boognish_bear said:

---

Congress will be taking a hard look at the tax exempt status of universities that enter into private equity deals. If you want to act like a non-public entity, you better be ready to be treated like one. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/XBufrTt83M

— Congressman Michael Baumgartner (@RepBaumgartner) December 9, 2025

---

We are well past the point where universities' tax exempt status should apply to their professional football teams. There's no reason for that to be the case anymore. That needs to be fixed.

I've been the private equity route. Worst decision ever for our little oil company when we found out they breached fiduciary duty, stole things from us, formed another company to take our stuff and laughed at us when we complained with letters from their $2000/hour New York law firms. Avoid private equity like the plague.

Do not do a deal with those folks.

hodedofome said:

---

Bearknuckle said:

---

Aliceinbubbleland said:

---

Quote:

---

How do you F up boobs , beer, and sports.

---

Ask Rhoades or the poor soul whose life was ruined thanks to our piety and gossipy groups in charge.

---

The choice to have an affair with Mack was that person's fault. That said, it was totally unnecessary for someone to post the person's alleged identity here, no doubt...that's what Twitter, Facebook and NextDoor are for.

At least they didn't go to a Coldplay concert!

---

Yeah there are families involved who didn't want to be in the public eye. The house is up for sale, sad for the innocent.

---

Does that mean the South Bosque Elementary principal job is open?

boognish_bear said:

---

Congress will be taking a hard look at the tax exempt status of universities that enter into private equity deals. If you want to act like a non-public entity, you better be ready to be treated like one. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/XBufrTt83M

— Congressman Michael Baumgartner (@RepBaumgartner) December 9, 2025

---

THIS^

We're all tired of universities with multi-billion-dollar endowments taking advantage of taxpayers and middle-class and poor families. We're going to be really tired of them enriching PE billionaires with taking advantage of taxpayers and middle-class and poor families.

I fully agree with my Republican colleague @RepBaumgartner
and making this effort bipartisan. https://t.co/Wk47PJuFFH

— Congressman Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) December 10, 2025

Congress needs to get its sorry lazy ass up, stop obsessing over political correctness on the Blue side and kissing Trump's backside on the Red side and do things that benefit the average American. Deal with this issue and others. Fix healthcare. Screw billionaires. Be patriots instead of self aggrandizing wimps for a change. A wonderful American icon (college sports) is dying and greedy hedge fund *****s are in the process of owning college sports, for goodness sakes. It's absurd. Grow a pair and do something.

What little money I have, I would gladly donate to a third party that gives a you know what for the average American. Both useless parties suck and could care less for the common man.

bear2be2 said:

---

Taking private equity, as a university, is really stupid. It's like borrowing from a bookie/the mob.

These firms aren't doing charity work. They're going to get their cut no matter what, and you'll be left with scraps ... or bruises if the revenue doesn't materialize.

I hope this nonsense blows up in Utah's face quickly so this trend dies a fast death. I hope Utah taxpayers are feeling a squeeze within two or three years, so everyone sees how gross/stupid this actually is.

---

agree 100% - those guys are sharks.....

not such a slick deal as the media portrays.

the TTech model is best.....

- uncle fred

D!

Two thoughts:

1. IMO, private equity is only valuable in two scenarios. (1) You believe you have a long-term chance at increasing the size of your business but need the money now to grow to that point. (2) You are facing an existential crisis and need the money to simply survive, consequences be damned.

I assume Utah is seeking private equity because they believe the B1G might be on the table for them, so joining the B1G would increase their pizza size and make the PE portion less relevant. I don't know that there is a realistic path to a super league for Utah, but if that fails they are in big trouble.

2. If Utah fails in this endeavor does the arrangement permanently weaken the Big 12? Utah will be forever stuck with the PE leeches and if their hail mary falls short we will have a conference member in the Big 12 who will not be able to keep up with the market due to this arrangement. Additionally, we are inviting private equity interests into our conference decision making vis a vis their relationship with Utah sports.

How should Baylor navigate around a dysfunctional partner like this one?

GruntTuff said:

---

I've been the private equity route. Worst decision ever for our little oil company when we found out they breached fiduciary duty, stole things from us, formed another company to take our stuff and laughed at us when we complained with letters from their $2000/hour New York law firms. Avoid private equity like the plague.

Do not do a deal with those folks.

---

Sounds like you need to hire $20 an hour "south of the border" attorney who could fix your issue another way. Agree PE Firms are nothing more than Corporate Raiders acting on behalf of the Big Banks..

boognish_bear said:

---

I fully agree with my Republican colleague @RepBaumgartner
and making this effort bipartisan. https://t.co/Wk47PJuFFH

— Congressman Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) December 10, 2025

---

So before this happens - there needs to be a Full Audit of the Federal Reserve and each and every member of Congress.

BluesBear said:

---

GruntTuff said:

---

I've been the private equity route. Worst decision ever for our little oil company when we found out they breached fiduciary duty, stole things from us, formed another company to take our stuff and laughed at us when we complained with letters from their $2000/hour New York law firms. Avoid private equity like the plague.

