The Thunder Trust

What The Thunder Trust does

The Thunder Trust is a nonprofit organization operating as the official Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for Marshall University Athletics, based in Huntington, West Virginia. Founded in 2021 following the NCAA v. Alston Supreme Court ruling, the organization is managed by Athlete Advantage and facilitates NIL compensation opportunities for Marshall student-athletes across all sports. Its core function is intermediating between donors, local businesses, and student-athletes, channeling financial support to athletes for media appearances, autographs, events, product endorsements, and social media activities.

The organization's offering comprises three primary revenue streams: one-time and recurring monthly donations processed through Stripe (with tiers at $18.37, $50, and $100 per month), a premium IMPACT membership requiring a minimum $5,000 annual commitment for three years that delivers field passes, VIP access, and branded merchandise, and co-branded commercial partnerships with Banner Year Coffee, Caffeez energy pouches, and Delta Hotels by Marriott, where a portion of proceeds or stays is rebated to the collective. The technology platform is a standard nonprofit stack: Squarespace for the website, Stripe for payments, Google Analytics for traffic reporting, and Mailchimp for email marketing to IMPACT members. No proprietary technology or advanced AI/ML capabilities are evident.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging the Marshall alumni network and Huntington, WV fan base. The organization markets through organic social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok), earned media, and direct outreach to tri-state area businesses. Customer segments include Marshall student-athletes as primary beneficiaries, business partners seeking NIL marketing opportunities, and individual fans contributing through donations or premium memberships. The board operates on a volunteer basis with deep ties to the Marshall community, and the organization is not venture-backed, funding itself entirely through donations, memberships, and partnership revenue.

Name

The Thunder Trust

Legal name

Athlete Advantage

Website

https://thethundertrust.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Thunder Trust is a nonprofit NIL collective for Marshall University Athletics that channels donations, premium memberships, and business partnerships to compensate student-athletes for name, image, and likeness activities across all Marshall sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NIL Collective Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

NIL Representation & Compliance Services (Student-Athletes) (MPAKAMAE), Anti-Doping & Integrity Bodies (WADA, match-fixing/integrity units) (MPAKAFAJ)

Keywords

• NIL collective services
• Student-athlete sponsorships
• Athletic NIL fundraising
• College athlete compensation
• NIL deal facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: One-time and monthly donations from fans supporting Marshall student-athletes through the website, with Stripe processing payments. Monthly options range from $18.37 to $100.
2. IMPACT Membership: Premium membership program requiring a minimum $5,000 annual commitment for three years, providing exclusive benefits including field passes, VIP event access, and merchandise.
3. Sponsorships: Partnership revenue from businesses sponsoring the NIL collective, with businesses able to create NIL deals for players representing their business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Thunder Trust operates as the official Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective of Marshall Athletics, connecting Marshall University student-athletes with businesses and community members to facilitate NIL agreements. Student-athletes are compensated for media appearances, autographs, events, product endorsements, and social media posts, funded through one-time donations, monthly donation tiers, and a premium IMPACT membership program.

Product overview

The Thunder Trust is a NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) collective for Marshall Athletics that operates as a unified platform connecting student-athletes with community supporters. The core offering consists of donation and membership programs (one-time gifts and monthly tiers at $18.37, $50, and $100, plus premium IMPACT membership at $5,000/year for three years) that fund NIL opportunities. The organization also partners with external brands to create co-branded products including Banner Year Coffee (three roast varieties), Caffeez Energy Pouches (six flavors), and Delta Hotels rebate programs. Student-athletes benefit from compensation for media appearances, autographs, events, endorsements, and social media activities through partnerships arranged by the collective.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NIL Collective Services The Thunder Trust serves as the official Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective of Marshall Athletics, connecting Marshall University student-athletes with businesses and community members to facilitate NIL agreements. Student-athletes are compensated for media appearances, autographs, events, product endorsements, and social media posts.
• Donation Tiers

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Banner Year CoffeecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBanner Year Coffee sells co-branded coffee products (Thunderclap Light Roast, Old Mountain Mug Dark Roast, Bison Brew Medium Roast) with proceeds supporting The Thunder Trust NIL Collective and Thundering Herd Athletes.
• CaffeezcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCaffeez delivers sugar-free caffeine energy pouches in six flavors. Thunder Trust-branded products available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Marshall student-athletes.
• Delta Hotels by MarriottcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelta Hotels by Marriott launched a rebate program where a portion of stays at participating Huntington locations (Huntington Mall and Huntington Downtown) is rebated to The Thunder Trust, directly benefiting student-athletes across all sports.
• Athlete AdvantagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthlete Advantage operates The Thunder Trust website and is the preeminent NIL partner for student-athletes at Marshall University. They create experiences and connections between athletes, fans, and businesses, pioneering notable NIL deals.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Opendorse: Leading NIL platform and marketplace connecting athletes, collectives, and brands. Provides enabling technology that The Thunder Trust/Athlete Advantage may rely on for compliance and deal facilitation.

Direct peers

• Yea Alabama: Alabama-focused NIL collective that channels fan and business contributions to Crimson Tide athletes. Direct functional peer with similar donation, membership, and partnership offerings.
• The 405 Fund: Official NIL collective of Oklahoma Athletics with comparable donation tiers, premium memberships, and business partnership programs serving student-athletes across multiple sports.
• Champions Circle: NIL collective supporting University of Tennessee student-athletes through fan and business contributions. Comparable fundraising architecture and multi-sport athlete support model.
• Friends of the Mountaineers: NIL collective supporting West Virginia University student-athletes with a similar donation and membership model. Operates in the same tri-state Appalachian region and is the closest geographic comparable to The Thunder Trust.
• 12th Man+: Official NIL collective of Texas A&M Athletics supporting student-athletes through fan donations and business partnerships. Operates with a comparable single-institution, multi-sport model.
• 1870 Collective: Clemson-focused NIL collective providing fan and corporate funding to Tiger student-athletes. Comparable membership and sponsorship structure for a single university's NIL ecosystem.
• Catapult NIL: NIL collective supporting Oklahoma State Cowboys student-athletes via donations and corporate sponsorships. Closely aligned business model focused on a single university.
• Crimson Standard: NIL collective for University of Alabama Athletics operating donation tiers and corporate sponsorship programs. Comparable structure serving a single flagship athletic program.

Others

• INFLCR (Teamworks): NIL content and compliance platform used by universities and collectives to manage athlete brand activity. Functions as adjacent infrastructure provider to the NIL collective ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thethundertrust
• Xx.com/TheThunderTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/thethundertrust
• TikToktiktok.com/@thethundertrust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 The Thunder Trust