Country Roads Trust

What Country Roads Trust does

Country Roads Trust LLC is a private, for-profit Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective founded in January 2022 and headquartered in Morgantown, West Virginia. It serves as the dedicated NIL vehicle for West Virginia University (WVU) athletics, channeling fan and corporate contributions to compensate WVU student-athletes across all varsity programs (football, basketball, baseball, and others) for use of their name, image, and likeness. The organization functions as a three-sided coordination platform connecting student-athletes, fans/alumni, and local corporate sponsors, facilitating fan-athlete interaction through virtual interviews, in-person events, personalized messages, and merchandise.

The business operates a diversified, consumer-facing revenue model rather than a proprietary technology platform. Core monetization comes from tiered membership subscriptions billed monthly or annually across six levels (Student at $69.90/yr through TRUST at $5,000/yr), supplemented by one-time pledges starting at $1, performance-based "Pledge Per" programs (per home run, 3-pointer, forced turnover), corporate sponsorships from regional businesses (Diversified Energy, Encova, MVB Bank, United Bank, Par Mar Stores, Allied Health South), and branded merchandise sales. The collective has layered on partnership-driven and licensing revenue, including a co-branded "Country Roads Trust Lager" with Big Timber Brewing (15% of sales) and a revenue-share gastropub, The GOAT Country Roads Pub, operated with Harma Restaurant Group. An elite donor tier, the WVU Baseball Inner Circle (39 supporters, 50/50 split with the Mountaineer Athletic Club), targets high-value patrons.

Technology is entirely third-party and off-the-shelf: a WordPress/Pantheon website for membership and e-commerce, Squadlocker for merchandise, VividTix for event ticketing, and INFLCR for athlete content/NIL management. There is no proprietary platform, app, API, or IP. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by signature events (Pad2Pad Football Kickoff Dinner, Baseball Leadoff Dinner) and the "Climbing the Mountain" podcast. The organization employs 1–10 people, led by co-founders Ken Kendrick (Managing General Partner, Arizona Diamondbacks) and Oliver Luck (former WVU Athletic Director), with Stephen Ford as General Manager/COO. Operations are geographically confined to West Virginia and tied exclusively to WVU.

Name

Country Roads Trust

Legal name

Country Roads Trust LLC

Website

https://countryroadstrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Country Roads Trust is a West Virginia–based NIL collective that channels fan memberships, donations, corporate sponsorships, and licensing revenue to compensate West Virginia University student-athletes for their name, image, and likeness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NIL Collective Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN), Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs) (MPAKALAJ)

Keywords

• NIL collective services
• College athletics fundraising
• Fan membership programs
• Athlete brand monetization
• Collegiate sports merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Tiered annual and monthly membership programs offering various benefits including merchandise, event access, player-signed items, and discounts. Tiers range from Student ($69.90/year) to TRUST ($5000/year).
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including apparel, hats, helmets, and accessories. Products include Dri-Fit tees, polos, hoodies, and autographed memorabilia.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with corporate sponsors including Diversified Energy, Encova, MVB Bank, Par Mar Stores, United Bank, and Allied Health South. Sponsors receive branding exposure and association with WVU athletics.
4. One-Time Pledges and Donations: Flexible donation options allowing supporters to contribute one-time pledges in any amount to support WVU student-athletes without ongoing membership commitment.
5. GOAT Country Roads Pub Partnership: Partnership with Harma Restaurant Group to open The GOAT Country Roads Pub at Suncrest Towne Centre. Country Roads Trust receives a portion of all revenue from the venue.
6. Co-Branded Product Licensing: Licensing agreement with Big Timber Brewing Company to produce and sell Country Roads Trust Lager. 15% of all sales go back to the Trust.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Country Roads Trust is a member-driven NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) collective and fan club for West Virginia University student-athletes, facilitating athlete-fan connections and enabling athletes to monetize their personal brands. Core offerings include tiered annual and monthly membership subscriptions (Student at $69.90/year through TRUST at $5,000/year), one-time pledges, performance-based Pledge Per Programs, branded merchandise, fundraising events, and revenue-share partnerships with breweries and hospitality venues.

