First domino falls as University of Kentucky athletic department launches its own LLC
May 2, 2025 | Parker Graham
Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Parker Graham is co-founder of Vestible, an Overland Park-based investment platform that gives fans ownership in the career trajectories of their favorite players.
The University of Kentucky’s athletic department is officially becoming its own LLC. Anyone in athletics needs to understand the implications here.
ICYMI: Kentucky to shift athletic dept. to private LLC company in historic move
Parker Graham, Vestible
The board of trustees approved the move to turn the athletics department into a limited liability company called Champions Blue, LLC.
They are the first to make this move, but we’re going to see many more versions of this pop up as the House v. NCAA settlement grows closer.
The biggest takeaway is this: Separating the athletic department as its own LLC gives them the flexibility they are desperate for right now, particularly for partnerships and fundraising.
You’ll see programs utilizing this in three ways:
Debt capital
Now that the athletic department is separate and has its own dedicated board, it will be able to utilize different types of loans and credits. The LLC makes the approval process for this kind of capital much easier and faster.
Direct fundraising
Rather than having to use third parties (NIL collectives) for fundraising, its LLC can now fundraise directly for the athletic department and streamline access to this cash.
Equity
The LLC will open a whole new way to raise capital through equity: public and private. It’s unclear exactly how universities will go about this yet, but rest assured, it’s coming very soon.
It starts here, with the University of Kentucky, but this is just the beginning.
Let the domino effect begin.
Parker Graham is a serial founder, CEO, and fintech entrepreneur, as well as a former professional football player. His startup, Vestible, is a first-of-its-kind athlete investment platform, allowing investors to participate alongside real athletes in the trajectory of their careers.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Night Without Borders’ opens coffee house doors to honor heritage through harmony
Culture transcends borders, said Danny Soriano, surrounded Friday night in a popular Crossroads coffee shop by music, dance, art, food, and drinks that all shared a common link: Latino flavor. “Whether it’s Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, we all come together as Latinos, as Hispanics, and celebrate our heritage,” said Soriano, who organized a…
KC GIFT orders a full meal with $100K Wah Gwan grant: Job creation (with a side of inspiration)
Young people on Kansas City’s east side need to see examples of what can be achieved when someone who looks like them works hard — and wins, said Tanyech Yarbrough, pledging to use her recent grant funding from KC G.I.F.T. to mirror entrepreneurship to her community, as well as expand her Troost eatery. Yarbrough’s Wah…
GEWKC returning to familiar venue (but its new destinations might surprise ticket holders)
When Global Entrepreneurship Week pulls into the station later this fall, Kansas City participants can expect a fresh experience inside one of the region’s most iconic landmarks, said Callie England, noting an intentional effort behind the scenes should help reroute the “best of the best” events onto custom agendas. “While you’ll see a few familiar…
Wichita program drives highway of resources to more KC startups; founders tout who they met along the way
Opening its doors to Midwest companies outside Kansas for the first time, a Wichita-based program that connects startups with the tools to better engage enterprise partners offered an added benefit to Kansas City entrepreneurs: a new ecosystem of support just a few hours from home. “The program’s Wichita location inspired us to broaden our outreach…