BOONE, N.C. – App State Athletics announced Monday the launch of
TIGMA, powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), the official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Collective for Mountaineer student-athletes.
While not officially affiliated with App State Athletics, TIGMA is acknowledged by the university's athletics department, and will operate within NCAA, Sun Belt Conference and State of North Carolina parameters to market and manage NIL opportunities for App State student-athletes.
"App State Athletics is excited to announce the launch of TIGMA in partnership with SANIL," said Director of Athletics Doug Gillin. "When App State friends and fans invest in TIGMA, they will be enhancing the holistic experience for our student-athletes while allowing them the opportunity to build their brands and further engage with partners and community members. We encourage all of our supporters to continue giving toward the Mountaineers Athletic Fund to support scholarships, capital projects and program enhancement, while also supporting TIGMA to further enhance the opportunities of our student-athletes in the NIL space."
TIGMA will provide unique opportunities, collaborations and partnerships with fans and businesses that will contribute to the comprehensive excellence of App State Athletics. As the most experienced operator of NIL programs, SANIL leads the fans and brands in support of student-athletes and athletics programs.
"Our vision," said SANIL Chief Executive Officer Jason Belzer, "is to empower App State student-athletes through engagement with fans and collaboration with local businesses and national brands. It's our hope that we can harness that passion of Mountaineers fans and alumni to provide unprecedented opportunities for the student-athletes who wear the Black and Gold."
While SANIL will manage the day-to-day operation of TIGMA, the organization will be overseen by a board of directors that includes many of App State's most well-known sports alumni and supporters, including: Jay Howard, Missy Harrill, Pat Swisher, Jalen Virgil, Kyler Ferguson, Tim Hodge, Jay Harrill, Jeff Behmer, and Clint Deas.
App State joins a client roster that includes Oklahoma, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Wake Forest, among others.
TIGMA's membership program offers options for fans of App State student-athletes to join the program for as low as $8.99. Members will receive first access to unique products and experiences. TIGMA also offers comprehensive business partnership opportunities at local, regional and national levels.
ABOUT TIGMA
TIGMA is the official NIL Collective for all App State Athletics, serving as a fan engagement and brand partnerships agency working on behalf of App State Athletics and its student-athletes. TIGMA is a subsidiary of Student Athlete NIL, the NIL agency solution for over 50 universities. As with all NIL entities, TIGMA is independent from App State, and the University does not receive any financial benefit from the organization. More information is available at
TIGMA.com.
ABOUT APP STATE ATHLETICS
More than 400 student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division I varsity sports at Appalachian State University, and dedicated fans love to cheer them on. App State's nationally ranked football team has enjoyed unprecedented success at the highest level of Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision) with seven bowl wins in its first eight years at the FBS level and four Sun Belt Conference championships. The Mountaineers were a dominant force in the Southern Conference for more than 40 years before moving up in 2014. App State student-athletes in all sports pursue daily comprehensive excellence in academics, competition and community involvement. All varsity teams compete in the Sun Belt Conference, except for field hockey (MAC) and wrestling (SoCon). For more, visit
http://www.appstatesports.com.
ABOUT STUDENT ATHLETE NIL (SANIL)
Student Athlete NIL (SANIL) is the leading marketing, media and technology agency of record supporting the needs of student-athletes, brands and the ever-evolving era of Name, Image, and Likeness. SANIL operates the collectives of more than 50 universities while marketing and monetizing the rights of thousands of student-athletes through fan experiences, brand partnerships and premium media content. Its national reach and skilled team of experienced professionals offer personalized attention to student-athletes, fans and university partners while delivering a fully scalable deployment platform for brand campaigns. Each year, SANIL celebrates the achievements of student-athletes at the
NIL Summit, a SANIL-produced awards and educational symposium held at the
College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, please visit
www.StudentAthleteNIL.com.