Do not do a deal with those folks.

---

Sounds like you need to hire $20 an hour "south of the border" attorney who could fix your issue another way. Agree PE Firms are nothing more than Corporate Raiders acting on behalf of the Big Banks..

---

Better call Saul

I am trying to learn more about this deal and a couple of things come to mind:
1.) Utah's big rival BYU is owned and operated by the Mormon church which has an investment arm (Ensign Peak Advisors) and a capital fund of about $100 billion which comes from church members tithing and contributions, which is tax deductible in the US. Undoubtedly BYU has access to that capital, and does not have to disclose, at least under state law, expenditures under FOIA as a private institution.
2.) since the recipient of PE funds is a public education institution, could there be a financial structuring instrument that is very tax friendly to investors? Possibly.
3.) the state will host the 2034 Winter Olympics and the university will receive financial infusions to host athletes in an already built Olympic village/current student housing as well as hosting to various Olympics-related activities so is it possible part of the ROI for the private equity will come from Olympics money? Again, that's something known only to the university and the private equity investment firm.

My point is that this has to be attractive financially to everybody and has been in study for over 18 months now. If it works for Utah, will it work everywhere? No. A unique set of circumstances MIGHT make it work. But big donors aren't going to just pump money into the athletics program forever and there is no Permian Basin in the Beehive state to provide PUF for capital construction.
Here's a local article that goes into more depth:
https://www.ksl.com/article/51417040/why-is-the-university-of-utah-partnering-with-a-private-equity-firm-for-athletics

bear2be2 said:

---

Better call Saul

---

Amen!

I am interested in what this deal looks like once done. PE can invest in a lot of ways, but mainly they are going to want a revenue stream they can control. That could be fine. That could be a disaster.

As to PE in general, what I tell people is focus on the equity side of the name. If you don't want to sell your business (or at least no longer own your business whether you think you sold it or not), stay away. They are actually a great option if an entrepreneur owner wants out.

UTExan said:

---

I am trying to learn more about this deal and a couple of things come to mind:
1.) Utah's big rival BYU is owned and operated by the Mormon church which has an investment arm (Ensign Peak Advisors) and a capital fund of about $100 billion which comes from church members tithing and contributions, which is tax deductible in the US. Undoubtedly BYU has access to that capital, and does not have to disclose, at least under state law, expenditures under FOIA as a private institution.

---

There are reports out there that they have a lot more than $100 billion in LDS owned investments and assets.

[In-depth analysis of public documents indicates the investment firm and affiliated funds manage assets on behalf of the global faith worth somewhere in the range of $265 billion, with around $32 billion of that in landholdings.]

No one really seems to know how many investments they have or how much money they really have.

Could be upwards of $300 billion

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2024/11/17/lds-church-investments-with-ensign/

GoodOleBaylorLine said:

---

I am interested in what this deal looks like once done. PE can invest in a lot of ways, but mainly they are going to want a revenue stream they can control. That could be fine. That could be a disaster.

As to PE in general, what I tell people is focus on the equity side of the name. If you don't want to sell your business (or at least no longer own your business whether you think you sold it or not), stay away. They are actually a great option if an entrepreneur owner wants out.

---

Yeah, as with everything, the devil is in the details. There are plenty of PE nightmare stories, but there are also many people who've done extremely well for themselves partnering with PE firms. And we already know enough to suspect this isn't a "standard" PE arrangement. Curious to see if/when more details become available.

And if it's successful, more value laden brands might get much better deals. That's what college sports are now: an expression of market metrics divorced from the sentiment.

Texas announcing a state of the art facility for volleyball....it's an arms race, baby!

Announcing "a critical step for the future of @TexasVolleyball and our student-athletes’ housing experience." 🤘https://t.co/LGJse70d8l pic.twitter.com/w7bHwYnVEz

— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) December 10, 2025

Bruisers Burner Phone said:

---

hodedofome said:

---

PE ruins everything it touches.

---

PE makes business ventures liquid and makes investment capital cheaper. What the market does with that is what markets do. It's just a form of capital formation. If bad and dishonest people use this form of capital formation and investment, then they tend to do bad things. The problem isn't "PE" writ large. The problem is dishonest people that are involved in PE and limited partners (i.e. pensions plans, family offices, universities) that are willing to let dishonest PE people invest their money because they like the returns.

Every single university endowment is heavily invested in "PE."

---

I remember when Baylor refused federal aid and gave up a first class medical and dental school. I also remember when Herb unplugged the fax machines to keep Southern Baptists conservatives from ruining his University.

We did a fast about face on all of that.

UU is in Salt Lake City. They're too far from everywhere.
It gets cold and snowy there, too.

ilikebu said:

---

UU is in Salt Lake City. They're too far from everywhere.
It gets cold and snowy there, too.

---

Ask yourself honestly. Would you rather live in SLC or Waco? Both are dominated by sects. Mountains and snow? Advantage SLC.

Two fault lines intersect under Salt Lake City.
Waco is my choice.