Michigan Regent Jordan Acker comes out against potential Big Ten private capital deal

After news broke of the Big Ten’s discussions about a private capital deal, a Michigan Regent weighed in. Jordan Acker spoke out against the idea Wednesday night.

Yahoo! Sports’Ross Dellenger reported the Big Ten is in talks about a deal that would infuse upward of $2 billion to the conference, paid out in a tiered structure. It would also extend the grant of rights by 10 years, taking it through 2046.

ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel also reported the Big Ten hopes to have unanimous support before taking it to a vote, and Ohio State and Michigan were still in discussions. However, Acker made it clear he does not plan to support a proposal and encouraged some of his colleagues at Ohio State and Michigan State to do follow suit.

“As a Regent, I believe selling off Michigan’s precious public university assets would betray our responsibility to students and taxpayers,” Acker wrote on X. “I will firmly oppose any such effort—and I hope colleagues at @MSU and @OhioState will stand with me as well.”

Discussions have taken place for months as the Big Ten talked with several private capital firms. The Big Ten would also create a private entity, Big Ten Enterprises. It would “consolidate some of the schools’ rights to better monetize them,” Dellenger reported. Four private capital firms made presentations during Big Ten spring meetings, as well.

In a statement to Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich, the Big Ten addressed the idea of private capital in the conference. The league cited the need to “modernize” and said the situation is an ongoing process.

“Our membership has clearly expressed the need to modernize the operations and structure of our conference to ensure that the Big Ten remains best positioned to offer the highest level of athletic and academic excellence in a rapidly evolving landscape,” the statement read. “Over a year ago, we initiated a comprehensive evaluation of our practices to identify partnerships that could secure the financial stability of our member institutions and allow us to not only protect, but expand, opportunities for our student-athletes. This is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to finding a path that strengthens the conference for the future.”

Private capital and private equity has been a hot topic around college athletics as schools and conferences look to find more revenue streams. One notable idea came from the Big 12, which said it was exploring the idea of private equity. However, conference commissioner Brett Yormark recently said while the league is not ready to sell a stake in the league, a “strategic” partnership could happen at some point.