Morgantown, West Virginia – Country Roads Trust, West Virginia’s Name, Image and Likeness Team, has completely changed the game for the Mountaineers and has given the university a real chance of competing in today’s changing landscape.
Spearheaded by co-founders Oliver Luck and Ken Kendrick, the trust assists current and future Mountaineers monetize their brand.
Although West Virginia University was not the first in the country, it was certainly one of the earliest trusts to understand the importance of launching for the future of the program.
As Oliver Luck said, “The changing landscape of college athletics makes Country Roads Trust a necessity. We want West Virginia University to attract the very best, not only because of our fine land-grant institution, but because of our top-notch NIL opportunities. As we all know, our Mountaineers deserve the very best.”
Recent major commits JT Daniels in football and Tre Mitchell in basketball would have likely chosen other programs if Country Roads Trust was not in place. Although it was not the only reason Daniels and Mitchell chose West Virginia, competing for big-time talent today requires that players be given opportunities to earn money through endorsements.
Yesterday, Rodney Gallagher, a four star wide receiver who had offers from virtually every major program in the country, announced that he will make his commitment to his future university in two days, and it appears that West Virginia University is the likely choice.
Social media lit up with comments like, “Welcome to the NIL era everybody”, essentially claiming that West Virginia outbid other schools for his services. While that is probably not the case, it does show that West Virginia can compete with traditional powerhouses like Penn State, Notre Dame, Texas, etc., for some of the very best talent in the country.
When the rules on paying players happened, West Virginians were understandably nervous about what it could mean for the Mountaineers. However, because of Country Roads Trust, West Virginia is able to compete now and in the future!
West Virginia will be the choice for 4⭐️ receiver Rodney Gallagher out of Laurel Highlands. Welcome to the NIL era everybody https://t.co/dQCCv39Rv4
— PSU Football Recruiting (@UnrivaledPsu) May 22, 2022
