Mark Wilhelm, a partner with Troutman Pepper Locke’s Private Equity industry group, was quoted in the September 4, 2025 Pensions & Investments article, “Inside Private Equity’s Long Drive Into the NFL.”

Mark T. Wilhelm, a partner at the law firm Troutman Pepper Locke, who represents private equity firms in M&A transactions, said the NFL is a “copycat league” in both on-the-field and off-the field matters.

“It would not surprise me to hear that many teams are watching how those initial private equity investments go and are planning to use the experiences of the first-mover teams to inform whether to take on a private equity investor and on what terms,” he said.

Wilhelm also noted that the NFL provides “an interesting opportunity” for private equity because the league and its teams are highly valuable assets that have appreciated in value for decades.

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