Oklahoma NIL collective Crimson & Cream launches forward-thinking roundup program

For most of the last 26 months, NIL collectives have generated revenue through donations.

Some have partnered with companies to facilitate deals with major brands. However, most NIL entities have focused on crowdfunding and targeting top-level booster groups.

The Oklahoma-driven NIL collective Crimson & Cream will be taking a notable step forward on Saturday to ensure revenue is not solely coming from donors. Powered by Student-Athlete NIL, members will be able to roundup all of their daily purchases on their credit card, with the roundup dollars going towards the collective and NIL deals for Oklahoma athletes.

Working with the fundraising company Ascend, the roundup program coincides with the launch of a membership loyalty rewards program. Members of Crimson & Cream will be able to access a network of discounts and perks, such as 8.40% cashback at Fanatics and 3.5% cashback at Target.

“The Ascend Roundup Program represents another innovative solution for our student-athletes to benefit from the use of their own NIL,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement to On3. “The beauty of this program is that it’s a simple, convenient way for our fans to directly engage in supporting our student-athletes. We continue to pursue every opportunity we can to ensure OU student-athletes are set up for success when it comes to NIL, and we’re thankful partners like Crimson and Cream are committed to the same effort.”

Crimson & Cream launches roundup at key time for OU football

The launch comes Saturday, with No. 6 Oklahoma football hosting UCF in Norman. Throughout the game, call-to-action messages from athletes will be shown on the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium video boards. Every seat in the stadium also has a QR code, which will now link to Crimson & Cream’s website.

The men’s basketball and softball teams are set for autograph signings, where the collective’s staff will be educating fans about the program. And more athletes are expected to canvas tailgates on Saturday. In the next week, nearly every Oklahoma athlete will be posting links for membership signups with messages about the new fundraising program.

While major brands like Target and Starbucks are already using Ascend, the program will allow local businesses to join, SANIL founder Jason Belzer told On3. Soon, for example, when fans visit Norman restaurants they’ll be giving back to their community and athletic department’s NIL program.

“This will create sustainable revenue for the Crimson & Cream collective,” Belzer told On3. “We’re bringing major brands into the NIL space through this program, too. It takes some of the weight off donors without asking for them to make significant donations. Now this will just be part of the fan experience.”

Sitting at 6-0 coming out of their bye week, the Sooners are well positioned for a run at the Big 12 title game and a College Football Playoff berth. Oklahoma jumped seven spots to No. 5 in the AP poll after beating Texas, reentering the top 10 for the first time since mid-September of last year. 

Dillon Gabriel has thrived, throwing 1,878 yards for 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Oklahoma’s defense has made some improvements, ranking in the top 50 in the country in total defense. More important, they rank in the top 10 of red zone defense. 

Crimson and Cream’s initial fundraising campaign resulted in $1.6 million in annual donations. By January, the collective had signed or offered an NIL deal to the entire 115-member Sooner football roster.

Launching this in October will give the program a strong launchpad into the crucial months of November and December.