LinkingCoogs - Houston Cougars Collective

Founded by former Cougars and current business leaders, TheLinkU and LinkingCoogs says it is “the first NIL collective that goes way beyond being a mere marketplace or transactional platform.” TheLinkU and LinkingCoogs says it offers “practical and effective solutions to overcome the big challenges and fully embrace the bigger opportunities the athletes, schools and sponsors face in the NIL ecosystem. “We are proud to be the University of Houston’s very own NIL collective,” the group says. Prior to launching in October 2022, LinkingCoogs completed deals worth in excess of $300,000 as well as received grants and donations from local sources, co-founder Austin Elrod said. The collective plans to support all UofH student-athletes, but football and men’s basketball has been an early focus. The collective also received early financial support from Jim McIngvale, who is know to many as Mattress Mack, and Gallery Furniture with a NIL deal with the entire men’s basketball team.