"As the landscape of college athletics rapidly evolves, this official partnership with Red Towel Trust will be an impactful strategic imitative for WKU Athletics," Athletic Director Todd Stewart said. "Red Towel Trust provides great opportunities for not only our student-athletes, but also its members.
"There's never been a better time to be a student-athlete at Western Kentucky. We've invested more in our student-athlete support areas than ever before, and Red Towel Trust is just another way our fans can invest in our Hilltopper student-athletes."
The partnership will help maximize the earning potential and visibility of WKU student-athletes through brand endorsements, partnerships and appearances.
"This is an exciting time for Red Towel Trust and WKU Athletics," incoming Executive Director of the Red Towel Trust Nick Uhlenhopp said. "As NIL changes, this partnership will be a vital piece to WKU Athletics' success. We must all work together to ensure we are doing everything we can to put our best teams out on the field and court. We are thrilled to work with Learfield and WKU as the Official NIL collective to best position ourselves to do just that."
To kick off the official partnership, Red Towel Trust will host a MEMBERS ONLY NIL Gameday Tailgate on Wednesday, Feb. 28 prior to WKU's Men's Basketball game vs. Louisiana Tech. Fans can join Red Towel Trust today by CLICKING HERE.
As the Official Collective of WKU Athletics, Red Towel Trust will receive brand visibility across numerous official platforms, including in-venue promotion, radio, official gameday programs and yearbooks, and much, much more. This partnership is separate from any activity related to subscription funds that may be allocated to student-athletes as part of name, image and likeness opportunities.
All athletics sponsorships are managed by Hilltopper Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college sports, which does not represent WKU student-athletes but – on behalf of the university – is actively engaged with brands and organizations to maximize their sponsorships.
Red Towel Trust is the official NIL collective of WKU. It was founded in 2022 to ensure WKU remains at the forefront of the Name, Image, and Likeness landscape, all while making a lasting impact on its community. At the heart of Red Towel Trust is an unwavering commitment to working hand-in-hand with WKU's student-athletes. In its first year, Red Towel Trust student-athletes contributed over 450 hours of community service.
For more information on how to become a member and/or support Red Towel Trust, visit redtoweltrust.com.
About Learfield
Learfield is a diversified and influential media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 15,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
