Brian Rolapp, a longtime NFL executive who was thought to be in line as the successor to commissioner Roger Goodell, will leave the league to become CEO of the PGA Tour, according to a source granted anonymity because the matter is private.
In the newly created CEO role, Rolapp will work alongside the tour’s commissioner, Jay Monahan, as the golf circuit continues to navigate the tumultuous change brought about with the advent of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
The NFL acknowledged Rolapp’s departure in a memo to league executives and club presidents, thanking Rolapp for his “outstanding service” and saying, “We have spent some time planning for this change and are confident we will successfully manage the responsibilities while we align our structure to meet our long-term strategic goals.”
Rolapp emerged as the top candidate for the job after a search conducted by Korn Ferry was officially initiated in December. He beat out three other sports-industry veterans: NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles and Jared Smith, former Ticketmaster president and current CEO of ski resort giant Alterra Mountain.
Since joining the NFL in 2003, Rolapp has moved through the ranks and served as the league’s chief media and business officer since 2017, helping craft current media contracts worth more than $120 billion over 11 years. His NFL success made him an attractive candidate for several other executive slots, and a perceived frontrunner to take the commissioner’s job whenever Goodell chooses to step down. Goodell’s current contract is set to expire in March 2027.
One of Rolapp’s first tasks as CEO will be to sort out the situation with LIV Golf. In 2023, the two golf circuits announced a “framework agreement” to create a for-profit entity and end the often bitter, litigious competition. But a final agreement has yet to be hammered out.