Prep sports powerhouse IMG Academy to be sold for $1.25 billion: What does it

IMG Academy, the Florida boarding school which has trained thousands of athletes who have gone on to college and pro stardom in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis and golf, is being sold to the private equity group BPEA EQT for $1.25 billion, the school’s previous owner Endeavor announced on Tuesday.

Here’s what you need to know:

• As part of the deal, IMG, which houses more than 1,400 students on its 400-acre campus each year, is partnering with Nord Anglia Education, which operates 82 boarding schools across 33 countries, including some in Asia. Those schools will have access to IMG’s sports curriculum.
• From an athletics standpoint, nothing is expected to change in terms of day-to-day operations and setup at IMG’s Bradenton, Fla., campus.
• “Our purpose is to empower student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. We are constantly trying to raise the bar in pursuit of that purpose through our on-campus and online experiences. Simultaneously, our staff is passionate about growing the impact we have on the world, reaching more families, and helping them on their journey,” Brent Richard, president of IMG Academy, said in a statement. “BPEA EQT and Nord Anglia are ideal partners to achieve and accelerate those goals, and we are excited for that future.”

What does this mean for IMG Academy long term?

More access to athletes from around the globe. The school, founded in 1978 by the late Nick Bollettieri as a tennis academy, has placed over 30,000 students on college rosters through 2022 and constantly attracts top-tier athletes to its elite campus and facilities. In 2023, IMG produced two five-star football recruits and had 16 recruits sign with Power 5 programs. The football program’s 2024 recruiting class is anchored by six top-100 recruits in the 247Sports Composite, led by five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson IV (a Georgia commitment), five-star defensive lineman David Stone (an Oklahoma native) and five-star running back Jerrick Gibson (who played his first two years of high school football in Georgia).

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