Roy App Partners with Olympic Wrestler Kennedy Blades to Amplify NIL Opportunities for Female Athletes

Roy, a mobile application designed to support college athletes' Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, has announced a strategic partnership with Olympic Silver Medalist Kennedy Blades to address financial disparities in women's collegiate sports, particularly wrestling.

The collaboration aims to create a more equitable NIL landscape by providing direct fan support mechanisms specifically targeting female athletes in non-revenue sports. With the University of Iowa recently launching the first Power Five women's wrestling program, Blades stands at the forefront of a transformative movement in collegiate athletics.

Through the partnership, Roy is implementing a unique dollar-for-dollar matching program where fans can contribute up to $100 to Iowa women's athletes during February and March. This approach ensures that every contribution goes directly to the selected athlete, with complete transparency and zero administrative fees.

Roy's platform differentiates itself from traditional fundraising models by functioning as a purpose-built NIL marketplace. The application provides additional protections for fans, such as automatically returning contributions if an athlete transfers or cannot fulfill promised content commitments.

Cale Johnston, Roy's Founder and CEO, emphasized that the partnership transcends individual athlete support, representing a broader initiative to create accessible NIL opportunities for athletes in underrepresented sports. By highlighting Blades' advocacy and the growth of women's wrestling, the collaboration seeks to challenge existing funding disparities in collegiate athletics.

The partnership represents a significant step toward empowering female athletes, providing them with financial resources and recognition beyond traditional athletic funding channels. As women's sports continue to gain momentum, initiatives like Roy's could play a crucial role in supporting athletes' financial sustainability and career development.