University of Utah finalizes private-equity partnership for athletics
The deal was first announced in December 2025 and forms Crimson Brand Partners, formerly known as Utah Brands & Entertainment. Crimson Brand Partners will manage commercial operations across Utah athletics and the broader university, including events at stadiums and arenas, branding, licensing and sponsorships, ticketing and digital media.
According to the university, coaching, recruiting, scheduling, student-athlete support and private fundraising will remain with the university as well as ownership of athletic facilities.“This new company puts the University of Utah at the forefront of developing creative and strategic solutions to the financial challenges facing college athletics programs across the country,” university President Taylor Randall said in a news release last week. “Utah will continue to lead out with unique and entrepreneurial ideas for keeping our Utes sports programs financially sustainable and foundational to the student experience.”
Crimson Brand Partners’ board will be chaired by Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan, while Matt Webb, a sports business executive with experience in professional sports, will serve as CEO and manage day-to-day operations.
The newly formed entity will officially begin operations at the start of the fiscal year July 1. It will operate under the oversight of the university’s foundation and its own board as well as in close coordination with university leadership and trustees.
“This isn’t a sponsorship or a licensing deal; it’s a real operating partnership,” Webb said. “What Utah is standing up with Crimson Brand Partners will provide Utah athletics with the resources to compete at the highest level and do it in a way that takes pressure off the rest of the university—growing the brand, growing revenue, making game days better and freeing up university dollars for scholarships, research and students.”
When the deal was announced in December, there were some questioning the model, suggesting it could fundamentally reshape the college sports landscape.
Taylor Nadauld, professor of finance at BYU’s Marriott School of Business, spoke to local television station KUTV and said the private-equity deal could be good for taxpayers if the injection of private capital makes the Utah athletic department more valuable, however, if the venture is not profitable, he said public ownership could be left “holding the bag.”
Nadauld also noted that the introduction of ownership and profit-sharing could disincentivize donors, while others questioned how the deal serves the educational and economic needs of the campus and surrounding community.
“Why should private capital get tax advantage status?” Nadauld told KUTV. “When private money is being mixed with public, tax-free money, there is a question mark.”
