Missouri-Kansas City launches Roos Excellence Collective to support student-athletes

The list of Division I schools without NIL collectives continues to dwindle.

The list of have-nots grew even smaller after Missouri-Kansas City announced the launch of Roos Excellence Collective. According to the school’s athletic department, the Roos Excellence Collective, which will also be known as the R.E.C., has full support from school leaders and will focus on multiple sports.

“We’ve likely reached the point where if you’re a school with a Division I basketball program and you don’t have a collective, you’re in the minority,” said Mit Winter, a Kansas City-based sports attorney at Kennyhertz Perry LLC and one of the most influential voices in NIL.

Missouri-Kansas City competes in the Summit League. It has five men’s sports programs – basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track and field. The Kangaroos have basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball on the women’s side.

Missouri-Kansas City collective launched as 501(c)(3) charity

School leaders said the R.E.C. has received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. Collectives across the country have used the designation as a public charity – which has generated plenty of scrutiny – to make donations to the groups tax-deductible.

“Kansas City Athletics continues to prioritize holistic support for our student-athletes, including their desired NIL opportunities,” Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dr. Brandon Martin said in a news release. “The Roos Excellence Collective represents another resource and tool for our student-athletes to access, which is important in an ever-changing landscape of college athletics.”

The R.E.C. aims to create opportunities for in-person engagements in Kansas City, such as meet-and-greets and charity efforts. The collective will also assist in facilitating youth sports programs throughout Kansas City. Additionally, the collective will help student-athletes with speaking engagements and corporate advertising campaigns. The collective also said there be opportunities in the future for exclusive student-athlete content, merchandise and giveaways.

The release did not mention who was involved in a leadership capacity with the R.E.C. But an email address on the collective’s website directs visitors to Michael Watson. Watson starred from 2000 to 2023 for the Kangaroos basketball team. Watson is the school’s all-time leading scorer, and he had his No. 22 jersey retired. He played professionally for eight years in Poland, Turkey, Italy, France and his native Puerto Rico.

After his playing career was over, Watson spent time working with the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. He also was the Kansas City Public Schools‘ athletic director. He’s also heavily involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.