OAKMONT, Pa. — NFL executive Brian Rolapp is set to become part of the PGA Tour Enterprises and a new position of CEO, according to several reports.
Sports Business Journal first reported that the search was nearing an end after several candidates had been vetted in recent months, with Rolapp—after 22 years in various roles with the NFL—getting the appointment.
ESPN reported that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has informed league owners and officials of the move.
Rolapp has been with the NFL since 2003 in several senior media roles, including chief media and business officer since 2017, making him a top aide to Goodell. It is believed Rolapp would play a key role in future broadcast deals for the PGA Tour, many of which will start new in 2031.
PGA Tour Enterprises was formed as a for-profit arm of the PGA Tour in early 2024 after $1.5 billion in investment from Strategic Sports Group, a private equity firm that has been charged with growing the business that will lead to lucrative player equity shares. Rolapp would have PGATE all under his guidance.
Jay Monahan, who has been PGA Tour commissioner since 2017—just the fourth in the Tour’s history which dates to 1968—would remain in that position and report to the PGA Tour Policy Board.
PGA Tour Inc. operates as a non-profit membership organization called a 501(c)(6). Most of the tournaments under its purview are run as 501(c)(3)s, which means they are non-profit organizations that give all of their proceeds to charity. One of the important aspects of that arrangement means a title sponsor can get a tax write-off for putting up the sponsorship fee for an event, which runs into the millions of dollars.
Monahan had informed the PGA Tour staff in December that the CEO search would likely go outside of the organization. It has been headed by Arthur Blank, owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and a member of SSG.
There is a board for both the PGA Tour Inc. and PGA Tour Enterprises, which sees Joe Gorder as the chairman for both. Monahan is part of the PGA Tour Enterprises board and both boards consist of six player directors: Patrick Cantlay, Camilo Villegas, Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, Peter Malnati and Tiger Woods.
It is possible that Rolapp could officially be announced for his new role during next week’s Travelers Championship outside of Hartford.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: NFL Executive to Become New CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises.
