Who Owns Excel Sports Management?

Jeff Schwartz founded Excel Sports Management in 2002 as a basketball-focused player representation business. He started the agency in Santa Monica, operating from office space borrowed from Casey Wasserman. Schwartz's first three clients were NBA players Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, and Lamar Odom. Kidd and Pierce went on to have Hall of Fame careers, and Schwartz negotiated the first $100 million NBA contract for Kidd.

Schwartz brought a marketing-focused approach to athlete representation. Before founding Excel, he had worked as a tennis agent at IMG, the seminal sports agency founded by Mark McCormack. Schwartz believed he was more adept at marketing than most agents of the era and saw that the NBA was heading global in player recruitment. His skills developed in tennis representation provided a foundation for success in basketball.

For the first nine years, Excel operated as a basketball-only agency. The firm built a strong reputation in NBA contract negotiation and player marketing. Schwartz consistently ranked as the top basketball agent in the industry by contract revenue, a position he has held for nearly a decade. He has negotiated more than $8 billion in contracts over his career.

In 2011, Schwartz expanded Excel into a multi-sport agency by recruiting Mark Steinberg and Casey Close, both former IMG executives. Steinberg brought his longtime client Tiger Woods, the biggest name in golf. Close brought Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees icon. These additions transformed Excel from a basketball boutique into a major multi-sport agency and brought celebrity clients whose profiles extended well beyond sports.

The addition of Steinberg and Close also brought IMG's culture to Excel. Schwartz, Steinberg, and Close had all started working at IMG's Cleveland headquarters in August 1992, within weeks of each other. They were newly minted agents of the same age with no prior connections to Cleveland. Their shared IMG background created a foundation for collaboration at Excel.

Following the 2011 expansion, Excel continued adding sports and service lines. The agency entered NFL on-field representation in 2023 with the acquisition of Rep 1 Football. Excel also acquired Block Six Analytics, a sports sponsorship analytics company, in 2021, and Game Seven, a creative marketing agency. The agency added coach and executive representation through the acquisition of Harlan Sports Management and executive search through Nolan Partners, now Excel Search and Advisory.

Excel expanded into women's sports representation, signing Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever guard who became one of the most prominent athletes in women's basketball. Clark's arrival at Excel reflected the growing commercial value of women's sports and the agency's commitment to that market. The agency also represents WNBA, MLB, and collegiate athletes.

The agency has grown to more than 400 employees representing over 750 athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, golf, and collegiate sports. Excel has also expanded beyond talent representation into brand consulting, property sales and representation, executive search, media and content creation, and advisory services to professional sports teams.

Shamrock Capital invested in Excel in 2020, providing capital for acquisitions and growth. Under Shamrock's backing, Excel became more aggressive with acquisitions and service expansions. In November 2025, Goldman Sachs Alternatives acquired a majority stake from Shamrock, valuing the agency at close to $1 billion. The deal positioned Excel for further growth under Goldman's resources and sports industry relationships.