Tracker: University-Specific NIL Collectives
What is an NIL collective?
A collective is an organization formed to benefit student athletes, usually at a specific institution. The models vary somewhat, but the basic premise of most is that an alum, or group of alums, band together to form a company whose goal is to provide NIL opportunities to student athletes of that institution. How they find or provide those opportunities is where the models really differ.
Are NIL collectives non-profits?
Yes, some collectives are 501(c)(3) non-profits, which means donations to those collectives are tax-deductible. There are also a couple of collectives who have applied to be 501(c)(7) tax-exempt entities.
How many collectives are non-profits? Currently, we know of 14 that have received their 501(c)3) approval from the IRS, and 2 that have applied for 501(c)(7) designation. We’ll update this number as more information becomes available.
How do you start an NIL collective?
I’ve consulted with more than a dozen collectives in the formation phase, and I host monthly calls for collectives to discuss issues and share best practices.
To inquire about a consulting session or be added to our monthly call list, contact me.
I also have a membership community for collectives with ongoing education, expert Q&As and more. Learn more about NIL Collective Insider here.
Below is a list of NIL collectives. We will be updating this page as new collectives, or new details on existing collectives, emerge.
We’ve also started separate lists below of marketing or talent agencies that appear to be specializing in one university, NFT communities, local exchanges and schools partnering with Student Athlete Empowerment.
Know something we’ve missed? Send us a message here.
Last Updated on November 28, 2022 Table Of Contents
List of NIL Collectives by School
| University | Company | Founder(s) | How it Works |
| Arizona State University | Sun Angel Collective | Jeff Berg, John Dorsey, Scott Harkey, Michael Olsen and Chris Michaels | Sun Angel Collective provides fans and supporters with access to their favorite student-athletes through contributions and subscriptions. |
| Auburn University | |||
| Auburn University | On to Victory | Mike Arasin, Nick Davis, Steve Fleming, Keith Jones, Ned Sheffield, Wesley Spruill | On to Victory will pool funds from businesses and fans to help Auburn athletes profit off their NIL. The board has vowed not to receive any compensation so 90% of proceeds can go directly to athletes. |
| Baylor University | GXG Exchange | Startup Waco | In collaboration with partners, businesses, and other constituencies, GXG will connect student-athletes with city-wide opportunities that ultimately empower them to use their platform in the community in ways that not only benefit themselves, but also uplift the local economy. |
| Bradley University | Home of the Brave | Steve Cicciarelli, Rick Gaa, Ryan Pierson, Joe Messmore, Matt Wiesner | Home of the Brave was created by a group of fans, alumni, and Peoria business leaders that are dedicated to the success of the Bradley University Men’s Basketball program. The collective will help student-athletes monetize their individual and collective brands while providing mentoring, educational, and networking opportunities. |
| Brigham Young University | CougConnect | Jake Brandon | CougConnect is a first-of-its-kind platform created at the request of BYU student athletes to enrich their lives through NIL. Their mission is to “delight fans by giving them unprecedented access to premium content, events, and merchandise.” |
| Bryant University | Tupper’s Kennel | Tupper’s Kennel was created with one mission in mind – to empower Bryant University student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. With the passing of legislation allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, Tupper’s Kennel leverages the collective power of the alumni and fans to equip student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary for them to excel both during and beyond their time in Bryant. More importantly, we seek to help student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities the right way, without ever compromising the values of the university and the legacy of all those who have donned the black and gold in the past. | |
| Butler University | All Good Dawgs | AGD will solicit donations to be used to pay athletes for work on behalf of charitable organizations. According to the AGD website, all unrestricted donations will support men’s basketball. However, donors can restrict funds to other sports. | |
| Clemson University | TigerImpact | Rich Davies, Kendall Alley and Kevin Gemas | Stated mission is to “provide student athletes with the opportunity to further develop themselves as part of their education while at Clemson and serve others by providing much needed support to community charities.” |
| Clemson University | Dear Old Clemson | Robert MacRae and Jason Beaty | For businesses and fans that just want to contribute to football, they can hop on the Roy Bus and have their contributions dedicated to football. Two club options will be available: the Clemson Athletic Club and the Lady Tiger Club. Contributions from subscriptions to the Lady Tiger Club will go exclusively to support the athletes of Clemson’s women’s sports. The Clemson Athletic Club will support football and other sports with a majority of the funds going to football. Club members will have access to exclusive events with student-athletes, receive early access and discounts on collectibles and other exciting benefits. |
| East Carolina University | Team Boneyard | Vern Davenport and other | Membership-based collective that offers offers ECU student-athletes opportunities to engage in permissible NIL activities, including: autograph signings, social media promotions, camps and clinics, charity events, special appearances, speaking engagements, product reviews/endorsements, commercials and more. |
| Florida Atlantic University | The Owl Collective | Bryan Rammel | The Owl Collective is created and formed by former athletes, alum, and people passionate about helping student-athletes. |
| Florida International University | Inside the Cage | Brad Davis and Johnathan Cyprien | Inside the Cage is a FIU-Focused NIL Collective designed to help facilitate and cultivate opportunities for student-athletes. |
| Florida State University | Rising Spear | Bob Davis (former chairman of Seminole Boosters) and Alan Flaumenhaft (former Treasuer of Seminole Boosters) plus Dreamfield | Rising Spear consists of two options for sponsors and athletes. Gold Standard includes for profit opportunities, and Garnet Spirit, a not-for-profit platform creating opportunities to engage FSU student-athletes through appearance fees, clinics, fundraising, community service projects and events supporting underserved communities. In May 2022, Warpath 850 merged into Rising Spear. |
