CU seeks to connect athletes and local businesses
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Buffs corner DJ McKinney films a social media promotion for Good Times for a fan meet-and-greet on Sunday. Photo: Courtesy Good Times
The University of Colorado has launched an initiative called The Arch focused on connecting local businesses with its student-athletes to foster advertising opportunities.
Why it matters: The Arch aims to bring more transparency and community connection to college sports' evolving name, image and likeness (NIL) landscape, focusing on real-life local partnerships — not pay-for-play schemes.
Driving the news: Local businesses can sign student-athletes to appear in ads and promotions, with perks like scoreboard space and access to the athletic department's philanthropic donors.
- "We are connecting area businesses of any size to our student-athletes while giving businesses the ability to leverage the national attention that comes with being a partner of CU athletics," athletic director Rick George said in a statement.
State of play: Many universities have turned to collectives that fundraise to essentially sign players to contracts, and have brought in general managers to operate rosters and payments.
- But CU deputy athletic director Alec Roussos tells Axios Boulder that The Arch was created to focus on building partnerships in which local businesses receive the benefit of exposure and attention.
- "The Arch is the epitome of what true NIL should be," Roussos said.
Context: While football stars like Shedeur Sanders and coveted recruits like Julian Lewis attract big national NIL deals, other CU athletes have landed opportunities with smaller local businesses that may not have the budget to sign big-name athletes.
- In 2022, CU quarterback Brendon Lewis struck a deal with The Sink. Contrast this with Julian Lewis, who last year had a burger named after him purely as a recruiting tool.
- That same year, Denver clothing company Shinesty made a CU lineman the first, and perhaps most unlikely, college sports underwear model.
Case in point: Buffs corner DJ McKinney signed with locally founded fast food chain Good Times and will make an appearance Sunday at the original location to meet fans.
- Good Times senior marketing director Jason Murphy told Axios Boulder working with CU was "instrumental" in signing McKinney.
- "It's all about authentic connection," Murphy said. "Partnering with CU athletes allows us to celebrate our Boulder roots in a way that feels genuine to both our community and our brand."
Behind the scenes: The Arch was also designed to help student-athletes market themselves, with teaching sessions on managing money, social media presence and even acting.
- "We have the obligation to educate our student-athletes," Roussos said. "For a lot of our students, this might be the most money they ever make."
What's next: CU leaders say The Arch will help businesses and athletes navigate fast-changing NIL rules.
- "We feel like this can be a real difference maker," Roussos said. "We've seen a lot of excitement from local companies, and we feel like that is only going to grow."
My thought bubble: In addition to stimulating the economy and fan base, local deals mean TV ads with all of the puns. And we should treasure those.