Official: Oklahoma Adds Former NFL Executive to Prepare for Impending Changes

After a record-breaking year of fundraising for the school, Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione is forming a new partnership to prepare the Sooners for more changes to college athletics.

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione talks during a press conference before a celebration for OU joining the Southeastern Conference in Norman, Okla., Monday, July 1, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione is continuously working to stay ahead of the coming changes to college athletics. 

Thursday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that OU is partnering with a high-profile name in football to prepare for revenue sharing with athletes. 

“University of Oklahoma Athletic Department will work with former Eagles executive [Jake Rosenberg] and his consulting firm [The Athlete Group] to advise on their impeding transition to the ‘salary cap’ era of college athletics, per sources,” Schefter said in a statement on X. “Those around the sport consider it to be a progressive move to partner with someone who has been a highly-respected executive in the NFL, and one of the Eagles GM Howie Roseman’s closest advisors.”

The program made the move official on Thursday afternoon.

“We’re seeing things we’ve never seen before in the recruiting process,” OU coach Brent Venables said in a press release. “At Oklahoma we know how to adapt, and this new approach to how we manage our recruiting operations is a representation of our forward thinking and agility.

The move comes as the massive settlement in the House v. NCAA case could potentially be accepted and finalized next week. 

In total, an expected $2.77 billion will be paid out between the NCAA and various conferences in damages to former athletes. 

As a result of the settlement, the door will be open to revenue sharing, where schools can reportedly opt-in to sharing over $20 million per year with student athletes. 

Last week, TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said the Horned Frogs would be sharing the maximum amount of revenue with players, a move that will likely be mirrored by other schools as the next wave of student athlete empowerment sweeps across collegiate athletics. 

Oklahoma will be no different in trying to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive on the national stage. 

Last month, the OU Board of Regents approved a new role for former Sooner Curtis Lofton as the general manager of the Oklahoma football team. 

The new role will encompass many different parts of the program, including roster management from both a recruiting perspective as well as with Name, Image and Likeness and the future potential for revenue distributions to athletes.

Venables officially announced Lofton's new role on Thursday in addition to the partnership with Rosenberg.

“Talent management in college football differs significantly from the NFL,” Lofton said. “In our realm, we recruit athletes rather than draft them, giving our players a broader spectrum of choices than ever before. Despite these differences, there are aspects of the professional model that could enhance our recruitment strategies, particularly as we navigate the complexities of roster sizes and other evolving variables. Our objective is to remain agile, and this structure is designed to enable precisely that.”

Oklahoma reinforced the financial strength of the institution as the Sooners head to the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday as well. 

The University of Oklahoma announced that it had broken its previous fundraising record for a fiscal year, raising $334 million in gifts. It topped the previous record of $317 million set in the 2022 fiscal year, OU announced. 

“Year after year, I’m reminded that the outstanding generosity of the OU community can turn our boldest aspirations into reality,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. in a press release. “As we prepare for an era of even greater growth and academic excellence, I'm endlessly grateful to our donors for enabling us to provide essential student support, making a world-class education accessible to all.”