Includes NIL agreements with four Salukis and new debit card Featuring NIL contributions
MARION, Ill. – Southern Illinois Athletics, Learfield’s Saluki Sports Properties and Banterra Bank – one of the nation’s largest community banks and based in Southern Illinois – have announced a name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership with four SIU student-athletes to further promote the Banterra brand and the new Banterra-SIU Saluki Visa® Debit Card.
The NIL partnership is part of Banterra’s overall commitment to SIU through their naming rights agreement for the Banterra Center, the home of Saluki men’s and women’s basketball. The agreement includes an exclusive affinity debit card, which is the official Banterra-SIU Saluki Visa Debit Card. Banterra is committed to providing a portion of debit card transaction revenue to SIU Scholarships and NIL efforts for Saluki student-athletes.
“Banterra continues to be a valued and supportive partner for Saluki Athletics,” said Tim Leonard, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for SIU. “When we discussed our needed support for NIL, they immediately collaborated with us to determine the best way to move forward and they became a key NIL corporate partner for us.”
Each of the four Salukis with NIL agreements have hometowns within Banterra’s six-state footprint. The athletes include Kennard Davis (Men’s Basketball), Jackie Lis (Women’s Softball), Damien Mayo, Jr. (Men’s Basketball) and Jeniah Thompson (Women’s Basketball).
“We were able to sit down with these athletes for a dinner and conversation and really get to know them, plus share Banterra’s story,” said Jeff May, President & CEO of Banterra Bank. “They have a passion for performing at their best, for supporting the community and for SIU, and that perfectly lines up with Banterra’s values also. In addition to the overall promotion of our brand, we believe we can improve financial management awareness with this younger demographic through this partnership.”
Banterra plan to engage in NIL activations including social media promotion via both the student-athlete’s platforms as well as the bank’s, TV and radio spots, print materials and potentially at on-site events.
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Banterra Bank and to continue growing our two great brands together,” said Jonathan Ihrig, General Manager of Saluki Sports Properties. “This expansion will be a great benefit to Saluki student-athletes and truly reaffirms Banterra’s incredible level of commitment to Southern Illinois Athletics.”
Saluki Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Southern Illinois Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Salukis. Saluki Sports Properties does not represent the student-athletes themselves but collaborates with corporate partners to maximize sponsorship agreements with the inclusion of NIL programs and the integration of university marks and logos within those programs.
About Banterra Bank
Banterra Bank began as a single bank in Ridgway, Illinois in July of 1975. Today, Banterra has more than $3 billion in assets and is ranked in the Top Eight Percent of U.S. Charter Banks and Top Five Percent for Illinois Charter Banks by asset size. Banterra has 40 locations in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Utah, as well as a specialty lending division that serves customers nationwide and includes Aircraft Finance, Machine Tool Finance, and RV and Marine Lending. For more information, call 866-BANTERRA (226-8377) or go to www.banterra.bank.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.