Bipartisan House Panel Examines Private Equity Role in Youth Sports

Rep. Kevin Kiley, the subcommittee chair, led the session three weeks after Brand Velocity Group, the private equity firm founded by former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, announced its planned acquisition of RCX Sports. RCX Sports manages licenses for official youth sports programs tied to professional leagues.

Kiley said consolidation in some markets is raising costs for families and restricting access to lower-priced community programs. He added that the result is a widening participation gap, with many children priced out regardless of talent or effort. Rep.

Described youth sports as another case of market power reducing access to routine opportunities for families. She proposed steps including greater fee transparency, stronger antitrust enforcement, and expanded public funding for community and school programs. Rep.

Burgess Owens, R-Utah, a former professional football player, said investment matters only when the focus stays on children rather than returns. He warned that repeated emphasis on investors risks eroding a core national value and called for measures to exclude bad actors while acknowledging some investors operate appropriately.