Product overview

Country Roads Trust is a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for West Virginia University that operates as a fan club connecting athletes with fans while enabling athletes to earn compensation. The core offering consists of tiered membership subscriptions (Student through Trust levels), one-time pledge donations, and performance-based pledge programs (Pledge Per Home Run, 3-Pointer, Forced Turnover). Supporting products include the Climbing the Mountain Podcast, the WVU Baseball Inner Circle donor program, merchandise store, Pad2Pad fundraising events, The GOAT Country Roads Pub partnership venue, and co-branded Country Roads Trust Lager with Big Timber Brewing. The collective facilitates athlete-fan interactions through live virtual interviews, in-person events, and personalized content while channeling revenue to support WVU student-athletes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Country Roads Trust Memberships Tiered subscription membership program with six levels (Student, 1867, Country Roads, Blue, Gold, TRUST) providing progressive benefits including merchandise, event access, player-signed items, store discounts, tailgate access, and personalized video requests. Targeted at WVU fans and alumni supporters.
• One-Time Pledge Flexible one-time donation product that allows supporters to contribute any amount starting at $1 to support WVU student-athletes without an ongoing membership commitment. Available via website product page.
• Pledge Per Programs Performance-based pledge programs allowing donors to contribute per achievement including home runs (baseball), 3-pointers made (basketball), and forced turnovers across WVU sports programs.
• Country Roads Trust Merchandise Store Online e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including Dri-Fit tees, polos, hoodies, hats, helmets, accessories, and autographed memorabilia. Operated through Squadlocker platform and ships within the US.
• WVU Baseball Inner Circle Elite supporter program for WVU Baseball featuring 39 clubhouse lockers with a 50/50 revenue split between Country Roads Trust and the Mountaineer Athletic Club. Includes supporters such as Vision Homes, Hayhurst Family, Landcore Builders, Wowczuk Family, and Kendrick Family.
• The GOAT Country Roads Pub Gastropub venue at Suncrest Towne Centre in Morgantown, WV, operated in partnership with Harma Restaurant Group. Features scratch-made menu, cocktails, craft beer from WV breweries, and entertainment. Country Roads Trust receives a revenue share from all venue sales, creating an ongoing funding stream for NIL activities.
• Country Roads Trust Lager Co-branded lager beer produced by Big Timber Brewing Company (Mountaineer alumni brewers) under a licensing agreement where 15% of all sales are returned to Country Roads Trust. Available at WVU games and distributed throughout West Virginia.

Quantifiable outcome

• WVU Baseball achieved Top 10 national rankings (No. 6-7) as a result of NIL support through Country Roads Trust
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pad2PadcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 August 2024Title sponsor of the Pad2Pad Football Kickoff Dinner event at Milan Puskar Stadium.
• Harma Restaurant GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Partnership to launch The GOAT Country Roads Pub at Suncrest Towne Centre. Country Roads Trust receives a portion of all revenue from the gastropub venue. Harma Group operates local hospitality concepts including Crab Shack Caribba, Nonno Carlo, Sugar Bar, and Dockside Grille.
• Encova InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2024Partnership for Charity Champions initiative empowering WVU athletes to choose local organizations for community service. First Charity Champion Sean Martin served meals at Ronald McDonald House.
• Big Timber Brewing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2023Innovative licensing agreement to produce and sell Country Roads Trust Lager. 15% of all sales go back to the Trust. Beer available at WVU games and distributed throughout West Virginia. Created by Mountaineer alumni brewers.
• Diversified EnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner of Country Roads Trust. Diversified Energy is an energy company supporting WVU athletics through NIL collective sponsorship.
• EncovacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner presenting the Charity Champions initiative and Climbing the Mountain podcast. Encova Insurance partners with Country Roads Trust for community service programs.
• MVB BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner and VIP sponsor of Country Roads Trust events including the Pad2Pad Football Kickoff Dinner.
• Par Mar StoresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner of Country Roads Trust supporting WVU athletics NIL initiatives.
• United BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner of Country Roads Trust supporting WVU athletics.
• Allied Health SouthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Country Roads Trust and WVU athletics.
• Harma Restaurant GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperators of The GOAT Country Roads Pub - a gastropub at Suncrest Towne Centre featuring scratch-made menu, cocktails, craft beer from WV breweries, and entertainment. Revenue share supports Country Roads Trust and student-athletes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Altius Sports Partners: Sports advisory firm that helps universities and collectives design NIL strategy, collective infrastructure, and athlete compensation programs. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct fundraising competitor.
• Teamworks: Operating system for college and professional sports teams, providing athlete engagement, content, and NIL-adjacent workflows. Functions as an enabling technology provider to collectives and athletic departments.
• INFLCR: Athlete-exchange and NIL content platform that Country Roads Trust integrates with via app.inflcr.com/exchange/west-virginia-university. Provides marketplace and content infrastructure rather than competing head-on as a collective.
• Opendorse: Leading NIL marketplace and athlete-deal-valuation platform. An enabling infrastructure provider rather than a competitor — collectives like CRT use Opendorse-style tools to facilitate athlete endorsement deals.

Direct peers

• Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC): WVU's official athletic fundraising organization, which already shares revenue with Country Roads Trust through programs like the WVU Baseball Inner Circle (50/50 split). MAC is the closest functional peer in the same donor base and athletic program.
• Division Street: Founded by Phil Knight and supported by Nike's ecosystem, Division Street is the premier NIL collective for the University of Oregon — a structurally analogous donor- and brand-driven NIL platform serving a single university fan base.
• Crimson Collective: University of Alabama's leading NIL collective, recognized alongside Country Roads Trust on On3's Top 10 Most Ambitious NIL Collectives list. Operates the same donor-funded NIL marketplace model for a top-tier athletic program.

Broad incumbents

• Learfield: The dominant U.S. college sports media-rights and athletics sponsorship company. While not an NIL collective, Learfield operates broadly in the same athletic-funding ecosystem and interacts with collectives on sponsorship inventory and content distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CountryRdsTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/CountryRoadsTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/country-roads-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Country Roads Trust