Athletes.org
Athletes.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit players association serving 5,200+ college athletes through a mobile platform, providing collective bargaining advocacy, legal and medical resources, and the first-ever Draft CBA Framework for college athletics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Athletes.org does
Athletes.org, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation incorporated in Alabama in 2023 and headquartered in Birmingham. It operates as a voluntary membership players association serving more than 5,200 current and former college athletes across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III. The organization educates, organizes, and represents its members through collective bargaining advocacy, legal resources, health and safety protections, and direct engagement with policymakers and the courts.
The core technology platform is the AO mobile application, available natively on iOS and Android, which functions as the member portal for polls, surveys, anonymous issue flagging, background checks, and a Q&AI assistant. The product portfolio is anchored by the first-ever Draft Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework for college athletics (published December 2025), supplemented by The Locker Room biweekly newsletter, the Athletes' School Ratings feature, the AO Network of verified service providers (pro-bono legal, second medical opinions, contract review, career mentorship), the annual Leadership & Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., the Video Game Advisory Committee (launched March 2026 with Enthusiast Sports & Entertainment), and the AO Parents Group (launched December 2025).
The business model is nonprofit donation-based with free, voluntary membership; the organization does not charge dues or transaction fees and discloses no pricing. Revenue is derived from tax-deductible donations and contributions. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on organic athlete recruitment, word-of-mouth, campus outreach to athletic departments and student-athlete advisory committees, and earned media coverage in CNBC, ESPN, AP News, Sports Business Journal, and Front Office Sports. Co-founders Brandon Copeland and Jim Cavale serve as principal spokespersons, and the organization has secured public endorsements from the presidents and executive director of the NBPA, NFLPA, WNBPA, and MLBPA.
Athletes.org firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Athletes.org
- Legal name
- Athletes.org, Inc.
- Website
- https://athletes.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Athletes.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit players association serving 5,200+ college athletes through a mobile platform, providing collective bargaining advocacy, legal and medical resources, and the first-ever Draft CBA Framework for college athletics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Athletes.org industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Advocacy and Athlete Representation
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA), Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)
Keywords
Where Athletes.org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Athletes.org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Athletes.org is an Alabama nonprofit corporation operating as a 501(c)(3) organization. The organization accepts donations to support its mission of educating, organizing, and representing college athletes. Donor privacy is protected under a policy stating donors' names and personal data will not be sold, shared, or traded with other entities.
- Membership Dues: Athletes.org is described as a voluntary membership organization. While specific membership tiers or fees are not disclosed, membership provides access to exclusive resources, the AO app, networking with verified service providers, and participation in collective bargaining efforts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership for college athletes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Athletes.org product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Athletes.org is the first and only organized players association for college athletes, educating, organizing, and representing more than 5,200 current and former NCAA athletes. It provides collective bargaining representation, a Draft CBA framework, pro-bono legal and medical resources, and advocacy in legislative and governance matters affecting college sports. Members access these services free of charge through the AO mobile app, web portal, and the AO Network of verified service providers.
Product overview
Athletes.org operates as a players association for college athletes offering a unified platform anchored by the AO Mobile Application, which serves as the primary member portal. The organization supplements its core app with The Locker Room Newsletter (bimonthly communication), The Athletes' School Ratings (member feedback feature), and the AO Network (verified service provider directory). Their flagship policy initiative is the Draft Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework, complemented by the annual Leadership & Policy Summit, Video Game Advisory Committee, and AO Parents Group for family engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AO Mobile App (Athletes.org Mobile Application) Primary mobile application for Athletes.org members, providing member-exclusive benefits including polls and surveys, free background checks, a Q&A feature (Q&AI), anonymous issue flagging, and connections to verified service providers through the AO Network.
- Draft Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Framework First-ever draft collective bargaining agreement framework for college athletics, designed to replace the fragmented NIL system with a unified, enforceable structure including clear terms for formal agreements between athletes and governing bodies, performance-based contracts, and comparisons to professional sports standards.
- The Locker Room Newsletter Official Athletes.org newsletter delivered biweekly, providing updates on player compensation developments and actionable financial, wellness, and lifestyle insights for college athletes.
- AO Parents Group Unified parent community aligned with Athletes.org's mission, providing education, support, and advocacy to protect and maximize children's collegiate athletic experiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ college athletes unified under single representation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Athletes.org
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Athletes.org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Athletes.org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Enthusiast Sports & Entertainment (ES&E)coreEnthusiast Sports & Entertainment and Athletes.org launched the Video Game Advisory Committee (VGAC) in March 2026. This committee creates a structured forum for college athletes to learn about, engage with, and influence decisions shaping college sports video games. The partnership ensures athlete perspectives are incorporated into video game development and licensing decisions.
