ROCK HILL, S.C. — Winthrop Athletics and Founders Federal Credit Union have announced an exclusive multi-year, integrated partnership, set to expand Founders' commitment to Winthrop Athletics and Winthrop University.
The agreement reinforces Founders as the Official Credit Union Partner of the Winthrop Eagles, and will be defined by significant collaboration and innovation. In addition to expanded visibility for Founders within the Winthrop community, the partnership will also support key initiatives built to enrich the overall student-athlete experience at Winthrop.
"At Founders, we are extremely excited about this enhanced and extended partnership with Winthrop Athletics," said Nicki Nash, Founders chief marketing officer. "We could not be more impressed with the direction and leadership of this athletic department and how committed they are to our entire community. Expanding our brand visibility at Winthrop University fits well with our marketing plan as we seek to partner with others in the community who dream big and want to positively effect change and growth in our area."
"We are absolutely thrilled to announce this partnership extension," said Ken Halpin, Winthrop's vice president for intercollegiate athletics and athletics director. "It's incredibly important for our athletic department to align with the strongest and most visible community and regional brands, and Founders is at the top of that list. The Founders brand will be highly visible and featured prominently both in the Winthrop Coliseum and around the Winthrop Farm, and we cannot wait to introduce our fans and students to some of the exciting initiatives included in this partnership."
Founders will serve as the official sponsor of the Winthrop Sports Network, which includes the Winthrop radio network and all broadcasts through the ESPN+ platform. In addition to significant exposure within various print and in-venue promotional assets, Founders will also have increased digital visibility on the official athletics website and various social media platforms. Among other exclusive rights, the partnership also enables Founders to introduce a co-branded Founders Visa debit card to Winthrop fans.
In addition to enhanced visibility on campus, Founders will also sponsor the Winthrop Athletics Financial Literacy Program, aimed to help Winthrop student-athletes learn how to navigate their financial future following graduation. Further, Founders Federal Credit Union will have the opportunity to participate in the athletic department's "Post-Graduation Placement Program," which aims to educate student-athletes in resume writing, interview skills and other career-minded objectives.
"The mission statement of Winthrop Athletics, as defined by our strategic plan, is 'to positively shape the lives of the people who will change the world', and this partnership with Founders is integral in helping us do that in providing unique opportunities and experiences for our student-athletes," Halpin added.
"Founders believes in using our resources to make a difference in the lives of young adults, especially in the area of financial education. This collaboration with Winthrop and its student-athletes will allow us to help them build and retain life skills to become better stewards of their money now and into their futures," said Nash.
