When the NFL owners gather for their annual meeting 15 years from now, the makeup of this unique and privileged group of billionaires will look vastly different than that of the 32 who met in Phoenix earlier this week. And while the NFL’s official stance for this year’s meeting was that there were no formal discussions regarding ownership criteria and requirements, informal conversations around changing the rules have already begun.
Starting with significantly larger personal balance sheets, the next generation of owners will be younger on average, have made their money in 21st-century industries (think Amazon), and will run their franchises like corporations rather than family businesses. They may also be institutional investors or sovereign funds. Diversity will also hopefully be a factor for the first time. The new ideas and habits these owners bring with them will almost certainly force the league to transform in a multitude of important ways. Deeper self-reflection by the NFL will encourage–and perhaps even force–the level of modernization it needs to hold onto the mantle of being “America’s Sport.”