Warpath 850 has merged with Rising Spear as of May 2022. | |||
| Florida State University | Micconope 1851 | Mike Underwood and James Coleman | While Micconope 1851 will assist athletes in NIL earning opportunities, it has a mission to go beyond that to help the athletes access successful alumni who can provide educational resources. |
| George Mason University | Patriot Nation Collective | “Player-directed” collective created by men’s basketball players and community leaders | The collective is comprised of local business leaders who are interested in providing recurring NIL opportunities for George Mason University student-athletes. The collective also manages The Mason Player’s Club, a member’s only organization that generates opportunities for fans of George Mason men’s basketball to interact with their favorite players. |
| George Washington | Friends of George | Seven-member advisory board | Friends of George was created with one mission in mind – to empower George Washington student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. With the passing of legislation allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, Friends of George leverages the collective power of the alumni and fans to equip student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary for them to excel both during and beyond their time in Washington, DC and seeks seeks to help student-athletes to use NIL to maximize its impact on the community, and to do so the right way. |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Swarm the ATL | Stephen Weitzel and Dreamfield | Fans can pay monthly fees and in return will receive access to Tech players and other perks. The access could take the form of a meet-and-greet, interaction over a videoconference, dinners or events like a trip to TopGolf. Higher-level subscribers could have benefits like tickets to join suite owners for football games or sit courtside at basketball games. |
| Gonzaga University | Friends of Spike | Gee Automotive, Washington Trust Bank, The Wolff Company and Dealers Auto Auction, along with former GU men’s basketball player Matt Santangelo and former GU women’s basketball player Shaniqua Nilles | Contributions will create opportunities for in-person engagements in the community such as meet & greets, watch parties, and charity work. Additionally, Friends of Spike’s team will help facilitate youth sports programs, speaking engagements, and corporate advertising campaigns. There will also be opportunities in the future for exclusive student-athlete content, merchandise, and giveaways. Powered by Blueprint Sports. |
| Grambling State University | The Icon Collective | The Icon Collective provides assistance to athletes at Grambling State University by facilitating name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities with businesses, alumni, and fans. | |
| Grand Canyon University | Heart Of A Lope | Membership-based collective that will raise funds to help student athletes maximize their NIL opportunities. | |
| HBCUs | Rise HBCU | Angelica McDonald and M. Alex Evans | Ries HBCU will support all HBCUs. Formed by HBCU graduates who were student athletes, they’re focused on connecting athletes with their communities. |
| HBCUs | G-Men Nation | The mission of G-Men Nation, Inc. is to support the successful growth and lively sustainment of the HBCU football program experience. | |
| Illinois State University | Empower the Nest | Empower the Nest’s mission is to enable and empower Illinois State University student-athletes to make a difference in their community by contributing their time and effort to non-profit entities that operate in their community. | |
| Indiana University | Hoosier Hysterics NIL Collective | Eric Pankowski, Ward Roberts | There are two main avenues: matching businesses with an athlete or athletes, or a business or booster can contribute to the Collective, then the Collective will pool the money together to create significant NIL deals for an athlete or athletes to promote Hoosier Hysterics through social media posts, appearances, etc. |
| Indiana University | Hoosiers for Good | The organization will raise awareness for Indiana charitable causes by pairing them with community-minded student athletes seeking to use their platform and influence to drive positive social change. | |
| Iowa State University | We Will Collective | Ryan Harklau and Dan McCarney | The We Will Collective will help Iowa State athletes use their NIL to give back to charities and others in need. |
| Kansas State | The Wildcats’ Den | Aaron Lockett, Curry Sexton and Brian Morris | Launching April 20, 2022 per tweet |
| Kansas State | Wildcat NIL | Jesse Ertz, Ryan Henington, Ross Elder and Brad Fulner | Donations of any amount are accepted, and the group will help arrange appearances, autograph sessions, sell merchandise and memorabilia, etc. The Cat Family Club within Wildcat NIL appears to be focused on higher-end donors. “This exclusive group of 100 supporters has each committed to donating $1,000 per month to a fund that is used for NIL opportunities for our players. Our goal with this $1.2 million-dollar annual fund is to remain competitive with what every other college program is doing nationally in NIL opportunities and ensure Kansas State Athletics has the resources to remain competitive.” |
| Marquette University | Be the Difference NIL | Be the Difference NIL is working with non-profit organizations and supporting community-minded events to positively impact the community while enabling personal growth with the athletes that sign with the collective. | |
| Michigan State University | This is Sparta! | Charitable Gift America | This is Sparta is a Fund within Charitable Gift America, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, designed to empower Michigan State University student-athletes to make positive impacts on communities and charities close to their hearts while utilizing their NIL. Donations are pooled to create NIL opportunities. |
| Mississippi State University | The Bulldog Initiative | Charlie Winfield (Founder) | The Bulldog Initiative, LLC supports Mississippi State University student-athletes by assisting them in monetizing their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights. In pursuing these goals, The Bulldog Initiative engages directly with select MSU student-athletes and works to connect those athletes with outside marketing opportunities. |
| Montana State University | Bobcat Collective (no website yet, Twitter) | Brandon Vancleeve | Bobcat Collective will support Montana State football, with a goal of sharing funds with every MSU football player. |
