LOGAN, Utah – Utah State Athletics announced Saturday the launching of the Blue A Collective, a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) dedicated to supporting all Aggie student-athletes.
"We are excited for our new partnership with the Blue A Collective," Utah State Vice President and Director of Athletics Diana Sabau said. "The Blue A Collective will be the collective for Utah State University Athletics and the primary source of NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. The landscape of college athletics continues to evolve and the Blue A Collective gives our student-athletes another important resource to help them reach their full potential."
First announced in May, the Blue A Collective was co-founded by Eric Laub and former Utah State head football coach Gary Andersen. The collective will empower all USU student-athletes to monetize their NIL while supporting the Cache Valley community.
"Utah State is clearly at its best when we are aggressive in everything we do," Andersen said. "I believe the current upward trajectory of USU is very positive, and it's great to see. It's very exciting for me to be back involved with the university that I love. The Blue A Collective is a big-time opportunity for Aggie Nation to close the gap quickly and allow USU to be consistently competitive in the Mountain West, ensuring sustained success at Utah State."
The Blue A Collective, whose name honors the tradition of Old Main's "A" being lit blue after athletic victories. All funds raised will go directly to the student-athletes for performing NIL-related services. All board members are volunteering their time and expertise, and will not be compensated for their efforts.
The collective has filed an application with the IRS to become a public charity. If approved, donations to the collective would be tax deductible.
"I am thrilled to announce the formation of the Blue A Collective in partnership with coach Gary Andersen," Laub said. "Together, we will combine our passion for Utah State and its student-athletes with our deep love for the Cache Valley community to make a difference. Our primary objective is to empower student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness while simultaneously fostering a strong connection with Cache Valley."
The Blue A Collective has two initial membership levels:
• Fighting White ($27.20 per month), which commemorates Utah State football's 27-20 win over Utah in 2012.
• Aggie Blue ($59.56 per month), which commemorates Sam Merrill's game-winning 3-pointer to beat San Diego State 59-56 in the championship game of the 2020 Mountain West Tournament.
Contributions can be a one-time gift or a recurring (monthly) donation. Each monthly membership level gives donors access to exclusive Blue A Collective benefits.
To donate, or for more information, click
here.
The Blue A Collective is the first collective to sign a corporate sponsorship with LEARFIELD, Utah State's exclusive multi-media rights holder. This partnership affords the Blue A Collective unique branding opportunities, trademark rights and advertising across USU's platforms, including game-day opportunities with the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and Maverik Stadium for both men's and women's sports.
For more on Utah State Athletics, fans can follow the Aggies on Twitter (@usuathletics) or on Facebook by searching Utah State Athletics.
-USU-
