Chief School Partnerships Officer

Job description

VP of School Relations

NCAA Olympic Sports League – Build the Foundation of Collegiate Sports’ Future

About Us

We are launching a revolutionary professional and youth sports league with $2.5 billion in equity capital being raised . Our mission is to transform Olympic sports in America by creating a sustainable ecosystem that spans professional competition, comprehensive youth development, and world‑class infrastructure.

Our Scope & Scale:

School Partnerships: Licensing NCAA Division I brands from 50 schools in Year 1, scaling to 300 schools by Year 6

Sports Coverage: 12 Olympic sports (soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, hockey, baseball, softball, and more)

Geographic Reach: 4 regions, 200+ teams competing across the United States

Youth Development: Comprehensive programs from Grassroots (U10) through U23

Revenue Target: $3B in Year 1, scaling to $13B+ by Year 6

Infrastructure: $5B+ campus development, proprietary transportation, world‑class facilities

The School Partnership Imperative:

Total Schools: 300 NCAA Division I institutions by Year 6

Year 1: 50 high‑priority schools across all major conferences

Annual Expansion: Add 50 schools per year through Year 6

Conferences: SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Pac‑12, Big 12, plus mid‑majors

Sports per School: Teams in 12 Olympic sports (men’s and women’s)

Value Proposition: New revenue streams, enhanced visibility, athlete development pathways, reduced athletic department costs

Partnership Model: Long‑term licensing agreements (10‑20 years) with revenue sharing

Economic Impact: Hundreds of millions in new revenue for college athletics

This role is the cornerstone of our entire business model. Without strong school relationships and successful licensing agreements, nothing else matters.

Position Overview

The VP of School Relations will be the senior executive responsible for building, negotiating, and managing relationships with all 300 NCAA Division I partner schools. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (or CEO), you will be the primary interface between the league and university presidents, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and NCAA officials.

This role combines strategic relationship management, complex negotiations, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence to create mutually beneficial partnerships that transform college Olympic sports.

Compensation Package: $950,000 total compensation

Base Salary: $550,000

Performance Bonus: $200,000 (target, tied to school signings and relationship KPIs)

Equity Grant: $200,000 annually (vesting over 4 years)

Key Responsibilities

1. School Partnership Strategy & Roadmap

Strategic Planning: Develop and execute comprehensive strategy for acquiring 300 school partnerships over 6 years

School Prioritization: Lead school selection and prioritization based on: Athletic program strength and Olympic sports success

Conference affiliation and rivalries

Geographic distribution and regional balance

Brand value and media market size

University leadership alignment

Facility quality and infrastructure

Expansion Roadmap: Year 1: 50 schools (top‑tier programs, major conferences, strong brands)

Year 2: 50 additional schools (100 total)

Year 3: 50 additional schools (150 total)

Year 4: 50 additional schools (200 total)

Year 5: 50 additional schools (250 total)

Year 6: 50 additional schools (300 total)

Conference Strategy: Develop conference‑specific strategies (SEC, Big Ten, ACC, etc.) including potential conference‑wide deals

Competitive Analysis: Monitor competitive threats and opportunities in college sports landscape

2. School Licensing Negotiations

Lead Negotiations: Conduct all licensing negotiations with universities for use of school brands, logos, colors, and intellectual property

Deal Structure: Structure licensing agreements including: Brand Rights: Use of university name, logos, mascots, colors, trademarks

Term Length: 10‑20 year agreements with renewal options

Sports Coverage: Rights across all 12 Olympic sports

Revenue Sharing: Percentage of revenue allocated to schools (tiered based on performance, brand value)

Minimum Guarantees: Annual minimum payments to schools regardless of performance

Performance Incentives: Bonuses tied to team success, championships, media exposure

Cost Offsets: How league operations reduce athletic department costs

Exclusivity: Exclusive professional league rights for Olympic sports

Financial Modeling: Work with Finance to create school‑specific financial models showing revenue potential

Contract Terms: Partner with Legal on contract language, compliance clauses, termination provisions

Approval Process: Navigate university approval processes (presidents, boards of trustees, athletic boards)

