Collegiate Athletics & Esports
You call the plays, we help you score.
Collegiate Athletics & Esports
We offer holistic solutions to your athletic department’s operational, financial, organizational and compliance needs. Let’s huddle up and develop a winning strategy to achieve your goals, support your conference and club sport programs and enhance your student athlete experience.
We know what it takes to win.
Connect with our teamCount on Baker Tilly for your accounting, compliance and advisory needs. Our collegiate athletics assurance and advisory team has helped more than 20 athletic departments from Division I, II and III schools address challenges in an ever-changing environment with a focus on supporting student athletes, the coaching staff and the institution’s overall mission.
Collegiate athletics has a broader impact than on the field and court. Sports are a tremendous driver of the student experience – and impact the university’s recruitment and enrollment, diversity, equity and inclusion, alumni and donor support, scholarships, endowments, community engagement and regulatory compliance – which all effect your bottom line. Managing a team goes further than just managing the team. There are financial obligations and organizational considerations, like ticketing and merchandise, media rights and opportunities and travel and game day expenses.
Let us take the burden of budgeting and compliance off your playbook so you can focus on what you do best – coaching, mentoring, training and winning.
Understanding the evolving NIL landscape
View state-by-state NIL regulationsEffective July 1, 2021, the three divisions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) enacted an interim policy suspending previous name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules. While the NCAA continues to work with the federal government on a more permanent and uniform solution, student athletes are now able to profit from their name, image and likeness, subject to state law. Division I, II and III colleges and universities of all sizes will be impacted by the recent NIL changes.
NIL advisory for institutions and collegiate athletes
- Internal audit
- Regulatory oversight
- NCAA compliance and reporting
– Contractual compliance
– Institutional policies
– State regulations
– Student athlete compensation - Process and policy assessments
- Financial literacy training
- Back-office compliance support
– Outsourced accounting
– Tax planning and returns
– Tax advocacy
– Wealth management
Law 360: IRS Memo May Deter Athlete NIL Orgs From Going Nonprofit
According to a recent IRS memo, many organizations offering paid opportunities for college athletes to use their name, image and likeness (NIL) may not qualify for tax exemptions. Partner Larry Mohr discusses considerations for institutions that have exempt status or are considering seeking one.
Higher Ed Advisor: navigating NIL collectives in collegiate athletics
Explore NIL collectives' impact on higher education institutions and student-athletes.
Inside Higher Ed: Treating Private College Athletes Like the Pros
In response to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) memo classifying some college athletes as employees, Principal Adrienne Larmett shares how this new guidance adds complexity for colleges and universities as they work to comply with and operationalize NIL rules.
Collegiate esports – the future of higher education athletics
Download our collegiate esports evaluation guideInstitutions considering adding (or enhancing) an esports program to your athletic department can lean on Baker Tilly’s experienced professionals to develop a strategic plan to meet the growing student interest and revenue opportunities in esports. We assess your current programs to build a solid esports framework on your campus.
Collegiate esports advisory
- Organizational structure assessment to determine best program and/or esports department placement
- Governance policies and procedures
- Compliance and eligibility requirements and monitoring
- Infrastructure and technology needs assessment
- Financial aid opportunity evaluation
- Marketing investment evaluation
- Program analysis
We understand your challenges and have drafted the right resources.
How we score
- Athletic department and program analysis
- Audit and assurance
- Communication strategies
- Cybersecurity and privacy
- Data analytics
- Digital strategy
- Employee benefit plans
- Enterprise risk management
- Financial planning and budgeting
- Fraud and forensic investigations
- Internal audit
- NCAA agreed upon procedures
- Outsourced accounting and managed services
- Performance optimization
- Regulatory compliance (NCAA, Title IX, etc.)
- Scholarship management
- Talent management
- Tax planning and reporting
“We have utilized Baker Tilly for our NCAA agreed-upon procedures engagement for a number of years. Over this time, the team at Baker Tilly has always been remarkably friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. Most importantly, they truly approach our engagement in a collaborative fashion and make every effort to work with us to achieve our desired objectives.”– Ryan Varley, Associate Athletic Director of Business Services, University of Pittsburgh (Division I Atlantic Coast Conference university)
What you can expect from our Value Architects™
Connect with our team- Custom, collaborative engagement to meet your goals and objectives
- Consistent and proactive communication
- Veteran team with unmatched insight and experience with complex situations
- Continuous focus on student success and mission alignment
“The Baker Tilly team is smart and business savvy. They truly know the university environment and approach their work to gain clients’ respect and confidence.”– Director of Risk Management of a Division I private institution
In-depth knowledge of compliance requirements
Learn moreUniversities that do not comply with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Department of Education (ED) rules (e.g., Title IX) risk probation and fines, forfeits of games and loss of financial aid and scholarships. On nearly two dozen engagements, Baker Tilly’s athletics-focused internal audits and risk consulting services have helped universities avoid such outcomes while strengthening controls, processes, policies and procedures.
We have worked directly with the NCAA to create conformity between the agreed-upon procedures and auditing standards. By helping shape the reporting requirements of the NCAA agreed-upon procedures, we have a privileged understanding of what is expected of member institutions, giving you peace of mind that our work is thorough and efficient.
We’ve served the diverse needs of more than 100 NCAA Division I and II clients well beyond compliance audits:
- Performing NCAA agreed-upon procedures as required by NCAA Bylaw 3.2.4.15 for Division I institutions, or Bylaw 6.2.3 for Division II institutions
- Assessing athletic department policies and procedures, including NCAA- and Title IX-related compliance
- Auditing expenses, such as recruiting and team travel
- Reviewing internal controls and overall business and administrative operations for university and regulatory compliance
- Strengthening the control environment to support NCAA and Title IX compliance
- Creating detailed and current policies and procedures manuals for the athletic department
- Reviewing athletic-related revenue to ensure contractual obligations are met/monitored and revenue is maximized
Our experience goes beyond the athletic department.
Collaborating with the business office, we serve the accounting, tax and advisory needs of public and private institutions of all sizes, providing comprehensive, data-driven solutions to address fiscal resiliency, academic integrity, risk management, research compliance, cybersecurity, talent management, fraud, cost reduction and other strategic, financial and operational issues.
e-Book: Enhancing student experience and support
Aligning student and institution success: Does your institution pass the test?
Learn how colleges and universities can effectively position themselves to support student success and mitigate possible risks associated with the complex culture of college and university settings, all within the context of achieving fiscal resiliency.
By the numbers
70+
NCAA Division I clients
25+
NCAA Division II clients
400+
higher education clients served nationally
20+
athletic department clients
“Our internal audit seamlessly collaborated with Baker Tilly’s higher education specialists to review and evaluate the athletic business office’s internal controls, focusing on budgeting, expense management and performance commitments.”– Chief Audit Executive of a Division I Atlantic Coast Conference university
Team leaders
“I’ve worked with a number of consultants with the ‘we’re going to save you’ attitude but with Baker Tilly, the approach was ‘we’re in this with you and will work it out.’ All of their actions and communications were very clear.”– Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration of a Division I Big West Conference university