There was a time when Utah State athletics didn’t have a collective dedicated to furthering the cause of Aggies student-athletes’ name, image and likeness.
Not so much anymore.
On Tuesday, the Blue A Collective, co-founded by Eric Laub and former USU head football coach Gary Andersen — was announced, with the purpose of “empowering student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness while simultaneously fostering a strong connecting with Cache Valley,” Laub said in a statement.
The Rocky Mountain Collective, meanwhile — dedicated solely to Utah State football players — officially launches this Friday.
There is also the fan-created Light it Blue Collective that launched in late February.
Many details surrounding the Blue A Collective will be forthcoming, but all funds raised will go directly to Utah State student-athletes. Board members will not be compensated.
The collective will function as a public charity and is a separate entity from Utah State University.
“Utah State is clearly at its best when we are aggressive in everything we do,” Andersen said in a statement. “I believe the current upward trajectory of USU is very positive, and it’s great to see. It’s very exciting for me to be back involved with a university that I love.
“The Blue A Collective is a big-time opportunity for Aggie Nation to close the gap quickly and allow USU to be consistently competitive in the Mountain West Conference, ensuring sustained success at Utah State.”
In a separate statement, Andersen added: “While some may be concerned about the evolution of college athletics, I choose to see this as an opportunity to be on the cutting-edge and provide new and unique opportunities for student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness.
“Our goal with the Blue A Collective is to benefit young people on and off the field who choose to come here, choose to stay, and represent Utah State the right way.”