“We are bringing new perspectives on our team to help us realize the incredible opportunities for our sport,” announced the Tour in December last year. The PGA Tour needed a new CEO to handle its growing business side, especially after tensions rose between players and Commissioner Jay Monahan—mainly over the surprise deal talks with Saudi Arabia’s PIF. While Monahan stays on as commissioner, the Tour wanted fresh leadership to rebuild trust and drive commercial growth.
“Brian Rolapp, a highly respected longtime NFL executive who some consider as the potential successor to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, is leaving his post as the league’s EVP to become PGA Tour CEO,” posted Adam Schefter. Known for shaping the NFL’s media empire, Rolapp has been officially named CEO of the PGA Tour today.
Now, we all know Brian Rolapp as the new CEO of the Tour—but who is the man behind the title, really?
Brian Rolapp’s success and early life
Brian Rolapp might be new to golf, but he’s no rookie when it comes to running the business side of sports. He spent 22 years in the NFL, where he helped turn the league into a media powerhouse. Rolapp started out in 2003 and climbed the ladder fast, eventually becoming the NFL’s Chief Media and Business Officer. He was the guy behind the league’s massive TV and streaming deals and played a key role in growing the NFL Network. He is indeed a mastermind.
Long before Amazon or YouTube were airing live games, Rolapp was already building the NFL’s digital presence. He helped launch the NFL’s first apps and was one of the brains behind the NFL’s early push into streaming. “Right now on TV, there’s NFL football—and then there’s everything else,” said Rolapp back in 2015, and he wasn’t just ranting.
The PGA Tour has a new CEO, per @AdamSchefter. https://t.co/QzetnEljaK pic.twitter.com/YANmZk4iom
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) June 12, 2025
As the NFL’s Chief Media and Business Officer, he helped turn the league into a media monster. Rolapp was the brains behind Thursday Night Football’s rise and the guy who helped close that jaw-dropping $111 billion media rights deal. Now we know the deal of his success; what about his early struggling days?
Rolapp studied at Brigham Young University (BYU) and later got his MBA from Harvard Business School, so yeah, he knows his stuff. He started out in finance at CIBC World Markets and later worked in business development at NBC Universal before joining the NFL. While he hasn’t been deeply involved in golf before this, the guy knows how to grow a sport’s brand, build billion-dollar partnerships, and handle pressure at the top.
That’s exactly the kind of firepower the PGA Tour is betting on as it tries to stay competitive and navigate deals in a changing sports landscape.
Sports roots run in the family
Brian Rolapp grew up around sports—his dad, Duane Rolapp, was actually the general manager behind the PGA Tour’s very first TV network deal in the 1960s, so it’s safe to say sports business is in his DNA. Rolapp’s life looks a lot like a highlight reel. He’s been married to his wife, Cindy, since the late ’90s, and together they’ve built a tight-knit, sports-loving family.
Cindy keeps a low profile, but she’s known as the calm presence behind the scenes, manages the busy household, and makes it easier for Brian to focus on high stakes deals without missing a beat. They’ve got four kids—Drew, Will, Catherine, and Benjamin—and if you think the love for the game stops at Dad’s job, think again.
Will suited up for the University of Michigan football team, while Ben is already making headlines as a rising high school quarterback in Connecticut, tossing touchdowns like a pro in the making. He’s a rising quarterback at Brunswick School in Connecticut, set to graduate in 2027. He’s racked up over 3,000 passing yards, runs a 4.66-second 40-yard dash, and has started to catch serious attention from scouts. The younger two, Drew and Catherine, are still growing up, but chances are the competitive spirit runs in them, too.
And now, all eyes are on Rolapp—can he win the players’ trust and steer the PGA Tour into its next era of growth? Only time and a few bold moves will tell.
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