| North Carolina State University | Pack of Wolves | Haze Lancaster and Jarrett Disbrow | Mission is to help NC State student-athletes maximize their NIL value while making a positive impact in the community. The collective will connect student-athletes with members and sponsors, and help them navigate and secure meaningful NIL collaborations and lasting relationships. A not-for-profit arm will also be formed to accommodate charitable giving to support the Pack of Wolves. |
| Ohio State University | THE Foundation | Brian Schottenstein and Cardale Jones | Described as a “charitable NIL fund” that will launch around the 2022 spring football game. |
| Ohio State University | Cohesion Foundation | Gary Marcinick | The Cohesion Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to supporting and strengthening the current student-athlete community by fostering opportunities through education and charity. Cohesion connects current student-athletes to charities to provide charities with free marketing regarding their mission, purposes and events. Athletes will be paid by Cohesion for these services. Cohesion will educate current student-athletes regarding the importance of giving back to the community, both currently, and in the communities in which they will eventually live and work. |
| Oklahoma State University | Unbridled was merged into Pokes with a Purpose in June 2022. | ||
| Oklahoma State University | Pokes with a Purpose | Daniel Cormier, Brandon Weeden and Kenyatta Wright | Pairing student-athletes with local charities that enable student-athletes to use their name, image and likeness to raise awareness and funds for causes of their choosing. Unbridled was merged into Pokes with a Purpose in June 2022. |
| Pennsylvania State University | |||
| Pennsylvania State University | Michael Krentzman | Nittany Commonwealth/We Are NIL plans to leverage an experienced marketing team to create ongoing opportunities for student athletes with local, regional and national corporate partners. The organization also plans to offer mentorship and professional development opportunities. Rebranded as We Are NIL in September 2022. | |
| Pennsylvania State University | Success with Honor | Ira Lubert, Anthony Misitano, Bob Poole, Rick Sokolov and Mark Toniatti with SANIL | Success With Honor offers Penn State student athletes opportunities to engage in NIL activations, including: autograph signings, social media promotions, camps and clinics, charity events, special appearances, product reviews, commercials, NFTs, and many more. Happy Valley Talent folded into Success With Honor in August 2022. |
| Purdue University | Boilermaker Alliance | Jeff McKean | The mission of Boilermaker Alliance is to champion charitable organizations through the utilization of the name-image-likeness of Purdue student-athletes. |
| Purdue University | The Boiler Trust | Brent and Tara Rager | A Purdue NIL collective connecting Purdue athletes with opportunities to benefit from the value of their NIL. Networking with Purdue alumni and fans to generate opportunities for Purdue athletes to give back to the community |
| Rutgers University | Knights of the Raritan | Knights of the Raritan will provide opportunities to athletes in every sport for academic internships, camps and clinics, autograph signings, personalized messages, commercial appearances, charity events, meet-and-greets, NFTs, influencer marketing and brand partnerships such as sponsored social media posts, and more. | |
| Southern Methodist University | Pony Sports DTX | Pony Sports DTX is a collection of alumni, business owners, donors, Dallas residents, and fans who formed a collective to provide a platform to support SMU student-athletes NIL through a series of exclusive interviews and events. Pony Sports DTX also presents unique networking opportunities to SMU student-athletes, through the events put on by the collective, by providing access to its collective and business owners who are compiled from various backgrounds, fields, and industries. | |
| Southern Methodist University | Boulevard Collective | Chris Kleinert and Kyle Miller | Boulevard Collective’s mission is to “build meaningful relationships between student-athletes and the SMU community at large. From individual fans to DFW businesses to Fortune 500 companies, the Boulevard Collective will convene (or corral) its network to elevate SMU student-athletes with marketing opportunities that will enhance their brand and empower their personal passions.” |
| Temple University | TUFF Fund (website coming) | Charitable-focused NIL collective that will raise funds to empower Temple student athletes through community-focused charitable NIL opportunities. | |
| Texas A&M | The Fund | Texas A&M’s collective hasn’t been publicly announced, but it was confirmed by AD Ross Bjork in an interview with Business of College Sports founder Kristi Dosh that there is an LLC formed by boosters helping student athletes with NIL. More info provided by The Athletic. | |
| Texas Christian University | Think NIL (took over KF NIL, LLC in June 2022 as well) | The Marketing Jersey, LLC (founded by Guillermo Zamarripa) | A program aimed at facilitating and maximizing NIL opportunities for TCU student-athletes by connecting them with local, regional and national businesses and brands. |
| Texas Tech University | Matador Club | Cody Campbell, Tim Culp, Terry Fuller, Marc McDougal, Gary Petersen, John Sellers | The Matador Club is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. They describe the organization as, “creating an opportunity for alumni & fans to directly support student-athletes, while opening avenues for athletes to use their NIL to make a positive impact on local charities.” |
| Tulane University | Fear the Wave | The FTW Collective Group is a crowd-sourced NIL program for Tulane student-athletes to become spokespeople for FearTheWave and to be featured on FearTheWave’s upcoming podcasts including The Jimmy O Show and FearTheWave Cast. In addition, FearTheWave will partner with Tulane student-athletes to highlight charities and businesses in the New Orleans community. FTW has applied for 501(c)(3) status. | |
| University of Alabama | High Tide Traditions | Larry Morris, Paul Register, Tripp Powell and Cole Price | High Tide Traditions was established to harness the power of Name, Image, and Likeness with student-athletes to make and propel positive business relationships across the city, state, region and nation. Through strategic partnerships utilizing data analytics, it is important to High Tide Traditions that student-athletes will be engaged in amplifying the exposure for our business partners through relatable and authentic content, appearances, and other mutually beneficial services. |
