One of the most famed franchises in NFL history is set to undergo some big changes in ownership, as Steve Tisch and his siblings are seeking to transfer their ownership stakes to the trusts benefiting their children.[1] If the NFL approves, Tisch and his siblings would give up their personal equity in the Giants, but keep the franchise interest in the family name, a common approach in estate planning.
However, this seemingly run of the mill succession plan becomes a lot more interesting when one takes into account that it was recently revealed that Steve Tisch had close ties to Jeffrey Epstein.[2] Despite this, Tisch is set to continue as chairman of the Giants board of directors after transferring his ownership interest. According to newly released records from the Justice Department, Tisch and Epstein engaged in multiple email exchanges dating back to 2013. In these records, Tisch is mentioned over 440 times, with a number of the mentions relating to Tisch reaching out to Epstein to set up “dates” with women.[3] Shortly after these records came out, Tisch released a statement in which he adamantly denied any wrongdoing or knowledge about Epstein’s heinous character. In his own words, Tisch stated, “we had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”[4] On a side note (but in a similar fashion), the popular sports and entertainment agency formerly known as the Wasserman Agency rebranded to “the Team,” on March 9, 2026, after the founder, Casey Wasserman, was also heavily implicated in the Epstein files, thus showcasing how the Tisch family situation does not exist in a vacuum.[5]
At the very best, the Justice Department records create a really bad look for the Tisch family and makes the timing of the ownership transfer noteworthy. Since the NFL Constitution and bylaws allow the league to remove an owner that is detrimental to the league’s value and/or image, one can’t help but wonder if Tisch transferred his interest knowing what was likely to come.[6] As for now, it is unclear whether the Justice Department or the league will continue an investigation into Tisch, but if they do, that could further affect the Giants if he is also forced to be removed as chairman of the board.
[1] Seth Wickersham and Jordan Raanan, Tisch family looks to transfer Giants stake to children’s trusts, ESPN (March 11, 2026).
[2] Ben Horney, Steve Tisch Passing Giants Stake to Children but Will Still Chair Board, Front Office Sports (March 11, 2026).
[3] Teddy Ricketson, Steve Tisch Epstein files, explained: What we know about Giants co-owner’s emails with sex offender, The Sporting News (March 11, 2026).
[4] Jack Baer, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, siblings reportedly ask to transfer stakes to children as NFL looks into Jeffrey Epstein ties, Yahoo Sports (March 11, 2026).
[5] Alex Weprin, Wasserman Rebrands as ‘The Team’ As Sales Process Kicks Into Gear, Hollywood Reporter (March 9, 2026).
[6] https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#2025-rule-changes
Blake Breidenstein is a third year law student at the University at Buffalo School of Law who has spent much of his law school career studying how the law intertwines with the sports and entertainment industry. Throughout his time in law school, Breidenstein has supported the university's compliance office, working alongside a supervising attorney and staff in ensuring compliance with the ever-changing rules governing collegiate athletics. As a lifelong baseball player, Blake focuses much of his writing on the MLB, although his Buffalo roots occasionally turn his focus towards the Bills and Sabres.
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