From the Field to Social Feeds: Michigan Athletics and Venmo Team Up to Bring Fans Inside the World of Student-Athletes
3/24/2026 11:02:00 AM | General
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan Athletics, in partnership with Michigan Sports Properties and Venmo, has launched a first-of-its-kind Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) content initiative featuring 27 University of Michigan student-athletes, one representing each varsity program.
Designed to authentically connect student-athletes with fans, the program empowers participants to create original content across their personal social media platforms while showcasing how they use Venmo in their everyday lives, from managing money on the go to getting paid for their hard work.
College athletes today are building businesses, growing audiences, and signing deals, all while competing at the highest level. Venmo has been part of how this generation moves money since before NIL was a household term, and this program reflects Venmo's commitment to financial empowerment and showing up authentically for athletes as they navigate the evolving NIL landscape.Â
The student-athletes will bring their own voice and creative vision to the program, telling authentic stories about their lives, their finances, and what it means to be a student-athlete in the NIL era, from how they spend and save to how they represent their school pride with the Michigan Venmo Debit Card.
"The collaboration with Venmo is an incredible opportunity for Michigan and our student-athletes -- not only to partner with an outstanding brand on an NIL agreement, but to do so in a way that authentically reflects who we are," said Warde Manuel, Michigan's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "Featuring a student-athlete from each of our teams sends a powerful message about the depth of talent, leadership, and impact across our entire department. This is the first of what we hope will be many cross-sport partnerships as we continue to pursue competitive excellence while expanding NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. We're proud to help create pathways that support them in competition, in the classroom, and as they build their personal brands and NIL goals."
"We're thrilled to see our collaboration with Venmo expanding. Their dedication to supporting student-athletes was already evident through their NIL payment platform initiative, and their direct commitment to student-athletes from all 27 of our Division I programs through NIL activation is further evidence of that incredible support," said Jennifer Cadicamo, vice president and general manager of Michigan Sports Properties.
"NIL didn't just change the rules -- it created a new generation of athlete-entrepreneurs," said Amy Bonitatibus, chief communications & corporate affairs, PayPal. "At Venmo, financial empowerment is core to who we are, so partnering with Michigan Athletics to help every athlete build their brand and get paid on their terms was a natural fit. We're proud to support them, not just as a payment tool, but as a platform invested in their future."
As NIL continues to reshape collegiate athletics, Venmo remains focused on being a resource for student-athletes, giving them tools to manage, move, and make the most of their money as they build their brands and their futures.
By bringing together a diverse group of student-athletes and a platform built for the way this generation pays and gets paid, the program reflects a new model for how brands can show up meaningfully in collegiate athletics. The initiative is administered by Michigan Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield and the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Michigan Athletics.
The program launches today with social posts across each athlete's platforms and continues throughout the spring, giving fans a closer look at the voices and stories that define Michigan Athletics.
About Venmo
Venmo is the go-to money movement app of the next generation, offering fast, safe, and social payments. With best-in-class experiences for users to send, split, shop, and sell, Venmo enables a seamless flow of money between the people and places that matter most to millions of users across the United States. For more information, go to: Venmo.com.
