Florida's IMG Academy sold to private equity group for $1.25 billion

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The for-profit Florida boarding school that has groomed some of the top college football and basketball talent in recent years has been sold.

Endeavor Group Holdings, a sports and media conglomerate, which recently purchased WWE, is selling IMG Academy to the private equity group BPEA EQT for a price of $1.25 billion. The Nord Anglia Education company already operates over 80 schools and will partner with BPEA EQT.



Originally started back in 1978 as a tennis training ground, IMG bought the academy in 1987 and expanded, eventually adding golf, basketball and football, along with a number of other sports. The campus today spans more than 400 acres in Bradenton, Florida, with top-level facilities for athletes. Endeavor acquired IMG in 2014, which included IMG Academy.

The on-site academy includes an $11 million training complex, a 5,000-seat arena plus an on-site hotel for parents and scouts. The cafeteria menu is crafted specifically for athletes. Tuition and boarding can cost up to $89,900 annually, according to the Wall Street Journal. That’s $10,000 more expensive than to attend Harvard University.

The school has produced college football stars Grant Delpit, Kellen Mond, Evan Neal, Shea Patterson and Nolan Smith. Michael Beasley, Erick Dampier and Anfernee Simons have all gone on to play in the NBA. As of 2022, the academy had placed 30,000 students on college sports rosters.

The private equity firm BPEA EQT has already brought on Nord Anglia, showing its plans to expand IMG Academy’s online offerings into more boarding schools. It’s unknown if the sale will make a direct impact on the campus, which has said it is operating as a growing business. A large portion of revenue is still generated by tuition.

IMG Academy has become a recruiting hotbed in the last 15 years, specifically in football.

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