Red, white, and blue confetti still floated around Madison Square Garden while billionaire Mike Repole stood quietly off to the side of the celebration. His alma mater, St. John’s University, had just captured its first Big East basketball tournament title in 25 years and locked up a No. 2 seed in the NCAA. As Red Storm players climbed ladders to cut down the nets, Repole never tried to become the center of attention.

He may have blended into the background during the celebration, but Repole has played a major role in the rise of the St. John’s University basketball program this season. Ever since graduating from the school in 1991, he has remained one of its most passionate backers. His long-standing support also earned him a place in The Founder’s Society, a group reserved for alumni and donors who have contributed at least $1 million to the university. And now, he may have set his eyes on the NFL, especially the New York Jets.

“Honestly, I’d love to buy the Jets right now,” Repole said during an appearance on the ‘Portfolio Players‘ podcast with Front Office Sports. “I’m not even a Jets fan, but I’d love to buy that franchise. Again, one of the worst franchises out there. I don’t want to say ‘the worst’ because Woody might see this one day. But I’d love to help him out.”

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As of May 2026, the Jets have not made a playoff appearance since 2011. Following the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) clinching a playoff spot in April 2026, the Jets now hold the longest active playoff drought in all four major North American professional sports leagues. So, even though Repole isn’t a fan of the team, he would still love to buy the franchise and help owner Woody Johnson turn the franchise around.

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“Give me a call, Woody,” Repole next wrote on X, reporting the clip of the podcast. “@nyjets Let’s make the Jets a winning franchise!!!!! The NY fans will love this. I’ll do it for FREE, but I’ll buy 1% to 5%!!!! Let’s go, Jets!!!!”

Here’s the thing: Repole has a history of sports investments, including a recent stake in the UFL and a past bid for the New York Mets. As a lifelong Mets fan from Queens, Repole attempted to buy the team before it was ultimately sold to Steve Cohen. He also oversees a diverse investment portfolio and is a close business ally of Tom Brady. Together, they serve as co-owners and partners of NOBULL, helping grow the athletic and wellness brand into a billion-dollar company.

As for the Jets, Woody Johnson has never seriously considered selling the franchise, not even a minority share. It has been his stance since purchasing the franchise for $635 million from the estate of Leon Hess in 2000. However, the Jets have struggled mightily in recent years, becoming one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams. Last season, they finished with a dismal 3-14 record under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn.

While the franchise enjoyed some success early in Johnson’s ownership, including multiple AFC Championship Game appearances, the team has posted an 85-160 record across 15 seasons and hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2011.

While Repole has offered his help to save the Jets, who exactly is he, and why should Jets fans take his bid seriously? The New York native is no stranger to a challenge, with his experience in disrupting various spaces, like a pivotal role in the resurgence of St. John’s basketball, alongside countless other business ventures, before setting his sights on the NFL.

Mike Repole: It all started with a thoroughbred racehorse

Hailing from Middle Village, Queens, New York City, Mike Repole started in the beverage industry, which led to his first major venture as he co-founded Glaceau (maker of Vitamin Water), which was sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion. He co-founded Bodyarmor SuperDrink, which was sold to Coca-Cola for $5.6 billion.

In 2025, Repole joined hands with NFL legend Tom Brady as the former New England Patriots star merged with his athletic footwear and apparel brand, NoBull. However, his sports connection doesn’t stop with Brady, as Repole was an investor in the United Football League last year, a spring league created following the merger of the latest iterations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL) in March 2024. But how did it all start?

Well, Repole first stepped into the sports world in 2002 when he purchased a thoroughbred racehorse, a move that eventually grew into Repole Stable the following year. What started small turned into one of the country’s biggest racing operations over the next 23 years, expanding to more than 300 horses.

In 2022, Repole celebrated his first Triple Crown victory when Mo Donegal captured the Belmont Stakes not far from his hometown.

Lately, though, the businessman has been making headlines in horse racing for a very different reason. The billionaire owner has openly criticized several of the sport’s governing institutions, accusing them of poor management and conflicts of interest while pushing for sweeping reforms. Repole has called for modernized rules and a centralized governing structure that gives owners a stronger voice, and he has even threatened antitrust lawsuits against organizations, including The Jockey Club, Breeders’ Cup, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

“I’m disrupting the sport,” Repole said about it earlier this year. “There’s a Jockey Club that’s been around since 1894, and that would make them 132 years old. The sport has to evolve. Right now, with no commissioner, no real governing body, horse racing is just becoming boxing. And we all know what happened with boxing.”

It goes without saying that Mike Repole is clearly no stranger to turning struggling franchises and brands into winners. Whether Jets fans will get their wish remains to be seen, as Woody Johnson has given no indication he plans to sell. But if Repole ever gets the keys, his track record suggests he would bring the same transformative energy to the NFL that he has shown in business and college basketball.