This is Buying Sandlot — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of youth sports.
This is our last send of the week. We will be back on Monday. Have a great July 4 weekend!
In the email today:
💰 The House Settlement Is Live and Bigger Than We Expected
A total of 319 NCAA DI schools chose to opt into the House settlement for the 2025-26 academic year, sources tell @YahooSports. That's 82% of DI.
The deadline to opt in for this year was Monday. Going forward, schools must decide by March if they are opting in for the next year.
— #Ross Dellenger (#@RossDellenger)
7:39 PM • Jul 1, 2025
For those keeping score: Colleges are permitted to pay athletes up to about $20.5M during the 2025-26 academic year. And 319 D1 schools have opted in— more than 2.5x some early estimates!
That means there is — technically — now $6.5B worth of (legal) professional athlete compensation now available in the country. Of course, not every school will pay up to the cap (power conference schools almost certainly will though), and some money will go toward new scholarship creation and other non-salary benefits.
The impact on youth sports will be significant, as parents and players will see a substantially larger labor market available much earlier to many more athletes. That means investment in training, coaching and participation.
In May, I (Kyle) dove deep into these impacts on youth sports. I had used an estimate of 120 participating schools spending an average of $15M per year on direct athlete compensation. That put the NCAA athlete labor market well ahead of MLS, and on par with the English Premier League and the NHL.
But with 319 schools, we’re potentially approaching NBA territory. Here’s the updated chart figuring 319 schools spending an average of $10M — a smaller figure given the long-tail of smaller schools participating:
League | Teams | Salary Cap / Avg Payroll per Team | Total Annual Player Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
NFL | 32 | $255.4M salary cap | ~$8.2B (32 × $255.4M) |
MLB | 30 | ~$169.5M avg payroll | ~$5.1B (30 × $169.5M) |
NBA | 30 | $140.6M salary cap | ~$4.2B (30 × $140.6M) |
NCAA (Projected) | 319 | ~$10M per school (est.) | ~$3.2B (319 × $10M) |
NHL | 32 | $88M salary cap | ~$2.8B (32 × $88M) |
MLS | 30 | ~$5.95M soft cap | ~$0.3B |
EPL | 20 | varies | ~$2.7B |
Basically, the fourth largest professional sports league in the US.
I’d highly recommend reading our deep dive into these direct athlete payments and their impacts on youth sports. And, Carl, take whatever numbers I arrived at last time… and add (at least) 20%.
⛹️♀️ Dick’s Extends WNBA Partnership With Big GameChanger Presence
GameChanger has joined parent company Dick’s Sporting Goods as an official WNBA league marketing partner.
Dick’s and GameChanger are also new partners of the Jr. WNBA, the league’s youth girls hoops initiative.
Dick’s will remain the WNBA’s official sporting goods retailer after extending its partnership; GameChanger is new to the agreement
Dick’s "will have access to host local youth programming onsite at Jr. WNBA events"
GameChanger will provide "enhanced access to live streaming, scheduling, communications and scorekeeping for youth basketball games"
Dick’s will continue involvement in It’s Her Shot, “a free, nationwide basketball initiative for girls ages 8–18, offering skills clinics, pickup games and mentorship opportunities with WNBA players"
James’ Take:
GameChanger is a baseball and softball behemoth, but it has recently taken steps to beef up its basketball presence.
A partnership with the WNBA could be rocket fuel on that front.
The tie-up may also have a huge impact on the youth sports streaming landscape.
We wrote last week about how GameChanger has emerged as the most prominent of the non-FANG youth sports streamers.
But that still only means about a 10% market share.
We all know what they say about assuming, but it would seem more likely GameChanger’s role in consolidating the fractured streaming landscape would be through adoption rather than acquiring other streamers.
Becoming a bigger player in girls basketball would be a clear path to growing that market share.
And if GameChanger is in a girls hoops complex … boys basketball and volleyball are likely there as well.
Dick’s also continues its all-out embrace of youth sports and now can tap directly into the surging WNBA scene.
Smart stuff all around.
🏀 WNBA Expansion Team Plans Youth Sports Facility
Big WNBA day!
The league awarded expansion franchises to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia earlier this week.
The Motor City ownership group said it plans to build a “publicly accessible sports center.”
The facility will support the creation of a youth development academy and “promote youth sports and address the lack of access and equity among youth sports facilities" in the city.
A press release suggests the complex will be part of a new practice facility for the team.
The complex will have basketball and volleyball courts and multi-use fields with spectator space for football, lacrosse and soccer.
Unrivaled Sports co-founders David Blitzer and Josh Harris will own the Philly team.
💸 Investment Opportunity: Youth Sports AI Agent for Parents
I’m an advisor for a youth sports AI startup aiming to tackle the growing problem of the underserved parents of athletes having to juggle so many apps to exist.
TeamSnap for this
Group chats for that.
SportsEngine for that other thing we do only do two weeks per year.
Scheduling, coordination, and most importantly, communication are becoming increasingly difficult. But this product consolidates and organizes it into a centralized and simplified user experience.
It’s an AI that stays ahead of schedules, ride shares, and team updates to keep you on track.
Think what Reclaim.ai is doing for workplace productivity, or Mindtrip.ai is doing for travel, but for youth sports.
I’ve seen it in action, and it’s impressive to say the least.
The company is halfway through its pre-seed round, and is looking for strategic investors in the space to close out the round and put the product on track for a beta launch this fall.
If you’re interested, just click “yes” and I (Kyle) will make a warm introduction to the founder and CEO. Yes, please introduce me (you will receive an email within 24-48 hours if you click).
🏢 More Youth Sports Facilities News And Notes
City of Brentwood
Brentwood, California: Ground was broken on the Sand Creek Sports Complex yesterday. The phased project will start with $20M of work on a 14.5-acre lot that will include three multi-use turf athletic fields -- lined for lacrosse and soccer -- with lights.
Beaverton, Oregon: The Portland Timbers bought 13 acres of land to expand their training facility, which will be renamed the Portland Timbers Performance Center. The MLS club’s development program will use the complex; the team also made a $1M donation to local youth sports as part of the deal.
Kalamazoo, Michigan: County officials are debating whether they need to negotiate with city officials regarding an independent board that will run a $40M indoor complex. The authority is required by state law, but its operating procedures are up to local officials.
🗞️ Millers’ Fraud Case Gets Wall Street Journal Treatment
The newspaper examined the downfall of Chad and Randy Miller as they await sentencing after pleading guilty to securities fraud and identity theft.
The father-son duo has admitted to a bevy of crimes while building the now-Arizona Athletics Ground complex. They each face up to seven years in federal prison following a plea deal.
There is not much new reporting in the piece, but it does note the AAG’s new ownership said the sprawling complex is getting close to profitability. And Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman said it generates $30-$40M in economic activity for the region.
Not that those figures are much consolation for the investors and other involved parties who took a bath and are recouping pennies on the dollar.
🚔 Youth Sports Crime Blotter
A man has been criminally charged with threatening a youth soccer player during a game in the Toronto area. The parent is accused of verbally menacing the minor; the game was halted due to his behavior.
There was another youth sports facility break-in, this time in Kansas City. Thousands of dollars in equipment was stolen from a youth football organization, including helmets, food and the club’s sound system and wireless scoreboard tech.
🔗 Youth Sports Links
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Good game.