| University of Arizona | Friends of Wilbur & Wilma | Cole Davis and Humberto S. Lopez, with additional supporters | Friends of Wilbur & Wilma is an NIL program designed to welcome alumni, fans, and businesses who wish to engage and work with the student-athletes at the University of Arizona. It will start by supporting football, while also building momentum to support women’s basketball, softball, baseball and other sports. Powered by Blueprint Sports. |
| University of Arkansas | ONEArkansas NIL (no website yet, Twitter) | ONEArkansas NIL will assist Arkansas student-athletes in connecting, educating, and facilitating their charitable efforts while serving fellow Arkansans and beyond | |
| University of Arizona | Arizona Assist | Michael Saffer, Thomas Conran and Adam Lazarus | Focus on MBB. An exclusive marketplace for Wildcat basketball fans – supporters, alumni, and local businesses will receive unique benefits and exclusive opportunities to purchase products and engage with players through VIP events and experiences, various raffles, and a variety of merchandise and memorabilia that isn’t available to the general public. |
| University of California, Berkeley (Cal) | California Legends Collective | Marshawn Lynch, Layshia Clarendon, DeSean Jackson, and Valerie Arioto | Membership-based collective dedicated to assisting student athletes with their NIL. Subscribers get access to exclusive content, events and more. |
| University of Central Florida | Mission Control | Dreamfield | Fan-funded program with tiered levels of monthly memberships. Players will appear at events, assist in monthly clinics offer collectibles and NFTs, etc. |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincy Reigns | Brian Fox (Chair) | New philanthropic collective that aims to support Cincinnati student-athletes and provide “a vibrant and robust financial ecosystem for our coaches and players,” especially in the transition to the Big 12. |
| University of Florida | Gator Collective | Eddie and Kelli Rojas (Darren Heitner as counsel) | Fan donations go toward the Collective creating opportunities for athletes to earn compensation in exchange for exclusive content and experiences with UF athletes for those fans. More specifically, the Collective negotiates deals for athletes and also connects them with various industries to help them with PR, marketing, finance, tax, and community service. Aftering donating, fans have access to the exclusive content. Specific deals for peronalized content, appearances, signed memorabilia, etc. can be arranged as well. |
| University of Florida | Gator Guard | Hugh Hathcock | Described as an “exclusive, very influential group of high-net-worth Gators.” They’ve also partnered with the Gator Collective. |
| University of Florida | MarketPryce Florida | Founder of MarketPryce: Jason Bergman | Student athletes sign up for free and get paid to promote local businesses, are included in a bi-weekly raffle, where you will receive an email to opt-in to promote local businesses across Gainesville. Businesses sign up for free to MarketPryce Florida for a chance to have their business get promoted by Gator student athletes and are included in the bi-weekly raffle, where one local business every two weeks will receive free promotion from Gator student athletes who sign up to participate, paid for by alumni. Those who donate money can win prizes like signed memorabilia, season tickets and exclusive player meet and greets, depending on how much they donate. |
| University of Georgia | Classic City Collective | A variety of NIL opportunities will be made available to UGA athletes, including social media endorsements, traditional media advertisements, in-kind deals for promotional activities, appearances, meet and greets, autographs, and digital content. | |
| University of Houston | Hoop and Holler Houston | Michael & Jennifer Pittman | Hoop and Holler Houston is described as a sports “micro-collective” with the interest of supporting student athletes through NIL. Their NIL goal is to reach as many U OF H student athletes as financially possible and provide them with memorable and unique experiences within their fanbase and community. A variety of NIL opportunities may be made available to U OF H athletes, including social media endorsements, traditional media advertisements, in-kind deals for promotional activities, appearances, meet and greets, autographs, and digital content. |
| University of Illinois | Illini Guardians | Adam Fleischer | Money raised is pooled to create NIL contracts with student athletes to promote local businesses, schools, youth organizations, etc. Student-athletes in women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and football will all be eligible to earn the same monthly stipend if they participate in events that raise money for or serve local charities or non-profits. |
| University of Iowa | The Swarm Collective | Brad Heinrichs | The Swarm Collective, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation organized exclusively to enable and empower the University of Iowa student-athletes to profit on their name, image, and likeness while making a difference in their community by contributing their time and effort to charities and non-profit entities. |
| University of Kansas | |||
| University of Kansas | Mass Strategies | Matt Baty | Mass Strategies will allow fans to donate any amount, monthly or as one-time contributions. Opportunities will be created for athletes such as endorsements, social promotion, in-kind deals for photos or autographs, autographed memorabilia, event appearances, camps and clinics and more. 6th Man Strategies and 12th Man Strategies, which previously focused on Kansas basketball and football, is now part of this rebranded initiative. |
| University of Kentucky | The 15 (no website yet) | Athlete Advantage and Big Blue Legacy | The 15 does not plan to allow boosters to directly contribute money to fund NIL deals for athletes. Instead, it plans to sign multi-year marketing deals with businesses to be promoted by an unspecified UK athlete. Athlete Advantage, acting as an agent, will then connect the athletes with the businesses and promotional activities that best fit their platforms and personalities. Athlete Advantage help execute the campaigns. |
| University of Maryland | Turtle NIL | Harry Geller (registered agent on file for the company) | Turtle NIL is a fundraising entity operating through GoFundMe to support NIL opportunities. All money net of GoFundMe fees will go towards promoting the athletes and the athletes themselves in accordance with State and NCAA regulations. |
| University of Memphis | 901 Fund | Tigers on a Mission | The 901 Fund is a non-profit created to “drive awareness” of charities while deepening “the connection between Memphis and the student-athletes who represent us.” The fund is initially focused on football and mens’ and women’s basketball. |
