VERMILLION, S.D.—The University of South Dakota athletic department has announced the launch of the Pride of the Western Plain, powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), the official NIL Collective for Coyote student-athletes to leverage their Name, Image and Likeness opportunities.
 
SANIL is not officially affiliated with USD athletics but is acknowledged by the athletic department and will operate within NCAA, Summit League and state of South Dakota parameters to market and manage NIL opportunities for Coyote student-athletes.
 
"It is with great enthusiasm that we announce this partnership with SANIL and launch our Pride of the Western Plain collective," said USD Director of Athletics Jon Schemmel. "Since my arrival back to USD, there has not been a day where I wasn't asked about when we would do something meaningful in the collective/NIL space. Your investment in the collective will enhance the holistic experience for our student-athletes while allowing them the opportunity to build their brands and further engage with partners and community members."
 
Pride of the Western Plain, will provide unique opportunities, collaborations and partnerships with fans and business that contribute to the winning traditions of USD's athletic programs. As the most experienced operator of NIL programs, SANIL leads the fans and brands in support of student-athletes and athletics programs.
 
SANIL and Pride of the Western Plain will work in unison with South Dakota supporters to create marketing activations that maximize student-athlete earnings while ensuring that the University's best interests remain protected throughout. South Dakota joins a client roster that includes: Oklahoma, Rutgers, Creighton, Syracuse and Wake Forest, among others.
 
"We are excited to announce Pride of the Western Plain to the outstanding fans and supporters of South Dakota and its athletic teams," said Jason Belzer, CEO of SANIL. "Our vision is to empower USD student-athletes through engagement with fans and collaboration with local businesses and national brands. It's our hope that we can harness that passion of Coyote fans and alumni to provide unprecedented opportunities for the student-athletes who wear the red and white."
 
About Pride of the Western Plain
Pride of the Western Plain is the official NIL collective for all South Dakota athletics, serving as a fan engagement and brand partnerships agency working on behalf of USD athletics and its student-athletes. Pride of the Western Plain's membership program is for all USD athletics fans to directly support Coyote student-athletes. Pride of the Western Plain also offers comprehensive business partnership opportunities at the local, regional and national level. Pride of the Western Plain is a subsidiary of Student Athlete NIL, the NIL agency solution for more than 50 Universities. As with all NIL entities, Pride of the Western Plain is independent from the University of South Dakota and the University does not receive any financial benefit from the organization. More information is available at www.PrideofTheWesternPlain.com.
 
About Student Athlete NIL (SANIL)
Student Athlete NIL (SANIL) is the leading marketing, media and technology agency of record supporting the needs of student-athletes, brands and the ever-evolving era of Name, Image and Likeness. SANIL operates the collectives of more than 50 universities while marketing and monetizing the rights of thousands of student-athletes through fan experiences, brand partnerships and premium media content. Our national reach and skilled team of experienced professionals offer personalized attention to our student-athletes, fans and university partners while delivering a fully scalable deployment platform for brand campaigns. Each year, SANIL celebrates the achievements of student-athletes at the NIL Summit, a SANIL-produced awards and educational symposium held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.StudentAthleteNIL.com.