WKU Athletics Announces Partnership With Red Towel Trust

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – In conjunction with Hilltopper Sports Properties, WKU’s multimedia rights partner through LEARFIED, WKU Athletics announced an official partnership with Red Towel Trust today.

“As the landscape of college athletics rapidly evolves, this official partnership with Red Towel Trust will be an impactful strategic imitative for WKU Athletics,” Athletic Director Todd Stewart said. “Red Towel Trust provides great opportunities for not only our student-athletes, but also its members.

“There’s never been a better time to be a student-athlete at Western Kentucky. We’ve invested more in our student-athlete support areas than ever before, and Red Towel Trust is just another way our fans can invest in our Hilltopper student-athletes.”

The partnership will help maximize the earning potential and visibility of WKU student-athletes through brand endorsements, partnerships and appearances.

“This is an exciting time for Red Towel Trust and WKU Athletics,” incoming Executive Director of the Red Towel Trust Nick Uhlenhopp said. “As NIL changes, this partnership will be a vital piece to WKU Athletics’ success. We must all work together to ensure we are doing everything we can to put our best teams out on the field and court. We are thrilled to work with Learfield and WKU as the Official NIL collective to best position ourselves to do just that.”

To kick off the official partnership, Red Towel Trust will host a MEMBERS ONLY NIL Gameday Tailgate on Wednesday, Feb. 28 prior to WKU’s Men’s Basketball game vs. Louisiana Tech. Fans can join Red Towel Trust HERE.

As the Official Collective of WKU Athletics, Red Towel Trust will receive brand visibility across numerous official platforms, including in-venue promotion, radio, official gameday programs and yearbooks, and much, much more. This partnership is separate from any activity related to subscription funds that may be allocated to student-athletes as part of name, image and likeness opportunities.

All athletics sponsorships are managed by Hilltopper Sports Properties, which does not represent WKU student-athletes but – on behalf of the university – is actively engaged with brands and organizations to maximize their sponsorships.

Red Towel Trust is the official NIL collective of WKU. It was founded in 2022 to ensure WKU remains at the forefront of the Name, Image, and Likeness landscape, all while making a lasting impact on its community. At the heart of Red Towel Trust is an unwavering commitment to working hand-in-hand with WKU’s student-athletes. In its first year, Red Towel Trust student-athletes contributed over 450 hours of community service.

For more information on how to become a member and/or support Red Towel Trust, visit redtoweltrust.com.