Boulder, CO —Fowler Automotive today announced the expansion of its partnership with the University of Colorado Athletics and Learfield’s Buffalo Sports Properties, significantly increasing its investment in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes. The local dealership, which has 11 locations across Colorado and Oklahoma, is more than doubling its overall investment in Buffalo Athletics for the 2024-25 academic year.
With this expansion, Fowler Automotive will provide 16 vehicles to support the men’s and women’s basketball programs. The dealership also supports The 5430 Alliance, Colorado’s preferred NIL collective, with a focus on empowering women’s athletics and underscoring its dedication to champion the success and visibility of all athletes.
“As we have grown our business in Colorado, we’ve enjoyed a wonderful partnership with CU Athletics,” said Jonathan Fowler, President of Fowler Automotive. “The opportunity to expand upon it is a reflection of that partnership and is happening at an incredible time for CU Athletics. From the resurgence of the football program, to our men’s and women’s basketball teams creating NBA and WNBA opportunities for our student-athletes, it’s a great time to be a Colorado Buffalo.”
In addition, Fowler Automotive will run a commercial campaign featuring men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes as brand ambassadors. The series of commercials are set to air this winter during basketball games and feature more than 10 student-athletes. As part of Colorado’s multimedia rights agreement with Learfield, the athletes will wear their Colorado jerseys in each commercial.
“Integrating student-athlete influencer marketing humanizes the partnership. It allows us to create authentic, relatable content that resonates with fans and highlights the incredible talent within Colorado’s athletic programs,” said Solly Fulp, Executive Vice President of NIL at Learfield. “This NIL collaboration is an excellent example for how local businesses can positively impact student-athletes and deepen their engagement within the communities they serve.”
“We’re excited to elevate Fowler Automotive’s partnership with Colorado Athletics as we embrace the transformative power of NIL,” remarked Andrew Popchock, General Manager of Buffalo Sports Properties. “This partnership represents a powerful shift in how we engage with local business to help empower the next generation of leaders in college sports.”
Buffalo Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college sports – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Colorado Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Buffalos. Buffalo 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 Learfield
Learfield is the 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.