FAQs
Q: Are you officially recognized by Colorado State Athletics?
A: No, we very much support the efforts of the Athletic Department. However, we believe we are better positioned to serve the current athletes at CSU helping them to maximize their NIL potential working outside the University’s NCAA imposed restrictions.
Q: Doesn’t Colorado State already have a collective? Why would be need another one?
A: Yes, to date The Green & Gold Guard has been the only officially recognized Collective for CSU. However, it is not unusual for big-time college programs to have 2 or even 3 separate Collectives. It really just comes down to the purpose and specific niche these multiple Collectives serve.
The Ram Collective has a lot more flexibility and freedom to broker specific NIL opportunities whereas The GGG is limited to working primarily with charitable organizations. Additionally, we are uniquely positioned to broker specific NIL opportunities more effectively, more efficiently, and more personally than third-party marketplaces that charge a 33% premium. Working with The Ram Collective helps maximize the impact and the reach of our generous donors.
Q: Does The Ram Collective replace The Green & Gold Guard?
A: No, The GGG has done an excellent job ushering CSU Athletics into the NIL era. We simply believe that by creating additional opportunities for current players and involving former players to help enable that vision, TRC will complement the efforts of The GGG.
Q: Is The Ram Collective a Non-Profit?
A: No, Given the current NIL landscape it is difficult to determine the best organizational structure to employ. For example, The GGG started as an LLC but then became a non-profit. On the other hand, the Missouri Tiger collective began as a non-profit but became an LLC. The Ram Collective is currently an LLC but that could change over time as well.
Q: I’m not a former player. Can I still be involved in a tangible way?
A: Yes! Absolutely! Specifically, you can contribute to The Ram Collective on a one-time or recurring basis to help fund any specific athlete or group of athletes The Ram Collective support.
Your business can become a named sponsor of the Ram Collective.
You and/or your business can work with us to broker specific student-athletes for advertising, promotion, product development, or any other legitimate business purpose to meet the compliance requirements the athletes need to follow.
Q: What percentage of contributions goes to the student athletes
A: This can vary by the mechanism each NIL deal employs so the range is 75-95%. The Ram Collective’s overhead costs are very low however, much of the work to establish it, including necessary legal work and costs related to engagement with Colorado State student-athletes and third parties, is being done pro bono. In order to continually service its student-athletes, The Ram Collective incurs expenses for accounting, website hosting, content creation, credit/debit card transaction fees, events, and legal fees along other routine costs associated with operating a web-based NIL collective. Third party sites like Opendorse charge a 33% premium.