Cullowhee, N.C. (Feb. 6) – Western Carolina University athletics today announced the launch of Icon Suite, an innovative name, image, and likeness (NIL) tool from Icon Source, the leading digital marketplace connecting brands and athletes for endorsements and partnerships, for all Catamount student-athletes and community members. Icon Suite will continue to position Western Carolina athletics at the forefront of NIL opportunities, providing a seamless, compliant system for connecting brands, alumni, and other interested parties with student-athletes for NIL deals.
 
For additional details on Western Carolina's new local NIL exchange application, click here.
 
The Icon Suite local exchange application software will greatly enhance the NIL experience for those involved in the Western Carolina ecosystem. The software will connect local companies with student-athletes through a custom Western Carolina marketplace, simultaneously simplifying the NIL administrative processes for Catamount athletics administrators tied to deal disclosure and compliance. Interested businesses and Western Carolina supporters will be able to readily identify and engage with potential student-athlete partners through this compliant marketplace software.
 
"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, WCU 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."
 
Icon Suite is a full-service system that makes it easy for athletes to disclose NIL deals through the student login and allows compliance officers to access contracts and review analytics across demographic breakdowns and other key metrics in the compliance section. The Western Carolina-branded gateway also services local businesses and alumni through the platform by providing access to athletes, as well as guidance, education, and facilitation of the athlete sponsorship process supported by Icon Source.
 
"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 has an established history of facilitating deals for professional and college athletes, handling all the administrative aspects of name, image, and likeness deal-making including contracts, tax documentation, and payment services to ensure successful connections for both brands and athletes.
 
"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."
 
The addition of Icon Source is an additional step made by Catamount Athletics in helping its student-athletes with name, image and likeness. In January 2022, WCU Athletics partnered with Athliance to begin its entry into aiding student-athletes with the NIL opportunities currently available.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@Catamounts).
 
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About Icon Source:
Icon Source is a digital marketplace that brings agents, athletes, and brands together. The Denver-based company is the only platform that provides brands of all sizes direct communication with agents or the athletes themselves, eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps to engage with potential professional or collegiate partners. Its proprietary AI technology pairs athletes and brands based on social audience demographics. For additional information and to create a free account, visit www.iconsource.com.