WVU Athletics and INFLCR Launch Mountaineer Exchange
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Feb. 1, 2024)- West Virginia University Athletics, in partnership with INFLCR, has launched Mountaineer Exchange, which is designed to connect Mountaineer student-athletes to businesses for name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities.
Free to student-athletes and commercial enterprises, the partnership provides a portal that can start the process and engage student-athletes with NIL opportunities that include business deals, public appearances, autograph sessions, social media promotion and endorsements.
“West Virginia Athletics is committed to NIL opportunities for our student-athletes, and this partnership with INFLCR provides additional avenues for them to expand their financial potential,” Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs Matt Wells said. “We are excited for our student-athletes to take advantage of Mountaineer Exchange as it will streamline the NIL process and connect them directly with business and endorsement opportunities.”
Once a business registers with Mountaineer Exchange, it is given access to a database searchable by different criteria to meet the needs of its NIL opportunity. When student-athletes, who meet the criteria are identified, the portal allows the prospective NIL sponsor to connect and work directly with the student-athlete on any potential NIL deal.
West Virginia’s NIL exchange portal will be custom-designed for businesses, donors, alumni and other interested NIL inquiries wishing to connect with Mountaineer student-athletes. Upon finalization of an NIL deal within Mountaineer Exchange, a student-athlete completes a compliance disclosure within the app. A payment processing tool in the app then completes the business transaction to the athlete with no fee involved. All payment information is reported back to WVU’s existing INFLCR compliance portal and recorded for standard 1099 and efficient one-step tax reporting.
Additional benefits of the Mountaineer Exchange platform include continued education on NIL issues, financial literacy education, brand building for the student-athletes and market research tracking social media, brand growth and engagement for both the business and student-athlete.
This expanded partnership with INFLCR maintains WVU Athletics’ efforts to maximize NIL opportunities and brand building potential for its student-athletes. While WVU Athletics and INFLCR are not directly involved in the NIL transaction, the app provides a comprehensive check point to ensure standard compliance and WVU NIL protocols are met between the student-athlete and potential business.
"We are proud to partner with West Virginia University Athletics," said INFLCR General Manager Sean Kelly. "The launch of the Mountaineer Exchange will unlock new NIL opportunities for their student-athletes, allowing them to monetize their brand and pursue NIL deals at a larger scale."
Interested businesses and student-athletes can sign up or learn more about the app and the new partnership by visiting Mountaineer Exchange.
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About INFLCRINFLCR, available on Teamworks' Operating System for Sports™, is the leading athlete brand-building and NIL business management app for over 270 elite collegiate and professional sports organizations. The INFLCR athlete app educates student-athletes, coaches, and staff for the NIL era in a safe and compliant environment, all powered by best-in-class content delivery for student-athletes to access and share content to their social media channels. The INFLCR platform also includes the impactful INFLCR Local Exchange, a school-customized NIL exchange where schools can direct businesses, collectives, and fans seeking to find, communicate with, pay, and report NIL transactions with student-athletes. The INFLCR Local Exchange maximizes the student-athlete wallet share while streamlining compliance and tax reporting responsibilities. To learn more about the INFLCR Local Exchange, please visit teamworks.com/inflcr
