Private Equity’s Youth Sports Push Expands to College Recruiting

Private equity is continuing its push into American youth sports with Prep Network, a platform focused on collegiate athlete recruitment and live events, signing a deal with Maple Park Capital Partners.

Maple Park invested about $30 million and expects to deploy additional capital to support further business growth, according to people familiar with the transaction. Prep Network plans to use the capital to expand its slate of events into new regions and for product development.

Youth sports have grown into a multibillion-dollar industry, attracting investors from across the business and entertainment worlds. Earlier this year, Maverick Carter, longtime ...