MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Athletics has partnered with leading name, image and likeness advisory and education firm Altius Sports Partners to advance the Badgers' NIL program, YouDub. The Altius NIL launch platform includes, among other elements, ongoing strategic guidance, assessment of departmental initiatives as well as educational services benefitting all internal and external UW stakeholders as the NIL space changes.

"We want to position Badger student-athletes to take full advantage of the many opportunities they have at Wisconsin to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness. I could not be more pleased to have Altius as a partner," said Wisconsin Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh. "Their experience, creativity and expertise will be an incredible resource for our student-athletes, coaches and staff. The NIL space is constantly evolving, and we will utilize the talented people at Altius to help us move forward in a way that puts Wisconsin in a leadership position in college athletics, supports our mission of education and sets our student-athletes up for success."

Among the key elements of the new partnership include guidance on NIL strategy, donor educational services, expansion of departmental programs and identifying emerging opportunities to empower UW's nearly 800 student-athletes across 23 sports. Moreover, Altius will provide educational workshops specifically for student-athletes, coaches and administration centered around group licensing, marketing, branding, financial literacy and recruiting among other key aspects of NIL.

An official partner of leading collegiate athletic departments and sports properties, the team at Altius specializes in developing and managing programs around issues related to NIL. Through its industry expertise, multitude of services and intellectual resources, the firm's comprehensive approach includes strategic vision and cohesive planning to help all participants navigate structural change and thrive in the evolving collegiate landscape.

"The University of Wisconsin-Madison has always been a unifying force across the state and beyond. Being from Lancaster, I understand the value of Badger Athletics to the community at large and their fans," said Altius Sports CEO Casey Schwab. "We're ready to get to work in helping Chris and his team bolster that influence in the new NIL era, empowering Badger athletes to succeed. Through counsel, education, and long-term strategic planning, we will ensure UW stays at the forefront of this new period in college athletics in education, recruiting and beyond."

A program steeped in athletic achievement, Wisconsin has compiled 31 national team titles, including the 2021 NCAA volleyball championship. In last two years, Wisconsin has produced National Players of the Year in volleyball, men's basketball and men's hockey, as well as a NPOY finalist in women's hockey. Over the last 30 years, Wisconsin has played in a combined 51 football bowl games and NCAA men's basketball tournaments – the most of any school in the country.

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.

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, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. 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.