ATLANTA, GA – Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and Playfly Aspire have announced a multi-year partnership aimed at improving student-athlete success in FGCU's intercollegiate program. This partnership will enhance fan experiences, maximize revenue and elevate student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities. Playfly Aspire's on-campus team will manage the Eagles' sponsorship and ticket sales, while also supporting NIL strategy and engagement, producing data-driven results across FGCU's 15 NCAA Division I teams.

FGCU entered into this partnership with Playfly Aspire knowing it is an industry leader with a proven track record of ticket and sponsorship revenue growth in the region because of its prior work with four current or former ASUN Conference members. An innovator in the NIL space as the first rights holder to pay an NIL deal directly and the first to facilitate sponsor NIL deals using cross-campus assets, Playfly Aspire will bolster resources to support FGCU student-athletes' development growth. Colin Hargis, Director of Athletics at FGCU, spoke about the new partnership:  

"We are excited to partner with Playfly Aspire, generating new resources to best support our student-athletes in our pursuit of excellence. This partnership will better position FGCU for sustained success and aid in our mission to develop transformative student leaders while positively impacting the Southwest Florida community." 

Chad Cardinal, Senior Vice President and Head of Playfly Aspire Properties: 

"We are grateful to partner with FGCU and support Colin, Lauren, and their team's unique vision. Serving existing partnerships while fostering new relationships aligns with our strengths. We look forward to driving results for the Eagles, student-athletes, and the Southwest Florida community." 

About Florida Gulf Coast University

Located just south of Fort Myers and north of Naples on the Southwest Florida coast, Florida Gulf Coast University encompasses 800 acres on which academic buildings, residence halls and athletics facilities share space with wetlands, pinewoods and boardwalks in a natural setting. FGCU serves 16,000 students and offers more than 95 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It emphasizes a university-wide commitment to sustainability and service-learning, with students having completed more than 5 million hours of service since the university opened in 1997. As a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, FGCU sponsors 15 intercollegiate athletic teams competing in NCAA Division I. In 2013 the men's basketball team earned national acclaim, becoming  the first 15-seed to advance to the Sweet 16 during the NCAA Tournament. More recent success includes seven consecutive women's basketball ASUN championships and appearances by the softball, women's soccer and women's volleyball programs in the NCAA Tournament. On top of playing at an elite level, FGCU's students excel in the classroom. Over 85% of its athletes achieved a GPA above 3.0, with 61% excelling with a GPA above 3.5. 

About Playfly Aspire

Playfly Aspire is an award-winning sports and entertainment marketing firm, recognized as a top employer in the industry by Forbes and Front Office Sports. Renowned for innovative consulting, ticket sales, and partnership services, Playfly Aspire pioneered the outsourced ticket sales niche, revolutionizing with its first Fan Relationship Management Center (FRMC) at Georgia Tech in 2009. Over the past 15 years, more than 300 collegiate and professional sports properties have trusted Playfly Aspire to drive revenue, attendance, and enterprise-value growth through strategic consulting and research, sales and service training, and best-in-industry fan relationship management. 

For more information about Playfly Aspire, visit: www.playflyaspire.com and follow us on all our social media channels, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

For project and partnership inquiries, contact: 
Joe Kronander at joe.kronander@playfly.com