Fowler Avenue, USF’s name, image and likeness collective, ceased operations on April 3 after four years of helping fund and support student-athletes.
Corey Staniscia, Fowler Avenue’s co-founder and CEO, said the organization was created in 2022 to support USF athletes with financial literacy training, tax guidance and business support as NIL reshaped college sports.
NIL allowed college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness after a 2021 ruling, enabling endorsement deals and other commercial opportunities, according to ESPN.
“From day one, Fowler Avenue’s mission has been simple: invest in and protect USF’s athletes and help them go pro in sport and in life,” Staniscia said in a press release.
Prior to the settlement taking effect, collectives acted as a third-party between donor-driven funds and the university for its student-athletes NIL opportunities, according to On3.
The decision to shut down Fowler Avenue, Staniscia said, was reached jointly with USF after weeks of discussion about what role, if any, the collective would play after the settlement.
“We just didn’t see that there’s a proper path forward,” he said.
Athletics CEO Rob Higgins said that, despite its end, Fowler Avenue was a key part of the athletic department’s transition through the early years of NIL.
“The generosity and passion of its members have directly translated into genuine opportunities for our student-athletes,” Higgins said in a statement. “Not just on the field or court, but in their lives and careers beyond sport.”
USF’s shuttering of its NIL collective reflects the impact of revenue sharing on college sports, as schools now pay athletes under the House settlement, replacing donor-funded collectives with institutional budgets.
“This industry is changing daily, if not weekly and monthly,” Staniscia said. “There’s so many different things that are moving and different mechanics that are going on.”
✍️ by Mithil Vyas (
@mithil.vyas )
🎨 by Thomas Marrs (
@tom_marrs_photo ) & Rachell Ross (
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![As the late-afternoon sun settled over Corbett Stadium on Sunday during USF football’s annual spring game, the scene carried the feel of both a preview and a promise. Across the field, steel beams and the rising structure of the upcoming on-campus stadium framed what the program will soon call home. On the field, under a lightly clouded Tampa sky, the Bulls offered a glimpse of what might fill it. A crowd of 3,878 — including 234 students — filtered in hours before the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, settling into aluminum bleachers that baked in the heat. Music pulsed between snaps, vendors lined the concourse and when the gates opened, clusters of fans, alumni and students alike moved quickly, angling for shade and sightlines. And what unfolded during the game was less about a final score and more about orientation — a first public look at a roster reshaped by transfers in the shadow of their future home.On the field, the Bulls’ offense faced the defense with rotating units, and an emphasis on evaluation over outcome — a point head coach Brian Hartline stressed afterward. “[We did] a good job of assessing what we did well,” Hartline said. “We got to continue that, and then we have to enhance the things that we didn’t do well. Quarterbacks Michael Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek rotated through drives, each showing flashes yet also missing throws in equal measure. Hartline said the starting job remains undecided, but he praised both Van Buren and Kromenhoek for steady play. “It’ll be a quarterback battle for a while,” he said. “I’m encouraged with the way they’re competing.” ️ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas) by Jeanelle Henderson (@azaliasphotos) & Violet Vasquez Pimentel (@shots.byviolet) by Rachell Ross (@rachell__ross)
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