December 22, 2012 by Charlie Eisenhood in News with 7 comments
Today the American Ultimate Disc League announced that Josh Moore has sold the majority stake of the league to a new holding company, Ultimate Xperience Ventures, LLC, an investment group led by Rob Lloyd, the Chairman of the Toronto Rush franchise and a member of the league’s Executive Board. Moore has also stepped down as Commissioner of the league.
Steve Gordon, the owner of the Windy City Wildfire franchise, will now be the Commissioner, as reported by Skyd Magazine.
“After months of analysis of the business models of other sports entities, we came to realize the AUDL has the right model, but needed some adjustments to maximize its opportunity for success” said Lloyd in a press release. “Josh Moore should be congratulated for his vision and passion that led to the formation of the AUDL. However as Ultimate continues to gain momentum, it’s time to take our game to the next level. This is an exciting time for the AUDL as we make some important investments and changes to ensure our success as we move forward.”
Along with these newly announced changes, the league announced a formal Executive Council that will operate the league, comprised of Gordon and six other team owners. This board has been at the helm of the league for two months now, as first reported by Ultiworld.
The league will also begin a revenue-sharing program that gives teams a cut of league revenues. The details have not been released.
Today’s announcement marks a major shift for the AUDL. With Moore stepping down and maintaining only a small stake in the league, the league looks very little like it did last year. Only half of last year’s teams remain in the league, and the new owners have much greater control over the path forward.
At press time, Lloyd, Gordon, Moore, and others in AUDL leadership had not responded to requests for comment. We will have much more on this story.
