded. He’s thought-about a possible success for Goodell, and leaving to assist lead one other skilled sports activities circuit is not anticipated to hinder his probability to try this as soon as Goodell steps down sooner or later, the sources stated.
Rolapp has been in his place since 2017 and beforehand labored because the NFL’s chief working officer and senior vice chairman of media technique and digital media. He additionally labored because the CEO of NFL Community and government vice chairman of NFL Media.
In his present function, Rolapp oversaw promoting gross sales, sponsorships, and TV contracts, which reportedly earn the league greater than $10 billion per season.
Monahan changed Tim Finchem because the PGA Tour’s fourth commissioner in January 2017. He was closely criticized by the league’s golfers and others when the circuit secretly reached a framework settlement in June 2023 to type an alliance with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund and the DP World Tour.
The PIF has financed the rival LIV Golf League the previous 4 years. It lured away a number of PGA Tour stars, together with previous main champions Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and others, with assured contracts price greater than $100 million.
The perimeters have been making an attempt to barter a deal for the reason that framework settlement expired on the finish of 2023; they final met on the White Home in February.
Monahan helped the tour attain a possible $3 billion take care of Strategic Sports activities Group, a consortium of billionaire sports activities workforce house owners into the circuit’s for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.
SSG, which is led by Fenway Sports activities Group, made an preliminary funding of $1.5 billion with the potential for one other $1.5 billion coming later. The PGA Tour controls the for-profit firm, which issued fairness shares to golfers who remained loyal to the tour.
Atlanta Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean, PGA Tour participant administrators Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, together with Monahan, had been a part of the committee that chosen Rolapp as the brand new CEO.
