In modern college athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has become an integral part of virtually all sports and a must to be competitive. On May 29, Troy University Athletics announced it has partnered with TheLinkU to maximize NIL opportunities for student-athletes.

TheLinkU is a Houston, Texas, based NIL platform that offers a suite of services “designed to empower athletes and support colleges in navigating the evolving NIL landscape.” The company was founded in 2022 by Austin Elrod, a former Houston football player. 

“As a former student-athlete, it’s my goal, and the goal of TheLinkU, to equip student-athletes and athletic departments with the tools they need to maximize success,” Austin Elrod, founder and president of TheLinkU, said. “I have been in the shoes of these student-athletes, and I have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with numerous athletic directors across the country to help build championship-level NIL programs. That is why we can offer solutions that no one else can within the NIL space.”

Through this partnership, Troy Athletics will have access to TheLinkU’s services, which includes national brand partnerships, general manager and revenue sharing modeling software, the NIL marketplace, personalized merchandise shops, tools to help student-athletes build and grow their own personal brands and financial seminars and wealth advisor. 

“We are proud to partner with TheLinkU and view them as a key piece in The Trojans Together Collective’s future success in revenue generation and NIL opportunities,” Troy Athletics Director Brent Jones said. “With TheLinkU’s offering, we are prepared to support our teams in their pursuit of championships.”

The partnership with TheLinkU will allow for all aspects of the Trojans Together collective and its operations to be run by TheLinkU. 

“I’m very excited about this milestone in NIL at Troy University,” Trojans Together Collective co-founder Chuck Carson said. “It’s been an honor to be involved with the founding and operating of Trojans Together Collective and I know this new partnership is the right next step. I look forward to supporting the Collective and our new partnership with TheLinkU as we seek to lead the way in NIL in the Sun Belt Conference and beyond.”

TheLinkU also fosters “sustainable revenue generation” for universities through more than 30 business partnerships, including a recently announced initiative with Victory Snacks. These partnerships significantly decrease the need for donor contributions and creates more long-term financial opportunities for athletic departments. 

“It makes us feel great knowing that we are transitioning our operations to experienced and capable leaders with LinkU,” Trojans Together co-founder Jason Jones said.

TheLinkU works with colleges and athletic programs nationwide to help simplify the NIL space, while also protecting the interests of athletes, institutions and the business community. 

“With TheLinkU’s help, our student-athletes will be able to maximize their personal brands, and we will be able to amplify and diversify the NIL offerings available to them,” Troy Football head coach Gerad Parker said. “This helps create an edge for us in recruiting. By creating an environment that’s attractive to high school recruits and possible transfer students, we can compete with anyone, anywhere.”

To learn more about TheLinkU, visit www.thelinku.com.