Who wants to go to a Soho House in a football stadium?

Happy Thursday! Welcome to FOIAball. I know in a lot of newsletters I say I learned about my new least favorite thing, but this time I really mean it! I hate everything about what I’m about to discuss.

I hope you do, too.

The University of Florida recently announced a $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, an investment it says will double The Swamp’s annual revenue.

In a press release, the school said the stadium’s capacity would remain unchanged. 

How do you make more money without selling more tickets? You know the answer: Find ways to charge fans a lot more money.

That means luxury suites. The school said it will renovate its existing 82 boxes while adding another 63. In the process, it’s gonna remove a bunch of non-premium seating.

Making things like football games and concerts utterly inaccessible for everyday Americans is gosh darn great and all, but when you’re only charging for events, there’s still precious income being left on the table. And in 2026, every single aspect of every single thing needs to be monetized to absolute death. 

Thankfully, universities have a solution: turning part of their stadiums into year-round, members-only social clubs.

Imagine, if you can, the inconvenience of a WeWork, the pretension of a Soho House, the entitlement of a country club, and the self-importance of a college football booster. 

It sounds so awful. I had to learn everything about it. 

I first heard of these stadium secret societies when the University of Kansas unveiled the Naismith Club in February. 

Set to open this summer, it’s nestled in the school’s basketball arena. To become a member, well, you can’t just become one. You have to apply. According to the 14 (fourteen!) page bylaws I found, these clubs can reject applicants if they are not “financially qualified” or of “good character.”

What does “good character” mean? That isn’t defined. Feel free to speculate based on the information I’m about to provide.

The Naismith Club initiation fee is $640, plus $110 in monthly dues. That’s not that much, but there’s also a $300-a-quarter food-and-beverage minimum. 

What kind of person joins one of these clubs? Ya know, I did stumble across a new member list for one. And looked up everyone’s profession. 

On any given day, while enjoying a pear and brie salad, you may be sitting next to realtors, plastic surgeons, former mayors, consultants, realtors, private equity middle management, local bank executives, small-time lobbyists, fast-casual dining-chain VPs, and realtors.

All in the hollow confines of an unoccupied stadium, glancing out at an empty football field. Cool!

These clubs are currently at a smattering of stadiums around the country. There’s the Arizona Sands Club, at Arizona; and the Ken Graff Club, at Utah. There’s the University Club at Virginia Tech; the Baylor Club; the Texas Tech Club; and the University of Texas Club at Texas.

A few are in actual buildings and not stadiums, like at Alabama and UNC, which I guess is a modicum more dignified? Whomst can say.  

Most of these clubs are managed by Oak View Group, a stadium and live events conglomerate that handles operations at sporting venues across the country. Should it be allowed to have contracts with public universities nationwide? 

I’m gonna go with no, given that its CEO was indicted in July 2025 under the Sherman Antitrust Act for rigging a bid to develop and operate Texas’ basketball arena. 

How guilty was he? The company he founded agreed to pay a fine and cooperate with the Justice Department’s prosecution of him. Of course, five months later, Donald Trump gave him a full pardon. 

He stepped down as CEO, but is still on the company’s board. 

Why do schools do this? Well, it costs them nothing, and they get a nice passive revenue stream that otherwise wouldn’t exist. 

FOIAball obtained the contract for the construction and management of the Arizona Sands Club, which reveals the details of these agreements. 

But first, corporate shuffling! The deal Arizona signed in 2020 was with a firm called ClubCorp, which then changed its name to Invited Clubs, which then sold its luxury club division to Oak View Group, which now goes by OVG. Got it?

The OG (not OVG) firm put up $4 million for the club’s construction. In return, Arizona takes a cut of food and beverage sales and membership dues. Typically, somewhere between 10% and 20%, depending on escalator clauses. 

How much do schools make a year from them? Great question! That’s what I wanted to know, too. But none of them would tell me.

That said, OVG says it has 10,000 members across seven clubs. If 1,000 members spend $2,500 a year, that’s $2.5 million for each school. I bet it’s more than that. 

How haughty and self-important can these places really be? How seriously do they take themselves? These university clubs all publish their own quarterly magazine called Explore about the exciting happenings at each club. 

The theme for Alabama's spring 2025 issue was “New Beginnings: Planting seeds for ‘wow’ experiences.”

What’s a “wow” experience a highfalutin Tuscaloosan will delightfully encounter at the University Club? How about the exotic concept of food with texture? 

According to a note from the club’s chef, their spring menu follows the “The 2025 Whole Foods Trend Forecast,” because “we couldn't agree more when it comes to texture.” 

At first, I thought he was citing some NGO report, but no, he means Whole Foods. I reviewed the 2025 Whole Foods Trend Forecast. It does mention texture. But that’s the year’s third-biggest trend. Nos. 1 and 2 pertain to international food. I wonder why those didn’t make the note.

Regardless, members should be braced for "plenty of crunch in the new year, as we explore textures like never before.”

One of the new texture-forward items on the menu was bolognese.

How did that go over? I don’t know, but I do know the clientele is not the type to hide their contempt. In the same issue, the club had a section on recent changes it made in response to member feedback. 

It was "implementing key enhancements" such as “bi-monthly train sessions to refine the front of house,” more “standardized table settings to ensure a polished presentation,” and “online quizzes” for staff to "strengthen menu knowledge" and "enrich the dining experience." 

That means exactly what you think. Some Tide booster was upset that he wasn’t greeted by name at the hostess stand, then furious his server didn’t know if his salmon was coho or sockeye. 

Now, every single employee has to pass a test to ensure he doesn’t get cranky again. 

Anyways… those are the kinds of people universities want in their stadiums now. 

Love it. 

Oh, sorry, I forgot the saddest part. The header image up there, that’s from the Arizona Sands Club’s annual Friendsgiving. Which is something all the clubs do. They all do a Friendsgiving. Eating in a sterile dining room, with friends you pay for, where a staff cooks for you. Can’t think of a bleaker way to do it.

Hey! We’ll see you next week.

Arizona Sands Club via YouTube