The Broncos announced Monday morning that the Walton-Penner Ownership Group has added Condoleezza Rice as a minority owner.
“A highly respected public servant, accomplished academic and corporate leader, Secretary Rice is well known as a passionate and knowledgeable football fan who has worked to make the sport stronger and better,” Rob Walton said in a statement. “Her unique experience and extraordinary judgement will be a great benefit to our group and the Broncos organization.”
Rice moved to the Denver area at age 12 and attended St. Mary’s Academy (graduating at age 16 in 1971) and graduated from DU.
“It is an honor to be part of this ownership group,” Rice said. “Football has been an integral part of my life since the moment it was introduced to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Broncos organization today. I spent much of my younger years in Denver, so to be able to combine my love of the game with my love for this great city and team is an adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity.”
Last month, the group led by Rob Walton, Greg Penner and Carrie Walton-Penner agreed to purchase the Broncos for a world record price of $4.65 billion.
Rice’s connection with the Broncos ownership group is through Stanford; she was a professor at Stanford from 1981-87 and returned to the school in 2009. Greg and Carrie Penner earned graduate degrees from Stanford.
Rice was the national security advisor from 2001-05 and secretary of state from 2005-09 under president George W. Bush.
From 2013-16, she was on the inaugural College Football Playoff selection committee.
The Walton-Penner Group must still wait for the NFL’s Finance Committee to approve their bid, which will then be passed on to the league’s team owners for a final approval. It remains likely the Broncos will have new owners by the time they open the season Sept. 12 at Seattle.
