49ers CEO York makes move to be principal owner - ESPN

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  Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterMar 26, 2024, 01:44 PM ET

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  Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner

ORLANDO, Fla. -- For the past 13 years, Jed York has been the San Francisco 49ers' chief executive officer in title but has, for all intents and purposes, been the franchise's acting owner.

Soon, there will be no doubt. On Tuesday, York confirmed that he is purchasing enough equity from his family to become the 49ers' principal owner, a move that he said Tuesday has an eye toward securing the York family's hold on the franchise for the long haul.

"I think it's just a move from a family standpoint to just keep this team in our family for generations to come," York said. "I think it's reflective of how we've operated. ... I don't think you're going to see really any change. It's much more of a long-term family planning thing."

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Before departing the league meetings this week, York's change in title is expected to get the necessary NFL approval. According to York, his family owns around 97% of the team, though he declined to discuss exact percentages of how that is divvied up amongst his family members. Denise DeBartolo York, York's mother, and Dr. John York, York's father, will remain as co-chairs of the 49ers after York becomes principal owner, he said.

York, 43, took over as the team's CEO in 2010 and has ostensibly run the organization as a de facto owner since, albeit without the official title. The change has long been in the making, according to York.

"It is always a unique process within families and it's just something that we've always discussed," York said. "And I think watching different family successions and seeing how reading a will can be very different than having a conversation when everybody's still around and available to walk through and talk through and sort of get from where we are to where we're going. We just thought it was a better process to just sort of transition into it smoothly. And again, being a very close family, I don't ever anticipate any problems with my family, but it's just an easier, smoother transition to make sure that this team stays in our family."

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49ers CEO York makes move to be principal owner - ESPN
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