Western Carolina University athletics announced on Tuesday the launch of Icon Suite, which is an innovative NIL tool from Icon Source – one of the leading digital marketplaces for connecting brands with student-athletes.
All student-athletes at Western Carolina will be put in position to connect with brands, alumni, and other parties that are interested in connecting with student-athletes for potential NIL deals.
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“Helping our Catamount student-athletes continue to navigate the inclusion of name, image, and likeness initiatives allowed by the NCAA has become a priority within the scope of WCU Athletics. We are excited to announce our partnership with Icon Source in creating a marketplace for our current and future student-athletes,” said Alex Gary, Western Carolina Director of Athletics. “Icon Source is a tremendous resource that will allow our student-athletes to capitalize on opportunities for NIL while helping ensure NCAA compliance.”
The Icon Suite local exchange application software will enhance the NIL experience for those involved in Western Carolina. The software will connect local companies with student-athletes through a custom Western Carolina marketplace, simultaneously simplifying the NIL administrative processes for athletics administrators tied to deal disclosure and compliance.
Icon Suite will make it easy for student-athletes to disclose NIL deals through the student login and it will allow compliance officers access contracts and review analytics across demographic breakdowns and other key metrics in the compliance section.
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“Icon Source is thrilled to partner with Western Carolina to adopt this type of software and provide the Icon Suite for all Catamount student-athletes and the WCU athletic department. Across all sports, and for all student-athletes, we are excited to watch businesses and brands engage in meaningful NIL opportunities at Western Carolina,” said Drew Butler, Executive Vice President of Collegiate at Icon Source.
“Icon Source exists to connect athletes and brands, and our new Icon Suite software takes that a step further on the collegiate level, removing the heavy lifting for those involved in student-athlete and local business partnerships,” said Chase Garrett, founder, and CEO of Icon Source. “From finding relevant student-athletes for an event or promotion to handling contracts, 1099’s, and payment services, Icon Suite alleviates the administrative duties and offers assistance along the way to ensure successful connections.”