3. Athletic Director & University Leadership Relationships

Primary Relationships: Build and maintain deep relationships with: Athletic Directors: 300 ADs across all partner schools

University Presidents/Chancellors: Support AD in securing presidential approval

Senior Associate ADs: Build relationships with Olympic sports oversight leaders

Conference Commissioners: Engage with Power 5 and mid‑major conference leadership

Faculty Athletics Representatives: Address academic and compliance concerns

Board Members: Present to boards of trustees when required

Regular Communication: Establish cadence of touchpoints (quarterly calls, annual visits, conference meetings)

Value Demonstration: Continuously demonstrate value of partnership through reporting and results

Issue Resolution: Serve as primary escalation point for school concerns or issues

Advisory Role: Serve as trusted advisor to ADs on Olympic sports strategy

4. NCAA Compliance & Governance

NCAA Relationship: Build strong relationships with NCAA leadership and compliance staff

Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all partnerships comply with NCAA rules and regulations including: Athlete eligibility requirements

Brand usage restrictions

Recruiting rules

Financial aid and scholarship implications

Transfer rules

Name, image, likeness (NIL) considerations

Rule Interpretation: Work with NCAA on interpretation of rules for professional/youth league model

Policy Advocacy: Advocate for rule changes that support league model while protecting college sports

Monitoring: Monitor NCAA regulatory changes and adapt partnerships accordingly

Reporting: Provide required reporting to NCAA and universities on compliance matters

5. School Onboarding & Activation

Onboarding Program: Develop comprehensive onboarding process for new partner schools

Onboarding Timeline: Manage 6‑12 month onboarding from signing to launch including: Brand integration (logos, colors, uniforms)

Facility assessment and preparation

Athlete recruitment and tryouts

Coaching staff selection (league coaches vs. university involvement)

Marketing and communications planning

Fan engagement strategy

Ticket sales and operations

Community activation

Launch Events: Coordinate launch events at partner schools (press conferences, fan events, open practices)

School Success Team: Build team to support school onboarding and ongoing operations

Best Practices: Document and share best practices across schools for continuous improvement

6. Revenue Sharing & Financial Reporting

Revenue Distribution: Oversee distribution of revenue to partner schools according to agreements

Revenue Categories: Media Rights: Share of national and regional broadcast revenue

Sponsorships: Share of league and team sponsorship revenue

Ticket Sales: Revenue from professional games (may vary by agreement)

Merchandise: Share of school‑branded merchandise sales

Youth Programs: Share of youth participation revenue (if applicable)

Financial Reporting: Provide schools with detailed quarterly financial reports including: Revenue earned and distributed

Performance vs. projections

Comparison to peer schools

Forward‑looking projections

Payment Processing: Ensure timely, accurate payments to all schools

Audit Support: Support school audits and financial reviews as needed

7. Conference Relations & Coordination

Conference Engagement: Build relationships with major conference commissioners and staff

Conference‑Wide Deals: Explore opportunities for conference‑wide licensing agreements

Target Conferences: SEC (16 schools) – Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

Big Ten (18 schools) – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin

ACC (17 schools) – Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big 12 (16 schools) – Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, West Virginia

Pac‑12 (remaining schools) and mid‑major conferences

Scheduling Coordination: Work with conferences to avoid conflicts with other sports seasons

Rivalry Preservation: Ensure traditional rivalries are maintained in league competition structure

8. Athlete Pathway & Development Coordination

College‑to‑Pro Pipeline: Create clear pathways for college athletes to join professional teams

Eligibility Navigation: Help schools understand how athletes can maintain eligibility while participating in youth coaching/training roles

Recruiting Coordination: Ensure league operations complement (not compete with) university recruiting

Development Programs: Partner with schools on athlete development initiatives

Alumni Engagement: Create programs for former college athletes to stay engaged with their schools through league participation

9. School Marketing & Communications Support

Marketing Resources: Provide schools with marketing materials, templates, and resources to promote league participation

Communications Support: Support school communications teams with: Press releases and media kits

Social media content

Video highlights and features

Photography and graphics

Crisis communications support

Fan Engagement: Help schools drive fan engagement and attendance for professional games

