YOU'RE INVITED TO HELP CAROLINA RISE!
Carolina Rise is a Name, Image and Likeness collective for University of South Carolina student athletes.
About US
The Plan
It is a new day in college athletics with student athletes able to profit off of their name, image and likeness. Carolina Rise is a collective that is focused on the University of South Carolina. Note that Carolina Rise is a privately owned company and not affiliated with the University of South Carolina or its athletics department, per South Carolina state law.
Many collectives around the Southeastern Conference have as much as eight figures pledged annually. Clemson, Carolina's in-state rival, launched a collective that has $5.5 million on hand at launch. To help keep the Gamecocks in the game against the toughest competition in college sports, we need the Gamecock Nation to get behind this. There is power in numbers. No contribution is too small or too large.
Who is behind this?
Carolina Rise is owned by JC and Cameron Shurburtt. JC Shurburtt is the owner and founder of TheBigSpur.com (established in 2007) and has more than a decade of experience covering recruiting on a national level. Cameron, his brother, is in the financial industry and is a lifelong Gamecock.
Is this a for-profit enterprise?
Because we arrange deals that pay for promotional services, Carolina Rise is an L.L.C., not a non-profit. That said, the time to run Carolina Rise is donated 100 percent by the Shurburtt family. The only money from your membership fees that do not go in the pockets of Carolina athletes are for minor business expenses like credit card fees, site hosting, etc.
FAQ
How is Carolina Rise different than Garnet Trust?
Good question. Other than both are owned by owners of competing media outlets in the South Carolina market, there isn't a whole lot that is similar. The focus here is on crowdsourcing promotions more so than content. When we launched this, the last thing we wanted to do was be self-defeating in terms of the overall Gamecock attempt in this space and get into a competitive situation content-wise. Our deals with student athletes, with the exception of certain arrangements with non-media affiliated businesses, are non-exclusive. That means that Carolina student athletes can benefit easily from both organizations and maximize earning potential.
Are individual memberships/donations tax-deductible?
Unfortunately, they are not. Because we are paying the student athlete to provide services, those are out of the scope of charitable transactions, so the business had to be set up as an LLC. That said, this company is owned by myself and my brother and governed by a board of 10 independent individuals who love the Gamecocks. Our goal is to be over-the-top transparent as far as money in and money out goes. At this stage and likely years into the future, the money is going for deals for the players. There is no salary for anyone involved in the collective for their time and business expenses are kept at a minimum. That said, if you have a business and want to become an affiliated business...
How do I become an affiliated business?
This is one of the more exciting parts of this venture. If you become an affiliated business, in most cases, you can write off your membership because your business receives promotional services (advertising) in return for what you give. Contact us to set up a time to talk it through.
Will this money go to recruits?
All Palmetto State NIL collectives must adhere to the laws of the state of South Carolina. The laws state that you can not enter into a pay-for-play agreement with a recruit. That said, the more robust the opportunities are NIL-wise at a school, the more a coaching staff has to sell to a student athlete on the recruiting trail. It is even better when coaches can point to the financial success of all collectives and all NIL deals at their particular school. While a big part of my job covering football recruiting on a national level for companies like Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports was to interact with recruits across the country, I have not spoken to a recruit since 2015. So there is no conflict of interest individually. The writers I employ at TheBigSpur.com that cover the program, including recruiting, are not involved in this venture in any way, shape, or form, to avoid any mixing of the two entities. Since we are not focused on content, we felt this was for the best for those folks to remain 100 percent focused on TBS.
Those are the three most common questions I have gotten. I sincerely hope that you will consider becoming a Carolina Rise member or an affiliated business. We will have plenty of great ideas to benefit the student athletes and continue to contribute to a world class experience for all of the players at South Carolina. If you have any questions at all, get in touch.
The bottom line is that the Gamecocks are in the toughest league in the history of college athletics. This is about competing at the highest level. By harnessing the power of the Gamecock Nation and through your generosity and passion for winning, we can together be major factors in helping Carolina Rise!
CONTRIBUTE TO A WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCE!
The power of Gamecock Nation lies in its giving spirit and commitment to its student athletes and various athletic programs. Consider becoming a member, either with an annual contribution or a monthly contribution. You can set up a one-time or monthly membership through PayPal by following this link and do not have to have a PayPal account to do so. You can also visit our membership portal for other options to give.
