SAN ANTONIO - Runners Rising Project, Inc., the first Name, Image and Likeness collective supporting UTSA Athletics, announced Wednesday that it will wind down operations beginning August 1.
This announcement comes following the final approval of the House v. NCAA decision, which allows athletics departments to directly provide additional financial support to student-athletes.
Runners Rising will stop accepting donations on August 1, but will continue to honor its commitments to student-athletes through fall 2025.
UTSA supporters who previously contributed to Runners Rising are asked to shift their support to Runners United.
“We are beyond grateful to Eddie Benningfield, Wayne Gonzales and Runners Rising for their support of our UTSA student-athletes,” said Lisa Campos, UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “Runners Rising, along with the generosity of so many UTSA supporters, helped the Roadrunners be on the cutting edge of NIL, develop into competitive, championship programs and provide a first-class experience for our student-athletes.”
Runners Rising on Wednesday sent an email to its contributors, which reads as follows:
Since 2022, Runners Rising has played a transformational role in supporting UTSA student-athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Throughout our years of operation we’ve proudly supported 75 student-athletes across 17 sports. We have heard continuously from UTSA student-athletes and coaches how much the support Runners Rising has provided has changed student-athletes’ lives, and helped UTSA’s programs remain highly competitive.
Runners Rising wouldn’t have been possible without the visionary leadership and unwavering dedication of Eddie Benningfield, our founder who laid the groundwork for everything we’ve accomplished. Eddie dedicated countless hours to building this community from the ground up, often working tirelessly behind the scenes. His passion for supporting UTSA student-athletes was the driving force behind our mission. We are eternally grateful to Eddie for making Runners Rising a reality.
It’s with a heavy heart that we share some important news: we’ve made the difficult decision to wind down operations of Runners Rising. Following the approval of the House settlement, athletic departments now have the ability to directly share revenue with student-athletes. UTSA has been proactive in this changing landscape by creating a new NIL model through the formation of Runners United.
Given these changes, we feel that continuing our operations independently is no longer in the best interest of UTSA student-athletes. The introduction of this new structure has added confusion to the collective landscape, making it harder for donors to know where and how to give. After thoughtful consideration, we believe it’s in the best interest of the UTSA student-athletes to receive support directly through the university’s official NIL partner — ensuring alignment, clarity, and the greatest impact moving forward.
We will stop accepting donations on August 1, 2025, but we will continue to honor our commitments by paying student-athletes through fall 2025. We will also provide end-of-year donation receipts later in 2025 for your records. You will receive a separate email notification from DonorBox, our donor management platform, that your recurring plan has been cancelled.
If you donate to us via PayPal, please click here for instructions on how to cancel your automated donation.
If you donate to us via your employer’s donation platform, please reach out to them for assistance.
Looking ahead, we highly encourage you to shift your support to Runners United. All funds donated there will ultimately flow through PlayFly Max, UTSA’s official NIL partner.
Thank you for believing in us, for supporting the student-athletes who represent UTSA with pride, and for making a lasting impact through Runners Rising. Your generosity helped build something meaningful during a pivotal time in college athletics, and we're proud of what we accomplished together.
Birds WAY Up!
Wayne, Jared, Don, Farah, Aaron, Ryan, and Jordan
Runners Rising Project, Inc.