SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The University of San Francisco Athletics Department announced today a new partnership agreement with The Hilltop Club, a San Francisco-based fundraising collective supporting University of San Francisco Athletics and it's student-athlete NIL initiatives.

The partnership will enhance the university's athletics department as The Hilltop Club brings invaluable NIL support, expertise and funding to empower student-athlete NIL at USF.

"We are delighted to announce a partnership with The Hilltop Club," said USF Director of Athletics Larry Williams, now in his second year. "The Hilltop Club has positioned itself as a leader in the NIL collective space and we are fortunate to have them supporting our student-athletes with opportunities to earn compensation for use of their name, image and likeness. Providing financial support to The Hilltop Club is crucial as we continue to unlock opportunities for our programs to excel, particularly in basketball, which will ultimately benefit and flow to the entire university."

Highlights of the partnership include:

• Official license to utilize University of San Francisco marks and logos as part of student-athlete NIL initiatives
• Designated as the "Official NIL Fundraising Collective" of San Francisco Athletics
• Comprehensive sponsorship assets including unique in-game elements
• NIL education, financial literacy and professional development components 

"The Hilltop Club is thrilled to partner with USF Athletics as the official NIL fundraising collective," said Hilltop Club Executive Director, Ryan Oppelt. "The Hilltop Club creates and funds opportunities for San Francisco student-athletes to be compensated  for use of their name, image and likeness through local business partnerships, year-round social engagements and supporting local community organizations. With a world class city and passionate alumni base in our hands, we look forward to elevating USF Athletics through our NIL programming and helping to return the Dons programs back to national prominence."

About The Hilltop Club:
The Hilltop Club LLC was founded by local USF Alumni in response to the 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston et al., which entitled college athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). The mission of The Hilltop Club is to support and facilitate NIL opportunities for USF Student-Athletes, enabling Dons players to take advantage of the NIL marketplace, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of attending USF as a student-athlete. Funding for NIL opportunities is done through individual contributions and corporate/business partnerships as well as members. Members and partners receive access to exclusive events and unique Dons student-athlete NIL programming. More information is available at www.thehilltopclub.com.

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