ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan Athletic Department is proud to announce Champions Circle™ as the first name, image and likeness (NIL) collective to become an official partner of Michigan Athletics. A collective is an independently owned and operated group of passionate supporters that have joined together to provide NIL opportunities to student-athletes.

"We welcome the Champions Circle as the first U of M collective to achieve the status as an official partner of the Michigan Athletics," said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "Champions Circle has been thoughtful and proactive in its approach to support NIL activities for student-athletes across our entire athletic department. They have done a tremendous amount of work to properly leverage our marks to benefit our young people."

Champions Circle Co-Founder, CEO of Valiant Management Group and Michigan Football alum Jared Wangler said, "Champions Circle is proud to be recognized as an official partner of Michigan Athletics. As an alumni-driven organization, we are committed to the success of our student-athletes both on and off the field. We are excited for our partnership to amplify the existing NIL programs that we have built over the past two years."

"We are excited to work with Champions Circle as an official partner of Michigan Athletics," said Jennifer Cadicamo, VP and General Manager of Michigan Sports Properties. "We appreciate the commitment made by their leadership team to elevate their collective through the official use of branding and marketing assets and look forward to collaborating on future opportunities that benefit Michigan student-athletes."

ABOUT CHAMPIONS CIRCLE™

Founded in 2022, Champions Circle is a community of fans, alumni and supporters whose goal is empowering all University of Michigan student-athletes to be the leaders and best through name, image and likeness. Champions Circle™ is committed to operating within the NCAA and university guidelines to ensure Michigan remains at the forefront of college athletics. Champions Circle partners with Valiant Management Group (VMG) to produce NIL events, curate NIL-related experiences, and assist with fundraising and marketing activities.

ABOUT LEARFIELD AND MICHIGAN SPORTS PROPERTIES

LEARFIELD is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. Its locally-based Michigan Sports Properties team is solely dedicated to representing the Wolverines. LEARFIELD unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Its services include licensing and collegiate sports properties' multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for NACDA's acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.

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For more information about NIL at Michigan, visit mgoblue.com/NIL. For more information about the Champions Circle™, visit championscircleuofm.com.