The University of Iowa is paying former NFL general manager Scott Pioli $30,000 for one day-long visit and six one-hour Zoom sessions, according to a copy of the consulting agreement obtained through a public records request.
Pioli’s deal, through his company 51 Consulting LLC, was signed in January but not publicly known until The Athletic reported it in June. A statement of work attached to the agreement states that Pioli would consult with Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz on matters “related to the new collegiate model of revenue sharing with student-athletes.”
The term of the deal began last November and goes through the end of October 2025.
The agreement points to a far narrower role for Pioli compared with other consultants schools have retained to advise them on revenue sharing and generation. Louisville, for instance, is paying Villanova sports law professor (and former Green Bay Packers GM) Andrew Brandt $165,000 for a yearlong strategic advisory role, while Maryland is paying $10,000 a month to TurnkeyZRG for consulting from former Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.
Among his NFL front-office gigs, Pioli previously served as GM of the Kansas City Chiefs and assistant GM for the Atlanta Falcons. According to his LinkedIn profile, Pioli, who is based in Massachusetts, has consulted with Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida and Texas A&M, among other schools, since launching his consulting practice in 2019. Sports Business Journal reported last month that Virginia has also recently retained Pioli.
Last month, Pioli announced on X that he would be leaving the NFL Network after a six-year run.