Student Engagement: Create programs to engage current students with professional teams

Alumni Relations: Support schools in engaging alumni through league participation

10. School Performance & Satisfaction

Performance Monitoring: Track key performance indicators for each school partnership: Revenue generated and distributed

Team performance (wins, championships)

Fan attendance and engagement

Media exposure and impressions

Youth program enrollment from school’s region

Partnership satisfaction scores

School Surveys: Conduct annual satisfaction surveys with ADs and key stakeholders

Benchmarking: Benchmark school performance against peers and league averages

Improvement Plans: Work with underperforming schools to improve results

Retention: Achieve 95%+ partnership retention rate through excellent service and results

Advocacy: Ensure school voice is heard in league decisions and strategic planning

11. Team Building & Leadership

Build School Relations Team: Recruit and lead comprehensive school relations organization

Team Structure: Year 1: 12‑15 professionals (directors, managers, coordinators)

Year 3: 25‑30 professionals

Year 6: 40‑50 professionals

Regional Structure: Deploy regional school relations directors to support local schools

Team Roles: Director of School Partnerships (recruitment and negotiation)

Regional School Relations Directors (4 regions)

School Success Managers (ongoing relationship management)

Compliance Manager

Contract Manager

School Communications Coordinator

Financial Reporting Analyst

Team Development: Develop high‑performing team with clear goals and career paths

Required Qualifications

Experience:

15+ years of progressive experience in college athletics administration, conference management, or college sports business

7+ years in senior leadership roles working with multiple athletic departments

Proven track record building and managing complex partnerships with universities

Deep experience navigating NCAA rules, regulations, and compliance

Demonstrated success in high‑stakes negotiations with university leadership

College Sports Expertise:

Comprehensive knowledge of NCAA Division I athletics operations and governance

Strong understanding of Olympic sports landscape in college athletics

Deep knowledge of conference structures, rivalries, and competitive dynamics

Experience with athletic department budgets, revenue models, and financial pressures

Understanding of athletic director priorities and challenges

Relationship & Negotiation Skills:

Exceptional relationship‑building skills with senior university leaders (presidents, ADs, commissioners)

Outstanding negotiation skills with track record of win‑win outcomes

Proven ability to build trust and credibility across diverse stakeholders

Strong executive presence and communication skills (written and verbal)

Political acumen to navigate complex university and conference politics

Business & Strategic Acumen:

Strategic thinker who connects school partnerships to broader business objectives

Strong financial acumen and ability to create compelling business cases

Data‑driven decision maker who uses analytics to inform strategy

Change management experience leading transformational initiatives

Ability to think creatively about new partnership models

Education:

Bachelor’s degree required (Sports Management, Business Administration, or related field)

Master’s degree strongly preferred (MBA, Sports Management, or related field)

Preferred Qualifications

Athletic Director Experience: Previous experience as Division I athletic director or senior associate AD

Conference Experience: Work experience at NCAA conference office (SEC, Big Ten, ACC, etc.)

NCAA Experience: Direct experience working with NCAA national office

Olympic Sports: Deep expertise in Olympic sports operations and economics

Multi‑School Management: Experience overseeing relationships with 20+ athletic departments simultaneously

Legal/Compliance Background: JD or significant legal/compliance experience in college sports

Startup Experience: Experience launching new college sports initiatives or leagues

Media Rights: Understanding of media rights negotiations in college sports context

Sponsorship: Experience with college sports sponsorships and licensing

Success Metrics – First 18 Months

First 90 Days:

Complete school partnership strategy and prioritization (identify all 300 target schools)

Build core school relations team (8‑10 initial hires including regional directors)

Develop standardized licensing agreement templates

Create financial models showing school revenue potential

Begin outreach to Year 1 target schools (50 schools)

Establish relationships with conference commissioners

Meet with NCAA leadership on compliance framework

Create school onboarding playbook

Months 4‑6 (Q2):

Sign first 10 school partnerships (early adopters, high‑profile brands)

Achieve 25+ schools in active negotiations (signed LOIs or term sheets)

Present to 40+ athletic directors and university presidents

Secure buy‑in from at least 2 major conferences (informal or formal)

