New NIL Collective set to help support Bison Athletes

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Athletes at North Dakota State will now be able to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness thanks to a brand new collective founded by Bison fans, supporters, and alumni.

The Green and Gold Collective will now be the exclusive organization that will provide NIL incentives to Bison athletes.

“I think this is really great.” said Collective President Jay Bartley, “it’s really fundraising in 2023.”

NIL collectives are organizations that pool funds and provides deals to for Student-athletes, as well as the opportunity to monetize their brand.

One of the big aspects that the Green and Gold collective hopes to be able to help will be some of the more unforeseen expenses that these athletes may experience, including things like being able to pay to go to a family funeral or to bring a parent up for Senior Night, things that Bartley says have been issues that some athletes have faced at NDSU in just the past year.

“We have a very generous fanbase. I think if someone were to find out someone couldn’t go to a family funeral over 1,000 bucks, we’d receive that.” Bartley said.

The Collective will also be working with local organizations in order to create fundraising opportunities. Bartley told us a couple of those examples, saying that " I think there’s going to be a lot of reading to kids, helping out at charitable locations across town.. Now that this is public, I’m excited to go and work with those companies and coordinate those events.”

The Bison now join just a handful of Mid-Major programs with NIL Collectives, but Bartley says their fundraising goals are more in line with a Power 5 program, adding that “Everything we do at NDSU is high-Major. We’re not chasing anyone in the Valley or Summit League about how we’re trying to act or treat our kids. This is going to be High-Major goals, treating our athletes like some of the Big Boys are treated.”

The Green and Gold collective will be set up for every sport at North Dakota State, with fans and boosters able to donate to any specific sport they choose.

They hope to have a website up and running soon for donations.