| University of Miami | Bring Back the U | Jorge Masvidal | BBTU acts as a liaison between players and sponsors to ensure transactions are handled efficiently and in compliance with NCAA regulations. Companies enter into endorsement deals compensating players for content, appearances, etc. BBTU helps businesses identify the right player and campaign for business needs. BBTU hosts events and fundraisers for local businesses for the purpose of those businesses signing deals with players. BBTU also solicits and accepts donations to distribute to local businesses which will then directly sponsor players. |
| University of Miami | Canes Connection | Zach Burr and Brian Goldmeier | Canes Connection will help Miami student athletes navigate the financial and legal implications of NIL and provide them with direct access to the business community. Accepting donations one-time or monthly. |
| University of Michigan | MGoDAO | Reece Kurdyla and Draftly | MGoDAO has partnered with Draftly to form the first ever college sports Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) for fans, by fans. MGoDAO and Draftly are focused on uniting college fans and athletes utilizing Web3 technology. The DAO will sell a Season 1 NFT Pass for access to the community, virtual and in-person events and more. |
| University of Michigan | Stadium & Main | Fans and businesses can book shout outs, live video chats and promotional opportunities with Michigan student athletes. Powered by Playbooked. | |
| University of Michigan | The Champions Circle | Valiant Management and Michigan donors | |
| University of Minnesota | Minnesota NIL | Minnesota NIL (formerly named the Gopher Collective) was created with three key goals. 1) Empower athletes to maximize their value through strategic and NCAA-compliant partnerships. 2) Provide businesses, organizations and fans with a platform to connect with athletes, students and alumni. 3) Let us do the heavy lifting in forming partnerships, allowing student-athletes to focus on their education and sport. | |
| University of Missouri | Advancing Missouri Athletes | Thomas M. Harrison (registered agent on file for the company) | This collective was reported by SportsBusiness Journal but no additional information has been found. |
| University of Missouri | DBZou 2022/Horns Down | Jesse Cox | The collective started with Horns Down Shop signing football athletes to promote it but has evolved to include other athletes at Mizzou. The athletes sign one-year contracts to promote their merchandise available through the store and also agree to public appearances on behalf of the collective, Zoom interviews with donors, youth camps, etc. Donors can give as little as $100 per year. Athletes receive quarterly payments through the collective and keep 75% of the revenue for their personalized merchandise. |
| University of Nebraska | Big Red Collaborative | Kris Brown, Matt Hickey, Bill Gerber (Co-Founders) | Big Red Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to help Nebraska student-athletes use NIL to promote charities and uplift the Lincoln community. |
| University of North Carolina | Heels4Life | Shakeel Rashad (Executive Director) | Focused on UNC football. Membership model or one-time contributions. Also matching student athletes with alumni in their areas of interest. |
| University of Notre Dame | Friends of the University of Notre Dame (FUND) | Brady Quinn | FUND has been approved as a 501(c)(3). It anticipates working with more than a half-dozen Notre Dame football players in the spring of 2022 as the program begins to launch in full. The board interviews players to determine fit and their charitable interests. Then it matches charities with the players themselves. The players are compensated for appearances and social media posts, while the charity also receives a donation from FUND. |
| University of Notre Dame | Irish United | Five-person advisory board | Irish United was created with one mission in mind – to empower Notre Dame basketball student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. With the passing of legislation allowing basketball student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, Irish United leverages the collective power of the alumni and fans to equip basketball student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary for them to excel both during and beyond their time in South Bend. |
| University of Oklahoma | 1Oklahoma | Barry Switzer and a group of “businessmen, community leaders, alumni, and leaders in the faith-based community” | 1Oklahoma Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to collaborating with and serving some of the most impactful non-profits throughout the state of Oklahoma through the Name, Image, and Likeness of OU athletes. 1Oklahoma is initially focusing on football, men’s basketball and softball. |
| University of Oklahoma | Crimson and Cream Collective | Advisory board with 11 members of the Oklahoma athletics community | The Crimson and Cream Collective was created with one mission in mind – to empower University of Oklahoma student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. |
| University of Oregon | Division Street | Includes Phil Knight, Sabrina Ionescu, Tyrell Crosby, Taylor Susnara, Chelsea Hoffman, Tony Washington Jr., Charles Sudduth, KJ Maduike, Pape Family | Founded by Phil Knight and several former Nike professionals. Group of experienced professionals in the sports marketing, branding, monetization, sponsorship, digtial and creative spaces under one umbrella. Assists and supports Oregon student athletes in everything to do with creating, growing and monetizing their brand. Also includes creating and coordinating opportunties for Oregon athletes, such as the AirBnB house. They’ve also partnered with Opendorse on a licensed marketplace. |
| University of Pittsburgh | Alliance 412 | Chris Bickell | Alliance 412’s mission is to connect University of Pittsburgh student-athletes, local and national companies, charitable organizations, and the community to create lasting and sustainable relationships that impact and benefit all. |
| University of South Carolina | Garnet Trust | Brian Shoemaker | One arm of this group allows supporters to contribute funds for NIL opportunities. Created NIL initiatives funded by GT include sponsored interviews, exclusive experiences like meet and greets, in-person events, direct messages, etc. Another arm of GT is for providing media services to businesses that want to have South Carolina athletes feature their products or services. |
| University of South Carolina | Carolina Rise | JC and Cameron Shurburtt | Money for the collective is raised through membership donations including one time, monthly, and customized donations and used for player deals. |