- NBPA (National Basketball Players Association)minorFred VanVleet, President of NBPA, has publicly endorsed Athletes.org as a model for bringing professional sports union structures to college athletics. Represents alignment between professional and college athlete advocacy movements.
- NFLPA (National Football League Players Association)minorJalen Reeves-Maybin, President of NFLPA, has publicly endorsed Athletes.org as the players association for college athletes. Professional union leadership supports the college athlete representation movement.
- WNBPA (Women's National Basketball Players Association)minorNneka Ogwumike, President of WNBPA, has publicly endorsed Athletes.org's mission to organize and represent college athletes through collective bargaining structures.
- MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association)minorTony Clark, Executive Director of MLBPA, has publicly supported Athletes.org as the vehicle for college athlete representation in college sports governance.
- AO Parents Advisory GroupcoreParents of college athletes organized through the AO Parents Advisory Group, led by executive committee members including Amber Mathurin, Jillian Blackwell, Dave Van Dorselaer, Russell Maryland, and Autumn Seldon. Provides education, support, and advocacy for families navigating college athletics.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Athletes.org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Opendorse: Opendorse is a leading NIL deal and athlete monetization platform that connects college athletes with endorsement opportunities. It competes for athletes' attention and economic engagement, making it an adjacent peer in the broader college athlete enablement ecosystem.
- INFLCR (Teamworks): INFLCR (now part of Teamworks) provides NIL education, content, and compliance tools to college athletes and athletic departments. It is a comparable platform serving the same college athlete base with adjacent functionality around name, image, and likeness.
- The Drake Group: The Drake Group is a nonprofit organization of faculty and academics focused on college sports reform. While smaller and academic-led rather than athlete-led, it overlaps with Athletes.org on policy advocacy for athlete welfare and NCAA reform.
Broad incumbents
- Power 5 Conferences (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12): The Power 5 (now Power 4) conferences collectively control the economic engine of major college athletics and the $2.8B House settlement revenue pool. They are the institutional counterparties whose resistance to athlete collective bargaining defines Athletes.org's strategic challenge.
- NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association): The NCAA is the incumbent governing body for college athletics and the primary counterparty that Athletes.org seeks to negotiate with. It is the dominant institutional player whose policies Athletes.org is built to counterbalance, making it the most strategically important adjacent peer.
Direct peers
- NFLPA (National Football League Players Association): The NFLPA is the labor union representing NFL players and provides a direct parallel as a professional sports players association that has endorsed Athletes.org. Its collective bargaining and member services model is functionally analogous to what Athletes.org is building for college athletes.
- NBPA (National Basketball Players Association): The NBPA is the collective bargaining representative for NBA players and serves as the structural inspiration for Athletes.org. Its leadership (Fred VanVleet) has publicly endorsed Athletes.org, making it the most directly comparable peer in mission, governance model, and collective bargaining function.
- National College Players Association (NCPA): The NCPA is a watchdog and advocacy group for college athletes founded by Ramogi Huma. It is the most directly comparable existing organization in the college athlete advocacy space, sharing overlap in mission areas like health, safety, and compensation rights.
- MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association): The MLBPA is the longest-standing professional sports players association in North America. As an endorser of Athletes.org's mission, it represents a comparable players association model that has shaped labor relations in baseball since 1966.
- WNBPA (Women's National Basketball Players Association): The WNBPA represents WNBA players and is a comparable player advocacy body, with its leadership (Nneka Ogwumike) endorsing Athletes.org. It is a directly analogous peer in structure and mission, particularly for women's college athletes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Athletes.org social profiles
Digital presenceAthletes.org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Athletes.org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Athletes.org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Athletes.org M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Athletes.org
What does Athletes.org do?
Athletes.org is the first and only organized players association for college athletes, educating, organizing, and representing more than 5,200 current and former NCAA athletes. It provides collective bargaining representation, a Draft CBA framework, pro-bono legal and medical resources, and advocacy in legislative and governance matters affecting college sports. Members access these services free of charge through the AO mobile app, web portal, and the AO Network of verified service providers.
Is Athletes.org a public or private company?
Athletes.org is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Athletes.org founded?
Athletes.org was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Athletes.org based?
Athletes.org is headquartered in Birmingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Athletes.org make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are membership Dues.
Who are Athletes.org's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Opendorse, INFLCR (Teamworks) and The Drake Group. Broad incumbents are Power 5 Conferences (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12) and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Direct peers are NFLPA (National Football League Players Association), NBPA (National Basketball Players Association), National College Players Association (NCPA), MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) and WNBPA (Women's National Basketball Players Association).
Does Athletes.org have an API?
No public API is recorded for Athletes.org.
What industry is Athletes.org in?
Athletes.org's product category is Sports Advocacy and Athlete Representation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAKAK, Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support), with a secondary code of MPAKACAA, Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations. Its NAICS code is 7113 and its SIC code is 8600.