GW Athletics adopted an official collective to help student-athletes take advantage of their name, image and likeness earlier this month.
The FOG, or Friends of George, collective was first launched by supporters of GW Athletics in November 2022, a couple of weeks after the the NCAA adopted new permanent policies permitting the expanded use of athletes’ use of their name, image and likeness for profit. Following new NCAA policies in April that allow universities to adopt official NIL collectives, athletics officials this month rebranded the collective and announced new offerings to its supporters, including Zoom calls with athletics officials.
Legal use of NIL has allowed athletes to make brand deals and sponsorships with companies. Universities are not allowed to pay athletes directly, but many schools like GW have affiliated third-party collectives that ensure athletes receive compensation, albeit not straight from the university.
The FOG Collective adds on to financial opportunities for athletes, providing an opportunity to receive direct compensation through supporter donations. Other fundraising opportunities provide money to teams as a whole, like the Buff & Blue Fund, which raised more than $500,000 this September to support teams of donors’ choice.
The collective is alumni-led, but it’s run by a parent company called Blueprint Sports, which provides NIL services across the country. Blueprint Sports provides NIL services to Atlantic 10 rival Loyola Chicago and top basketball programs of University of Kansas and Gonzaga University.
“As the scholarship is really important, so are some of the other financial opportunities for student-athletes at this point,” women’s basketball Head Coach Caroline McCombs said.
In April 2024, the NCAA’s Division I Council announced new rules allowing universities to orchestrate NIL deals between its athletes and other parties but still prohibiting direct pay-to-play. Following the introduction of NIL, the NCAA has instituted a steady stream of rule adjustments to ensure fairness.
In this month’s announcement, officials named FOG as the “official” NIL collective for GW and rebranded its website with direct links on the GWSports homepage. Athletics officials previously launched The GDUB NIL Exchange in December 2023, a registry of more than 300 student-athletes who are available to partner with businesses.
The collective’s new program allows fans to become “members” by paying subscription fees of $50 or $100 a month. The $50 monthly membership fee, or the “Buff” membership, includes invitations to quarterly Zoom calls with guest appearances and one ticket to a quarterly raffle of “exclusive memorabilia.” The $100 “Blue” membership includes two additional tickets to the drawings, as well as a post-game autograph session with student-athletes.
When making a one-time donation on the website, or joining as a member of the collective, fans have the option to direct their funds to either the women’s basketball team, men’s basketball team or the general fund. The homepage features a video message from Athletic Director Michael Lipitz and pictures of basketball athletes and facilities.
“Friends of George is an important complement to our traditional fundraising efforts,” Lipitz said in the video. “It directly supports our student-athletes and maximizes their opportunities to gain additional compensation.”
Lipitz said at his introductory press conference in August that as a “basketball school in a basketball conference” he understands that the success of GW’s basketball programs helps to drive financial performance of GW Athletics as a whole.
Men’s basketball Head Coach Chris Caputo said the collective is aiding the Revolutionaries to secure lucrative players.
“What college basketball has become, and what college sports have become, you have to have a robust collective to help procure players,” Caputo said. “Bottom line, with the settlement that’s coming, the A-10 is going to be a league that opts into some form of revenue sharing, which will be important to give us opportunities to both retain, and attract really good players.”
A district court judge earlier this month granted preliminary approval for a proposed $2.8 billion settlement to provide college athletes who were denied compensation for using their name, image and likeness.
McCombs said she is excited about the prospect of more financial opportunities for her players.
“It’s a great opportunity for our young women,” McCombs said. “Right now, I think things have changed across the country, and then for our players to have an opportunity financially, I think we are well in our time.”
Senior women’s basketball forward Maxine Engel said she hasn’t had much personal interaction with the collective but is excited about the opportunities that the expansion of NIL will provide young players. Engel said she hasn’t participated in any NIL deals herself but some of her teammates have signed deals with clothing and food companies.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” she said. “It’s another way for us to elevate the program, compete with other schools in the realm.”
Ben Spitalny contributed reporting.
