WSU announced the implementation of Icon Suite resources for all WSU student-athletes this morning. The Icon Suite, created by Icon Source, offers a marketplace for name, image and likeness deals between WSU athletes and brands, free of cost to student-athletes. 

WSU is the first institutional partner to use the Icon Source Suite, acting as the pilot program for college athletics. Icon Source has a rich history in college-athlete marketing, including being the first sports management firm to execute a NIL deal.

“Icon Source has successfully navigated NIL for professional athletes, ranging from football players to rowers, and crafted campaigns for businesses ranging from Microsoft to local restaurants,” WSU Strategic Initiatives Coordinator Sherman Neal II said. “Most importantly, they share our commitment to providing opportunities for all Cougs.”

The Icon Source sales and marketing teams will be directly involved with the Icon Suite, managing NIL opportunities for WSU student-athletes. Icon Source team members will be involved in every step of the NIL deal process — contracts, payment, compliance and tax documentation.

The Icon Suite simplifies the NIL process by connecting student-athletes with possible brand deals. Instead of having to figure out the NIL process by themselves, student-athletes and businesses will use the Icon Suite platform to connect in a facilitated fashion.

The Icon Suite platform also acts as an extra layer of protection for NIL violations, providing seamless deals while adhering to legal concerns. WSU compliance officers will have access to contracts to ensure deals meet compliance and Title IX requirements.

“Icon Source exists to connect athletes and brands, and our new Icon Suite software takes that a step further on the collegiate level, removing the heavy lifting for those involved in student-athlete and local business partnerships,” Icon Source founder and CEO Chase Garrett said.

With Pullman’s small population compared to other Pac-12 schools, the Icon Suite helps to bridge the gap by offering a marketplace for WSU student-athletes and surrounding businesses.

WSU’s partnership with Icon Source is great from a recruiting standpoint, as WSU is one of two universities in the country currently using the Icon Suite platform, according to the Icon Source website. Through the NCAA portal logins, people are able to see how many deals are made per sport, gender and individual athlete at a given school.

“We’re excited to see how they can support our 500+ athletes, and business partners across the country, to form mutually beneficial partnerships,” Neal II said.

The Icon Source team visited WSU about two weeks ago to discuss the implementation of the Icon Suite. The team discussed logistics with WSU Athletics during the trip to Pullman.

Icon Source has connected multiple large brands with student-athletes so far in NIL’s very limited history. Brands that have made deals with athletes through Icon Source include Boost Mobile, Microsoft, Crocs and Smashburger. In Pullman, the focus will be on local businesses, which Icon Source also has a wide variety of experience in.

For more information, visit the Icon Source website.