| University of South Florida | Fowler Ave | Dreamfield | Fowler Ave Collective is a membership-based fan club that gives Bulls fans access to private events, player Q&As, limited run swag, training camps, skills clinics, and more. Unlock exclusive experiences with your favorite home team superstars. |
| University of Southern California | Student Body Right (no website or social yet) | Dale Rech and Brian Kennedy | Student Body Right seeks to pay all Trojans football players who are academically eligible “the equivalent of a base salary” in exchange for a set amount of charitable work. |
| University of Tennessee | Spyre Sports Group | James Clawson, Hunter Baddour, Sheridan Gannon | Syrpe Sports Group is part marketing agency and part NIL collective. Through its 1951 Club, members can get newsletters, signed memorabilia, access to information before it goes public, or access to meet and engage with current student-athletes in multiple sports, depending on their donation level. |
| University of Tennessee | Friends of Basevols | Friends of Basevols is a fan-driven and alumni-led supporter group for the baseball student-athletes of the University of Tennessee. Opportunities to make a one-time contribution or work directly with one or more University of Tennessee baseball athletes. Powered by Blueprint Sports. | |
| University of Texas – Austin | Clark Field Collective | Nick Shuley, along with “prominent Texas donors and former Longhorn athletes” including TJ Ford and Kenny Vaccaro. | The collective aims to serve as a one-stop fund to be disseminated among all sports at Texas for NIL activities, which include endorsements, autographs, appearances and more. It establishes a universal basic earnings program based on services provided by Texas athletes. Exactly how much each athlete would receive is yet to be determined by the boards representing each specific sport. |
| University of Texas – Austin | Horns with Heart | Rob Blair and five other co-founders | Each offensive lineman at the University of Texas will receive $50,000 annually to promote selected charities. Read our piece on Horns with Heart here. |
| University of Texas – Austin | Occupy Left Field | Huston Street, Brooks Kieschnick, David Lowery, Doug Hodo, Jr., Justin Simmons, Drew Stubbs, Jonathan Walsh, Drew Bishop, Britt Peterson, Jim Bagan, Marc Peña, Jeff Cross, Jason McMinn, Chance Covert, Michael Pumo, Henry Medrano | Occupy Left Field Foundation a registered 501 (3)(C) that provides monetary contributions and volunteer assistance to other worthy nonprofits in the greater Austin area. OLFF will contract with Ambassadors from the University of Texas Baseball team, who will volunteer and appear at events in order to amplify fundraising efforts. Each Texas baseball player is being offered $10,000/year to participate. |
| University of Texas – San Antonio | Runners Rising | Eddie Benningfield (Executive Director) | Their stated goals are to “provide direct financial support, personal brand development, career mentorship, and other professional opportunities to deserving Roadrunner athletes.” Website launch coming soon. |
| University of Utah | Utah LockerRoom | LockerRoom | The Utah LockerRoom is a part of the LockerRoom Athletics NIL platform, which was created and designed to connect Utah fans with their favorite student athletes. Our mission is to provide a platform for fans from all walks of life to interact with and receive incredible experiences from our student athletes seeking NIL deals. Our objective is to build a community of incredible and generous Ute fans who care strongly about their student athlete’s well-being, development, and opportunity to earn money to make their lives a little bit better. |
| University of Utah | Who Rocks the House | Dan Lofgren | Who Rocks the House is a collective specifically promoting Utah gymnastics. Fans will donate to the collective, which will then reward student-athletes for charitable efforts and contributions. The plan is for 100% of the proceeds to go to the student-athletes. |
| University of Virginia | Cavalier Futures | Cavalier Futures will help UVA athletes use their name, image, and likeness to be compensated for traditional endorsements, social media promotions, appearances and autographs, in-kind deals, and equity opportunities. Cavalier Futures can also help elite student-athletes hire marketing agents and other representatives or service providers to assist them. In addition, NIL is an opportunity to further strengthen and support the Charlottesville area and university through community and social activism. | |
| University of Washington | Montlake Futures | Group of UW donors and supporters | A platform to directly create and develop NIL opportunities for UW student athletes, including raising and stewarding financial resources, in cooperation with local businesses and sponsors. This group assists corporate partners with NIL sponsorship and outreach and connects UW student athletes with opportunities. |
| Virginia Tech University | Commonwealth NIL | Gentry Locke Attorneys | Commonwealth NIL is currently active in raising resources for NIL contracts through events, activities and special sales with a unique focus in the Commonwealth of Virginia. |
| Virginia Tech University | Hot Route Marketing merged into Triumph NIL in July 2022. | ||
| Virginia Tech University | Triumph NIL | Jim Cowan, Joey Harrington, Doug Hicks, Brenden Hill and Kevin Jones | Triumph NIL seeks to partner corporate clients with Tech student-athletes to build compelling campaigns that drive real results, in addition to offering platforms for donors and fans to support their favorite Hokies. Hot Route Marketing merged into Triumph NIL in July 2022. |
| Virginia Tech University | The Hokie Way | The Hokie Way will raise funds to support charitable organizations across the Commonwealth through the active engagement of Virginia Tech student-athletes who wish to use their NIL to advance the work of charitable organizations. | |
| Wake Forest University | Roll the Quad | Eight-person advisory board with SA NIL | Roll The Quad was created with one mission in mind – to empower Wake Forest student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. With the passing of legislation allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, Roll The Quad leverages the collective power of the alumni and fans to equip student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary for them to excel both during and beyond their time in Winston Salem. |
| Wake Forest University | Top Hat Collective | Top Hat Collective is a membership collective of fans, sponsors, and supporters created to help our athletes monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness in a compliant way. To do this, Top Hat provides opportunities for our athletes to connect with our members through a variety of methods, including in-person and virtual events, autographs, apparel, NFTs, social media engagement, and more. | |
