VILLANOVA, PA (March 7, 2022) – Villanova Athletics has entered a multiyear partnership with leading name, image and likeness advisory and education firm Altius Sports Partners (Altius) to establish and implement a comprehensive strategy surrounding NIL.
 
The partnership includes strategic direction, evaluation of departmental initiatives and educational plans, identification and evaluation of emerging opportunities, guidance on the department's corporate partner strategy as well as providing best practices and innovative approaches to engage external stakeholders on NIL. Moreover, Altius will educate and equip Villanova's athletics department with the knowledge and resources to address NIL and related topics impacting recruits and student-athletes and their family members.
 
Villanova Athletics previously worked with Altius to provide group licensing education to its student-athletes to ensure their understanding and awareness of opportunity to capitalize from their NIL using the school's official trademarks and logos.
 
"We're excited about our new relationship with Altius. Its counsel, education and advisement in the field of name, image and likeness will be invaluable to us as we move forward. We're looking forward to working with Altius," said Villanova Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Wright.
 
"At Villanova we always want to be cutting edge with everything we do. We believe this partnership with Altius provides an edge for all of our student-athletes as we navigate name, image and likeness," said Villanova University Vice President & Director of Athletics Mark Jackson.
 
Villanova Athletics has a long and storied history defined by excellence both in competition and in the classroom. A community of student-athletes, coaches and staff has a primary focus of achieving academic excellence while striving to produce teams and individuals committed to athletic competition and outstanding performance. In the classroom, Villanova student-athletes have registered a grade-point average higher than a 3.0 for 37 consecutive semesters. Villanova's athletics history includes 21 NCAA team national championships as well as 129 conference championships and hundreds of individual conference champions. At least one Villanovan has participated in every Summer Olympics since 1948.
 
"Collegiate athletics is undergoing a period of significant evolution and Villanova is proactively embracing that evolution with a laser focus on the betterment of its student-athletes, an effort championed by head men's basketball coach Jay Wright," said Andrew Donovan, Altius Vice President of Collegiate Partnerships. "We're proud to have an institution with the tradition and reputation of Villanova represent Altius' first partnership within the Big East Conference and look forward to supporting the Wildcats for many years to come."
 
The official partner of leading collegiate athletics departments and sports properties, Altius specializes in developing and managing programs around issues related to NIL. Through its industry expertise, array of services and intellectual resources, the firm's holistic approach includes building a strategic vision and unified plan to help all participants steer structural change and prosper in the evolving college landscape.
 
Supported by operational leadership and a best-in-class client services team, the Altius cross-disciplinary network of partners and advisory team members includes:

• John Entz, 14-time Emmy winner and former President of Production at Fox Sports, SVP at MLB Network and producer at ESPN.
• Gabe Feldman, Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program, Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance and Co-Director of Tulane Center for Sport.
• Renie Anderson, CRO and EVP, Partnerships at the NFL.
• David Carter, Executive Director of the USC Sports Business Institute, and a professor of sports business at USC's Marshall School of Business.
• Jené Elzie, former Pac-12 athlete and current Chief Growth Officer for Athletes First Partners, sister company of Athletes First, the nation's largest NFL talent agency.
• Oliver Luck, sports business leader and former Commissioner of the XFL, EVP for Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships for the NCAA, and Athletic Director at West Virginia.
• Michael O'Hara Lynch, former global head of sponsorship marketing at Visa, Inc. and global head of consulting at Nielson Sports, currently partner in 3 Emerald Marketing.
• Jessica Mendoza, former Pac-12 athlete and Olympic gold medalist is a broadcaster for ESPN.
• Kenneth Shropshire, CEO of the Global Sport Institute, and professor at Arizona State.
• Malcolm Turner, sports business executive and former Vice Chancellor and Athletics Director at Vanderbilt and President of the NBA G League.

 
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About Altius Sports Partners
Altius is a leading firm that delivers consulting, strategic planning, compliance support and education to its clients. An official partner of leading collegiate athletic departments and sports properties, Altius provides strategic solutions on topics ranging from NIL to the shifting landscape of employment and media rights within college athletics. The firm currently represents athletics departments at Arizona, Duke, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Mississippi State, Northwestern, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova, Virginia, and Washington. The firm has also partnered with Women Leaders in College Sports. Providing all stakeholders – athletics departments, coaches, and college athletes – with resources they need to thrive in the new age of college athletics, Altius leverages its deep reservoir of sports business sophistication to help those impacted to prepare and excel. We have built a team of cross-disciplinary leaders to reach higher levels of education, higher access to opportunities and higher standards of excellence.
 
Media Contacts: 
ASP: press@altiussp.com
Villanova: dean.kenefick@villanova.edu