Finalize all contract templates and legal frameworks

Launch school marketing and communications toolkit

Begin school onboarding for early signings

Months 7‑12 (Q3‑Q4):

Complete Year 1 Goal: Sign all 50 target schools

Successfully onboard first wave of schools (brand integration, facility prep, athlete recruitment)

Achieve 90%+ satisfaction scores from partner ADs

Complete first revenue distribution to schools (if applicable to timing)

Launch professional teams at all partner schools

Establish quarterly AD council or advisory board

Build pipeline of 50+ schools for Year 2

Achieve zero compliance violations or NCAA issues

Months 13‑18 (Year 2, Q1‑Q2):

Sign 30+ additional school partnerships (toward 100 total target)

Maintain 95%+ retention of Year 1 schools

Demonstrate revenue delivery: distribute $XX million to schools

Expand school relations team to 20‑25 professionals

Create school performance benchmarking system

Launch enhanced school support programs

Prepare for Year 3 expansion (regional expansion strategy)

Establish 2‑3 conference‑wide partnership pilots

Why This Role is Exceptional

Shape the Future of College Sports:

This is the most significant transformation of college Olympic sports in NCAA history

You’ll build partnerships that create new revenue streams for 300 athletic departments

Opportunity to solve one of college athletics’ biggest challenges: Olympic sports sustainability

Unprecedented Scope:

Manage 300 university partnerships (largest portfolio in college sports)

Negotiate licensing agreements worth hundreds of millions to schools

Build relationships with every major athletic director in Division I

Influence the future of NCAA Olympic sports

Impact on Higher Education:

Help preserve Olympic sports programs at universities nationwide

Create new revenue for athletic departments facing budget pressures

Support athlete development from youth through professional level

Strengthen university brands through successful professional teams

Resources & Support:

$2.5B in equity funding demonstrates financial strength to universities

Compelling value proposition: new revenue, reduced costs, enhanced visibility

Strong executive support for school‑first culture

Autonomy to design partnership model with flexibility

Compensation & Upside:

Highly competitive compensation package ($950K total)

Significant performance bonus tied to school signings ($200K target)

Substantial equity upside as league grows

Potential for advancement to Chief Partnerships Officer or COO role

Professional Growth:

Build the most comprehensive network of ADs and university leaders in the country

Navigate career‑defining negotiations with major universities

Position yourself as thought leader in college sports transformation

Expand expertise across athletics administration, compliance, and league operations

Legacy:

Be remembered as the architect who transformed college Olympic sports

Create sustainable model that supports 300+ athletic departments

Build pathways for thousands of college athletes

Preserve Olympic sports for future generations

Application Process

Timeline:

Applications Reviewed: Rolling basis, priority given to early applications

First Round: Virtual interviews with COO and Chief Legal Officer (1 hour)

Second Round: Full‑day onsite with executive team including CEO, CFO, CRO

Third Round (if applicable): Meetings with board members or key investors

Final Round: Case presentation on Year 1 school partnership strategy including: Prioritized list of target schools with rationale

Negotiation strategy and messaging for athletic directors

Addressing common objections or concerns

Timeline for achieving 50 school signings

Organizational structure for school relations team

Key risks and mitigation strategies

Offer: Anticipated in Q3 2026

What to Include:

Resume highlighting college athletics experience and relationship portfolio

Cover letter addressing: Your most significant accomplishments in college athletics

Your network and relationships with athletic directors and university leaders

Your approach to building 300 school partnerships from scratch

Your understanding of NCAA compliance and regulatory considerations

Why you’re passionate about Olympic sports and this opportunity

3‑5 professional references including athletic directors (please do not contact without permission)

Optional: Brief POV (1‑2 pages) on partnership strategy, key selling points, or addressing potential concerns from athletic directors

Confidentiality: Please indicate in your cover letter if you require discretion during the interview process given your current role in college athletics.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization that reflects the communities we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

This is a once‑in‑a‑career opportunity to transform college Olympic sports. Let’s build something extraordinary together.

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Worksite address

charleston, SC, 29408, US

Who can apply

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