| Washington State University | Cougar Collective | The Cougar Collective’s mission is to protect eligibility, empower students to excel in the marketplace and align them with large corporations, small businesses and engage the community in philanthropic activities. | |
| West Virgina University | Country Roads Trust | Ken Kendrick and Oliver Luck | The staff at Country Roads Trust will connect an interested party with WVU student athletes, provide marketing, promotional and logistical support and ensure compliance with NCAA and WVU guidelines. Country Roads Trust plans to launch a program for Mountaineer fans with exclusive athlete-generated content, unique live and virtual experiences and chances to win autographed merchandise. |
| Wichita State University | Armchair Strategies | Tyler Weber, Tymber Lee and Matt Baty, Ryan Baty, Andy Frieze and Chrissy Robben | Armchair Strategies will launch multiple platforms. These include the Century Club, made up of 100 area fans and businesses that want to be leaders in the NIL space and The Shocker Exclusive, an organization that will take tax-deductible contributions. Additional programming will focus on the student-athlete’s overall brand involving social media, appearances, memorabilia, merchandise, NFT technologies, corporate and car dealership endorsements. |
University-Specific Marketing and Talent Agencies
We’ve also seen some university-specific marketing/talent agencies popping up. Here are the ones we’ve tracked so far.
| University | Company (website) | Founders | How it Works |
| Mississippi State University | The Legacy Group | Lee VanHorn | TLG is a student athlete licensing company that assists student athletes in maximizing their earning potential through NIL. TLG pays each student athlete an initial license fee to secure rights to their NIL. TLG then solicits marketing opportunities for the student athletes, sells merchandise with the student athletes NIL, and arranges camps and autograph sessions. There is an upfront guarantee, and then TLG will work on NIL activities for that student athlete. Once a student athlete earns their initial fee back for the company, TLG enters a revenue sharing model with the student athlete that allows them to earn additional compensation in addition to the initial license fee. |
| Ohio State University | NIL Management | Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Zach Beebe | NIL Management brokers deals for athletes, as well as helps them create their own brands and businesses. Each athlete signs on as a client and pays the company a commission for each brokered deal, so this isn’t as much a collective as a third party marketplace. |
| Texas Tech University | Level 13 Agency | Kirk Noles and Marc McDougal | Level 13 Agency’s media marketing team “delivers the entire marketing package of collegiate athletes.” The agency helps partner athletes with brands who are looking to generate brand awareness, reach new prospective partnerships or launch new products. |
| University of Arkansas | Athlete Advocate Consortium | Bryan & Mandy Hunt | AAC provides a full-time team to each of its partner athletes, a team dedicated to building the student-athlete’s image and helping them reach their full potential. The AAC team focuses on all facets of the student-athlete’s college career and most importantly, their future. |
| University of Michigan | Valiant Management Group | Jared Wangler, Niko Porikos | “The goal is to offer third-party services, independent from the University, to assist, provide and manage NIL monetization opportunities for all student athletes.” Valiant represents UM athletes in securing NIL deals, through avenues such as group licensing apparel deals, signing events, marketing partnerships, licensed NFTs, media appearances, signed memorabilia, podcast appearances and private training sessions. |
| University of Nebraska | Athlete Branding and Marketing | Jon Bruning, Gerrod Lambrecht | ABM helps athletes maximize their name, image and likeness opportunities through an active representation model. They help athletes maximize earning potential and manage their brands while still balancing the commitments of academics and sports. |
| University of Southern California | BLVD LLC | Stay Doubted | Stay Doubted has established a subsidiary, BLVD LLC., which will operate as an agency and media company that will exclusively serve USC student-athletes to assist with the development of NIL opportunities. All USC student-athletes will have the opportunity to voluntarily opt-in to non-exclusive NIL representation through BLVD. BLVD will also operate as a student athlete-driven media company to tell the stories of USC’s student-athletes by creating original content that will be published across multiple BLVD media platforms. For added exclusive USC student-athlete content and experiential programming, USC fans will have the opportunity to sign up for membership subscriptions. USC student-athletes will have independent access to other essential NIL resources in the areas of accounting, banking, investing, taxes, and legal. For their own brand enhancement, USC student-athletes will have the opportunity to tap into Let Creators Create, which is a media library and experiential program focused on empowering the next generation of creators. USC student-athletes will get tactical tips, tricks, and tools from the biggest creators. |
| University of Tennessee | Spyre Sports Group | James Clawson, Hunter Baddour, Sheridan Gannon | Syrpe Sports Group is part marketing agency and part NIL collective. Through its 1951 Club, members can get newsletters, signed memorabilia, access to information before it goes public, or access to meet and engage with current student-athletes in multiple sports, depending on their donation level. |
| University of Virginia | Hook Sports Marketing | Chip Royer, Todd Goodale, Kevin Thurman | Hook Sports Marketing is a sports marketing agency that seeks to empower student-athletes to develop a strong personal brand that will maximize their opportunity to generate revenue, build relationships and connect with the community. |
Player-Led with Yoke
Player-led clubs with Yoke seem to have two models:
Monthly member-ship based model:
Each club is described as a player-led fan community that benefits members of the respective football team through monthly memberships at any amount $5 or more. Members of the team “provide fans with digital content and experiences such as digital meet-and-greets, player-recorded content, and much more throughout the year.” The monthly membership payment gives members access to exclusive chat rooms, message boards, and content.
