MSUFCU Expands NIL Program to Include All MSU Women’s Sports

There are few things more important to those living and working in and around East Lansing, Mich., than the Michigan State University Spartans – for that matter, to all MSU alumni around the globe. On Thursday, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ($7.6 billion in assets, 355,456 members), also headquartered in East Lansing, announced a bold initiative specifically for MSU women’s athletics called Women of Sparta.

The announcement about Women of Sparta, made during a press conference on the MSU campus, involves a new leadership initiative “crafted to elevate Michigan State University’s women’s sports and student-athletes.”

According to MSUFCU, the initiative expands the credit union’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for MSU women’s student-athletes and gives those athletes a platform created by the credit union for personal growth, financial literacy and community engagement.

For those student-athletes participating in Women of Sparta, according to MSUFCU, they “will benefit from a range of opportunities tailored to support their holistic development, including financial education, personal branding workshops, mentorship programs, job shadowing, internship opportunities and an expanded NIL program.”

MSUFCU officials said elements of the program include the following:

• Financial Literacy and Career Readiness Classes: All MSU women’s sports student-athletes will have access to workshops to strengthen their financial literacy and confidence. Led by MSUFCU educators, student-athletes will learn more about budgeting, financial planning, resume building, networking and interviewing.
• Media Training and Personal Branding Workshops: MSUFCU will provide Women of Sparta student-athletes with training in media relations and personal branding to help them leverage the additional attention that comes with being an MSU student-athlete. These workshops are designed to enhance communication skills and empower the student-athletes to effectively share their stories.
• Leadership Development: MSUFCU will offer job shadow and internship opportunities for student-athletes to continue their community impact. Through mentoring from MSUFCU leadership, all student-athletes will have the ability to participate in networking and growth opportunities that help them plan for post-graduation career goals.
• NIL Partnership Opportunities: Through Women of Sparta, MSUFCU will expand its NIL program to include all women’s sports at MSU. The credit union will continue to partner with players on the MSU women’s basketball team and offer agreements to two student-athletes from each of the university’s other women’s sports teams.

MSUFCU President/CEO April Clobes said, “This partnership between MSUFCU and MSU women’s athletics supports the development and success of student-athletes while elevating the platform for women’s sports teams overall. By empowering the next generation of leaders and shining a brighter light on MSU women’s sports teams, our goal with this initiative is to foster a positive and even more inclusive community for everyone.”

MSU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Alan Haller added, “The Women of Sparta program furthers MSU Athletics as a front-runner in the NIL space following our recognition as the best institutional program at last year’s NIL Summit. The continued investment by President and CEO April Clobes and the MSUFCU community empowers our student-athletes to dream bigger and elevate their success. We are grateful for their strong leadership and continued support.”

MSUFCU will announce the first wave of Women of Sparta student-athletes this summer.