Announcing the Stalwart Journey at Colorado State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – As the collegiate landscape evolves, Colorado State Athletics is continuing to evolve with it. On Thursday, the department announced the creation of the Stalwart Journey, meant to enhance the complete student-athlete experience at Colorado State University.

"Today, we are excited to announce our comprehensive commitment to developing complete student-athletes at Colorado State – the Stalwart Journey," said Director of Athletics Joe Parker. "With an expanded NIL marketplace, academic achievement awards, a robust and committed Collective, and a collaboration with the College of Business, this is a game changer for our student-athletes and the best program available in the Mountain West. It is imperative that Ram fans join us on this journey to elevate the student-athlete experience for our Rams."

Colorado State's comprehensive program will include a plethora of opportunities for CSU student-athletes including RAM Life – CSU's life after sports program – Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities, collaborative education with the CSU College of Business, and academic achievement awards.

RAM Life, an acronym for Real and Meaningful Life, includes life skills programming with internship, community service, and career development opportunities. The program began in 2020 as a pilot program for football and has since expanded to include the entire athletic department.

Today, the Rams are also launching their Stalwart Journey marketplace through OpenDorse, one of the nation's leaders in the NIL marketing space. Through the CSU marketplace, Ram fans will be able to connect directly with student-athletes who have opted in to the service for a variety of NIL-centric opportunities.

Over the past year, Ram student-athletes have also been able to benefit from a partnership with the Brandr Group for group licensing opportunities and customized apparel through DyeHard Fan Supply.

The department is also excited to officially endorse The Green and Gold Guard collective, spearheaded by Colorado State alumnus John Weber, to benefit all Colorado State student-athletes. Fans interested in working with the Green and Gold Guard to support the Rams can find out more information on TheGGGuard.com.

"John's personal experience as a walk-on student-athlete, holistic vision of the success for all CSU student-athletes in today's climate, and his work leading the Green and Gold Guard is exceptional," Parker said. "My hope is that all those who love the Rams will engage with the Green and Gold Guard. This work is impactful, important, and is directly aligned with our mission to Educate, Engage and Excel."

Ram student-athletes can also enhance their own personal brand and further understand the economics of NIL engagement through collaborative programming with the College of Business.

"We are proud of our many high-achieving Colorado State University students – both current and alumni – in the College of Business, including many of our student-athletes who work extremely hard to represent themselves, their teams and this great institution," said Beth Walker, Dean of the CSU College of Business. "Like many of our traditional students, our student-athletes now have the opportunity to leverage Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities in impactful ways. Their success, both in business and NIL, requires an entrepreneurial mindset, and we have distinguished faculty and staff who have proven acumen to help foster and develop that success. Today's NIL climate is complex, but time and time again, we see Rams who are ambitious, forward-thinkers who begin their success stories right here on our campus and go on to achieve incredible things. We are excited to collaborate with the athletic department as a key piece of the Stalwart Journey to support our student-athletes' success in the business of NIL."

Finally, the department is also adding the opportunity for student-athletes to earn additional awards for their academic achievement – an area that Colorado State has shown exceptional strength.

Personal development and brand enhancement opportunities also extend to the department's annual awards which have recognized the top athletic and academic Ram student-athletes since 1929: the Nye Trophy, the Virginia K. Frank Award, the Merrill-Gheen Award, the Mencimer Memorial Award, and the McGraw Award.

The Stalwart Journey Outlined…
A comprehensive set of programs to support the holistic development of Ram Student-Athletes academically, personally, and professionally.

Key programming that includes…

Personal Development and Brand Enhancement
- RAM Life for life after sports
- Internships, Community Service, Career Development
- Departmental Annual Awards
- Business and Branding NIL Education collaboration with the CSU College of Business
NIL Activations
- NIL Marketplace powered by Opendorse
- Partnerships and Opportunities through the Green and Gold Guard
- Group Licensing and Merchandise with The Brandr Group
Academic Achievement
- Academic Achievement Awards
- Graduation

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