Iowa Expands NFL Exec’s Role to Lead Hawkeyes Into Revenue-Sharing Era

Pioli worked closely with legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and most notably with the New England Patriots during its dynastic run. In recent years, Pioli has grown closer with the Hawkeyes football team and head coach Kirk Ferentz.

In step with the clarified roles, Iowa announced Monday the launch of its Flight Funds program, which the school’s athletic department described as a “new charitable avenue that allow donors to invest in student-athlete revenue sharing and help Iowa build championship-caliber programs.”

Effectively, Flight Funds will operate in a manner that allows donors to help support Iowa athletics while insuring Hawkeye athletes earn their share of revenue and NIL opportunities.

“We are eager to embrace the new era of opportunity for Iowa Athletics and are committed to participating at the maximum revenue-sharing level,” Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “By expanding our revenue generation opportunities -- including the Flight Funds -- we are not only enhancing our financial stability but also reinforcing our commitment to the well-being and success of our student-athletes.”

Iowa offers specific Flight Funds for primary sports such as football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s wrestling. There will also be a general fund that will support revenue sharing programs. 

“As a program, we are always working to compete at the highest level on the field,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said in the statement. “Flight Fund is a great opportunity for our fans to contribute directly to our program, which will benefit our student-athletes, and all involved with Hawkeye football. Contributions to the Football Flight Fund will enable us to continue to attract and retain the highest quality prospective players to keep our program in a position to compete at a championship level.”

More information on Flight Funds can be found here.