Buffs news: Both major Colorado NIL collectives combine, rebrand as “5430 Alliance”

In a bit of interesting news in the NIL world, both major University of Colorado NIL collectives will be combining and operating under a new name.

In a move announced earlier this week, the two different nonprofits – Buffs4Life NIL Collective and the 5430 Foundation – will now operate as one collective, renamed ‘5430 Alliance.’

Buffs4Life was started back in 2022, describing itself as an “organization that provides financial assistance and mental health resources for former Colorado athletes.” Less than a year later, 5430 Foundation was also set up, this time by CU alumni and donor Eric Belcher. The merger went into place immediately, with the new foundation launching their website on Tuesday.

Colorado athletic director Rick George was quoted in the report, expressing excitement about the merger and adding that “ … 5430 Alliance ushers in a new chapter of NIL at Colorado and allows all our fans and alumni to support our student-athletes through one avenue.”

It’s the first time in the NIL era that all of CU’s student-athletes are represented by a single organization. The organization is not officially affiliated with the school in any way, however, and is classified as a a 501c3 nonprofit. The site offers a variety of different ways to donate to CU, including a handful of different “fan memberships.”

The new organization, as their website claims, will aim to connect CU student-athletes with “a wealth of opportunities to earn compensation while furthering their professional and personal development” while acting as the point place for supporters to donate through “memberships, tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships.”