USF Athletics names chief business officer

The University of South Florida has hired a new chief business officer for its revamped athletics department, the university announced Thursday. 

Jason Layton joins USF Athletics’ senior leadership team after more than a decade working as chief revenue officer for Legends Global’s partnership with the University of Miami. In that role, Layton oversaw ticket sales and operations, membership services, consumer marketing, retail operations, corporate partnerships and the Hurricane Club’s annual fundraising efforts. 

As chief business officer for USF Athletics, Layton, 48, will be responsible for the department’s budgeting, purchasing, requests for proposals, contracts and other legal matters, according to a release. Other responsibilities include oversight of the Athletics department’s human resources, information technology, equipment and apparel partnerships, merchandise and licensing, ticket operations and secondary market distribution and fan data, analytics, and customer relationship management. 

“It's really rare for a person to have both the internal operations and revenue-generation expertise that Jason possesses, which is exactly in line with the 'one of one' dream team we promised,” CEO of USF Athletics Rob Higgins says in the release. “His experience across both collegiate and professional sports blends perfectly with where we are going as an athletic department and university.”

Higgins, too, is a recent addition to USF Athletics, having been recruited in September from his long-time position as executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. Then, in October, the department hired pro football and college football Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks as USF Athletics’ chief operating officer. 

The new hires come as construction begins on the USF Bulls’ new $348 million football stadium, projected to open on the university’s Tampa campus in fall 2027. 

As chief business officer, Layton will manage USF Athletics’ facilities, capital projects and event management and logistics efforts, the release states. He will also assist in football business operations, including serving as liaison on revenue sharing initiatives and issues regarding name, image and likeness. 

Layton has previously worked as senior deputy director of athletics at the University of Miami, a role he adopted in June 2023 after working as the school’s deputy director of athletics, chief financial officer and senior associate athletics director for communications and sales. 

He first joined the UM Hurricanes in December 2014 and, throughout his tenure, oversaw marketing, digital strategy, communications, ticketing, client experience, corporate partnerships, video production, business operations and broadcasting. 

Under Layton’s leadership, UM achieved record growth in ticket sales and video production, significantly expanding its ESPN and ACC Network broadcast presence, the release states. 

Before joining the University of Miami, Layton spent two seasons at Colorado State University as senior associate athletics director for sales and marketing. The Florida native started his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent 13 years with the team, advancing from a customer service representative in 1999 to senior director of business administration when he left in 2011.