Alabama Losing To NIL

PLUS The Value of College Sports, Netflix Going Big On The NFL, Betting On High School Sports

December 20, 2024

Welcome to Office Chair Sports! Your home for everything Sports & Biz! Today, we’re covering top news about:

  • The Value of College Sports

  • Netflix Going Big On The NFL

  • Betting On High School Sports

  • Top 25 Trades In The Past 25 Years

  • Alabama Losing To NIL

DeFi’s $3 Trillion Opportunity

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The Value of College Sports

Leading the pack? Ohio State, valued at a whopping $1.32 billion. The Buckeyes are a money-making machine, pulling in $280 million in 2023 alone. It helps when you've got over 600,000 alumni, 11 million fans, and routinely pack 100,000 people into your football stadium. Oh, and those boosters chipped in nearly $60 million last year.

No surprise, the SEC and Big Ten dominate the rankings. The SEC's total worth? $13.3 billion, averaging $832 million per school. The Big Ten's right there too at $13.2 billion ($734 million per school), while the ACC ($9.6 billion) and Big 12 ($6.7 billion) follow behind.

These valuations aren't just pulled from thin air - they're based on revenue, conference deals, NIL spending, alumni base, and other factors that could drive future growth. And with those massive media rights deals fueling the SEC and Big Ten, expect these numbers to only go up.

Netflix Going Big On The NFL

Netflix is about to take its biggest swing at live sports yet, streaming two NFL games on Christmas Day.

The streaming giant is going all out for its NFL debut, reportedly paying $75 million per game and bringing in Beyoncé and Mariah Carey to give it a Super Bowl feel. But after technical issues plagued their recent Tyson-Paul boxing match, all eyes will be on whether Netflix can handle the NFL's massive audience.

They're not taking any chances this time - they've tapped CBS to handle production and assembled an all-star broadcasting team pulled from every major network.

Why does this matter? Netflix has 270 million subscribers worldwide and a market value approaching $400 billion. If they decide to seriously pursue sports rights, it could reshape the entire landscape of sports broadcasting.

Betting On High School Sports

Here's a concerning development in high school sports: offshore betting sites are now taking wagers on high school football games, including this weekend's Texas state championship between Austin Westlake and North Crowley.

BetOnline, based in Panama, has made North Crowley a 5.5-point favorite and is accepting bets up to $500. While they claim small betting limits prevent any shady business, this has athletic directors and coaches worried sick.

BetOnline defends the practice, saying they're just meeting customer demand and arguing that high school football is already big business with TV deals and million-dollar facilities. But there's a reason U.S. sportsbooks won't touch these games - as one bookmaker said, "the juice isn't worth the squeeze."

Top 25 Trades In The Past 25 Years

The folks at Bleacher Report ranked the 25 biggest trades in major sports since 2000. It's part of their ambitious Quarter Century series looking back at the last 25 years in sports.

The rankings focus on the real game-changers - trades that reshaped leagues, impacted championships, and still get people talking years later. While NHL deals were eligible, none made the final cut after the staff vote and expert panel review.

Alabama Losing To NIL

Alabama's athletic director Greg Byrne just sent a clear wake-up call to Crimson Tide fans - it's time to open those wallets or risk falling behind in college football's NIL arms race.

In a candid letter posted on X, Byrne didn't mince words about their current situation. Despite signing the nation's No. 4 recruiting class, Alabama's lost 14 players to the transfer portal, including their top defensive player Jehiem Oatis to Colorado. They're also hearing stories of other programs dangling "million-dollar paydays" to lure away their talent.

Alabama just missed the 12-team playoff after a rough first season under Kalen DeBoer (9-3), including their first loss to Vanderbilt in 40 years. Now Byrne's pushing fans to support "Yea Alabama," their NIL collective, warning that rival fan bases are "acting decisively" to gain advantages.

Internships 🙋

1. Highlights Show Host & Digital Content Internship - The Prospect League, a premier wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, wants you to join our media team as 2025 Seasonal Digital Content Intern for 12 weeks from approximately May 19 to August 11. This quality educational and professional experience provides diverse sports management opportunities that will help the successful candidate in pursuit of a sports business career.

2. 2025 Summer Intern - Partnership Marketing - The Partnership Marketing department is responsible for proactively managing, supporting, and streamlining assigned corporate partner accounts from the point of a deal closing through campaign execution, and ultimately, renewal.

3. Intern – Event Operations & Guest Experience - As part of the Event Services team, the Intern will provide administrative support to the Stadium Operations and Event Operations Department from approximately March through October.

4. Partnerships Intern - THIS INTERNSHIP IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF YOU: Want to work directly with teams and leagues across the world to make incredible custom products, from NBA to NHL, to USL, to NWSL, and more!

5. 2025 Chicago Cubs - Summer Internship Program - The Cubs Internship Program is a structured 12-week summer program (May 19, 2025, through August 8, 2025) for college students. The program is committed to curating introductory opportunities and exposure to the sports and entertainment business within a major league front office.

Job Board 💰

1. Social Media Coordinator, Retail (Part-Time), (Atlanta Hawks) - This position will work directly with the Director of Retail Design & E-commerce to organize and implement marketing strategies to drive traffic, enhance customer experience, and increase sales.

2. Account Executive Membership Sales (Seattle Kraken) - The Account Executive of Membership Sales is responsible for generating new business and cultivating client relationships that translate to revenue growth.

3. Social Media - Seasonal Assistant - The Tigers are seeking a creative and social savvy assistant to join the social media team for the 2025 season. This individual will be responsible for assisting the social media team with gameday responsibilities and day-to-day content calendar management for official Tigers social channels.

4. Digital Marketing Coordinator - We are looking for a Digital Marketing Coordinator to assist with the development, implementation, tracking and optimization of digital marketing for RCX Sports brands including NFL FLAG, NHL STREET, Jr. NBA Leagues, MLS GO, MLB Pitch, Hit & Run, USTA and more.

5. Feature Content Associate - The Minnesota Vikings are seeking a talented individual to join the Vikings Entertainment Network (VEN) as a Feature Content Associate, reporting to the Sr. Producer, Original Content.

Thanks for reading - see you soon!