EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State Athletics hosted its third annual EverGreen NIL Celebration presented by MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) in the Tom Izzo Hall of History at the Breslin Student Events Center. MSU is believed to be the only Power 4 institution in the country to celebrate the Name, Image, and Likeness achievements of its student-athletes. More than 100 student-athletes, coaches, staff, and vendors attended the event.
“Through the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes to the NIL space, we have established ourselves as the industry leader,” said Darien Harris, MSU Assistant Athletics Director for Business Development and NIL Strategy.
In the last year, EverGreen successfully launched a first-of-its-kind elite student-athlete NIL program; hosted its third annual Business Summit with record attendance; onboarded its highest number of student-athletes to the group licensing program; and launched in-venue NIL apparel sales at football and hockey games among other accomplishments.
During 2024, MSUFCU has increased its NIL partnership with Spartan student-athletes through the groundbreaking “Women of Sparta” program.
“Women of Sparta expands MSUFCU’s NIL program to include ALL women’s sports teams at MSU along with offering student-athletes access to financial education, media training, mentorships, job shadowing, and leadership development,” said Betsy Young, MSUFCU Vice President of Marketing. “Through Women of Sparta and our support of this event and other initiatives, we want MSU student-athletes to know that they have a platform and an amazing opportunity to use their voice and a 365,000-member credit union with all of its resources has their back.”
The night began with an awards ceremony where Spartan student-athletes and others in the industry were recognized.
EverGreen Empower AwardGiven to the student-athletes who have used their NIL to empower others.
Justina Gaynor, women’s soccer for her partnership with Walled Lake Consolidated Schools athletics
Jalen Thompson, football for establishing the Jalen Thompson Anti-Gun Violence Football Camp
EverGreen Content Creator of the Year AwardGiven to the student-athletes who through consistency and performance on social media have curated a strong audience across multiple platforms.
Savannah Breitwiser, track and field
Coen Carr, men’s basketball
EverGreen Ambassador of the Year AwardPresented to two Spartans who have best represented and promoted use of the EverGreen program through their all-encompassing NIL activations.
Ozan Baris, men’s tennis
Mia Rogan, track and field/cross country
EverGreen Educator of the Year AwardRecognizes someone who has gone above and beyond to be a resource for student-athletes across the country.
Sam Green, CEO of NIL with Sam Green and Founder of Athlete Con
EverGreen NIL Activation of the Year AwardThomas Nihra and the Spartan Fantasy Camp for facilitating NIL-driven experience camps for fans with the football and women’s golf teams
EverGreen Team of the YearPresented to the team who individually and collectively have created meaningful and impactful opportunities in the NIL space together.
Track and field/cross country
Following the awards ceremony, attendees were able to meet and mingle with representatives from NIL activation partners and vendors.
Note: More photos available upon request.
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ABOUT EVERGREENWith groundbreaking opportunities for Spartan student-athletes to market their Name, Image, and Likeness, Michigan State Athletics has developed the award-winning EverGreen program to support its student-athletes. With pillars of engage, empower, educate, and emerge, Spartan student-athletes are equipped to build their brand, make informed decisions within the framework of applicable legislation, and be positioned to maximize their earning potential. To put together the EverGreen program, Michigan State Athletics partnered with industry leaders in the areas of student-athlete branding, student-athlete development, and financial education: INFLCR, Anomaly Sports Group, and TeamAltemus. The program was selected as the Best Institutional Program at the 2023 NIL Summit. The award recognizes a college or institution that has shown exceptional commitment to supporting its student-athletes in maximizing their NIL opportunities through a combination of education, resources, and industry-leading innovation. For more information, visit msuspartans.com/feature/NIL.
ABOUT MSUFCUFounded in 1937, MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence and has received several top industry and workplace awards, including being named a Best Credit Union to Work For® by American Banker for the sixth year, a Top Workplace by the Detroit Free Press for 13 consecutive years, and a National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® winner for seven consecutive years. MSUFCU has also been certified as a Great Place to Work® for 10 consecutive years and has been recognized by the Credit Union National Association, earning first place for the people-helping-people philosophy Louise Herring Award. The Credit Union operates an award-winning, wholly owned credit union service organization, Reseda Group; along with digital financial platforms AlumniFi and Collegiate; trade name Oakland University Credit Union; and its foundation, the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation. MSUFCU is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan; and has 31 branches; over 365,000 members; more than $8 billion in assets; and 1,200-plus employees. For more information, visit msufcu.org.
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