In Indianapolis, Zach Osterman reports Hoosiers For Good, the charity based NIL collective officially partnered with Indiana athletics, "reported contributions close to" $4M last year, in its "first fiscal year of operation." Hoosiers For Good's sister organization, Hoosiers Connect, was "operating on the business-engagement side." In 2022, Hoosiers For Good "paired 25 athletes with 14 total charitable organizations in individual deals" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/10).
JOINING FORCES: In Columbus, Joey Kaufman noted two non-profit collectives providing NIL opportunities for Ohio State football and men’s basketball players "are merging" after the announcement of the consolidation of THE Foundation and The O Foundation. THE Foundation was the "first booster-run collective supporting Ohio State to form last March" when it was founded by Columbus Schottenstein Real Estate Group President Brian Schottenstein and former OSU QB Cardale Jones. Scottenstein last month said that the non-profit "has partnered with more than 40 of the Buckeyes’ football players" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 2/9).
ON THE UPTICK: In Atlanta, Ken Sugiura reported major Georgia Tech donors "made initial funding" to the Tech Way collective, which are organizations supported by a school’s boosters with the "primary intent of creating NIL deals for the school’s athletes, in January." It folded an earlier collective organization, Swarm the ATL, "into its operation." Run by Student Athlete NIL co-founder & CEO Jason Belzer, whose company "operates collectives at more than 20 Division I colleges," the Tech Way "aims to catch up to collectives at ACC and SEC schools that have gained a recruiting advantage over Tech." Belzer said that more than $1M "has been raised thus far" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 2/9).
