PROVO, Utah — Officially licensed collective of BYU Athletics — The Royal Blue (TRB) — launched today and has signed a corporate sponsorship agreement with BYU Athletics.
The collective is overseen by a board, independent of BYU Athletics, with a goal to deliver a premier Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) solution that enables BYU to attract and develop gifted athletes who perform at high levels in sports and become well-equipped to thrive in family, faith, and life’s pursuits. It plans to pool funds from fans, alumni, and businesses to help facilitate NIL deals and monetize student-athlete brands.
“We are excited to work with The Royal Blue as a corporate sponsor of BYU Athletics and for the opportunities they’ll bring to our student-athletes,” said Tom Holmoe, BYU Director of Athletics. “We are certain they understand BYU’s unique mission and commitment to promote the incredible student-athletes at BYU. We believe working with the collective is the right move. As we look to our future, competing in the Big 12, this is an important signal to Cougar Nation and future recruits that we are invested in providing beneficial and substantive opportunities for our student-athletes.”
The Royal Blue has met extensively with BYU Athletics to ensure alignment with the mission and ideals of the athletic department. BYU Administration responded favorably that although the TRB’s initial focus is on NIL opportunities for the BYU football and men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes, ultimately TRB hopes to engage with student-athletes from every sport at BYU. The Collective’s efforts will be focused on leveraging the unique opportunities presented by NIL to create programs that will position teams to excel athletically while preparing each student-athlete for life beyond sports.
Co-Chairman Mark Comer stated, “We are passionate to deliver an excellent NIL solution that attracts and develops gifted athletes who will compete on the national stage and are excited for Cougar Nation to have the opportunity to be an integral part of supporting BYU student-athletes.” Lon Henderson Co-Chairman emphasized, “The collective is committed to supporting BYU in being a consistent national leader in collegiate athletic performance and seeing all its student-athletes promote light and goodness in life beyond sports. We believe a BYU education for student-athletes should provide a whole life experience that exceeds that of any other educational institution.”
The Royal Blue has engaged Oncoor Marketing to operate the day-to-day activities of the collective and advise on NIL related matters. Those wanting to contribute to the collective can find more information at www.royalbluecollective.org.
The Royal Blue (TRB), BYU’s Official NIL Collective: The Royal Blue (TRB) is the officially licensed collective of BYU Athletics, supporting BYU and its athletes in being consistent national leaders in collegiate athletic performance, helping student-athletes promote light and goodness in life beyond sports. TRB is supported by Oncoor Marketing, a sports agency that bridges the gap between athletes and brands, leaders in the emerging collegiate name, image, and likeness (NIL) space. TRB also utilizes the resources of Opendorse, a leading NIL company, providing technology services in the athlete endorsement industry.
Brigham Young University: Founded in 1875, Brigham Young University is located in Provo, Utah, with a student body of 34,737. BYU Athletics features more than 625 student-athletes competing in 21 NCAA sanctioned sports. The Cougars have competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and have captured 12 NCAA team national championships as well as two NIT basketball titles. In addition, BYU has won 308 conference championships, played in 40 bowl games and had more than 960 athletes named All-American. The university is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is scheduled to become a member of the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023.