Season pass model:
The season pass model allows fans to purchase passes for access to in-person events with players. Participating players will split the proceeds equally. Passes will only be good for one season. Fans who purchase passes for the 2022 season will be given early access to 2023 passes. Fans also can buy multiple passes, which can be re-sold using blockchain technology.
| University | Name | Model |
| Arizona State University | Tempe NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Auburn University | Plains NIL Club | Season pass |
| Baylor University | Waco NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Brigham Young University | Provo NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Clemson University | Tiger NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Georgia Tech | Jackets NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan NIL Club | Season pass |
| Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing NIL Club | Season pass |
| Mississippi State University | Starkville NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Purdue University | West Lafayette NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Texas Christian University | Fort Worth NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville NIL Club | Season pass |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Westwood NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincy NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Colorado-Boulder | Boulder NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Georgia | Athens NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Louisville | Derby City NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Minnesota | Twin Cities NIL Club | Season pass |
| University of Mississippi | Oxford NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Missouri | CoMo NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Oklahoma | Stillwater NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Oregon | Eugene NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Texas – Austin | Austin NIL Club | Season pass |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| University of Washington | Seattle NIL Club | Monthly membership |
| Wake Forest University | Winston Salem NIL Club | Monthly membership |
NFT Communities by School
| University | Community | Partner |
| Louisiana State University | Bayou Cat Crew | The Players’ Lounge |
| University of Georgia | DGD Mafia | The Players’ Lounge |
| University of North Carolina | CollegeBall UNC Collective | CollegeBall.io |
| University of Oklahoma | Boom Squad | The Players’ Lounge |
| University of Texas | Burnt Orange Heroes | The Players’ Lounge |
Local NIL Exchanges/Marketplaces by School
| University | Exchange | Partner |
| Austin Peay | Stacheville Exchange | INFLCR |
| Boise State University | Boise State NIL Exchange | INFLCR |
| DePaul University | LEGACY Exchange | INFLCR |
| Florida A&M | Rattlers Local Exchange | INFLCR |
| High Point University | On Point Exchange | INFLCR |
| Loyola Chicago | RAMBLER Exchange | INFLCR |
| Michigan State University | Michigan State Exchange | INFLCR |
| Oregon State University | The Wood Shop | Opendorse |
| Purdue University | Boilermaker Marketplace | INFLCR |
| San Jose State University | San Jose State Spartans Marketplace | Opendorse |
| Seattle University | Redhawk Exchange | INFLCR |
| St. John’s University | UNLIMITED Exchange | INFLCR |
| St. Louis University | Billiken Exchange | INFLCR |
| Southern Methodist University | SMU BOLD Exchange | INFLCR |
| Syracuse University | ACCELERATE Exchange | INFLCR |
| Texas A&M University | A&Mplify Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Arizona | Arizona EDGE | INFLCR |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Westwood Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Cincinnati | The Bearcats Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Colorado | Buffs NIL Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Denver | Pioneer Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Dubuque | Success NIL Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Florida | GatorsNIL | INFLCR |
| University of Memphis | Memphis Tigers NIL Marketplace | Opendorse |
| University of Michigan | VICTORS Local Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of North Texas | Mean Green Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Oklahoma | OU Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Oregon | Official NIL Marketplace of the Oregon Ducks | Opendorse |
| University of Southern Mississippi | To The Top Exchange | INFLCR |
| University of Wisconsin | YouDub Marketplace | Opendorse |
| VCU | VCU Exchange | INFLCR |
| Virginia Tech | Hokies Exchange | INFLCR |
| Washington State University | Icon Suite | Icon Source |
| Western Kentucky | Hilltopper Local Exchange | INFLCR |
Student Athlete Empowerment by School
Student Athlete Empowerment is a division of Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL), a full-service agency of record dedicated to helping brands and universities navigate name, image and likeness.
SAE specializes in evaluating and managing incoming NIL requests from brands, individuals and other entities, and then will identify partnerships with student athletes that best align with the goals of the requested activation. SAE negotiates each partnership, including defining deliverable and timing responsibilities for each student-athlete, while ensuring that each NIL agreement remains in compliance with institutional policies and NCAA rules, as well as state and federal law. SAE will also provide disclosure and escrow services to guarantee proper and timely compensation of student-athletes for any NIL engagements, while also ensuring that they remain in compliance with all IRS regulations.
| University | Program Name |
| Fordham University | Empower Rams |
| Loyola Marymount University | Empower Lions |
| Robert Morris University | Empower Colonials |
| Santa Clara University | Broncos Empowerment |
| University of Florida | Gator Empowerment |
Research assistance provided by Sarah Meadow and Jeffrey Parry.
