(Marshall, Texas and Lincoln, Neb. – August 11, 2025) – East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) has announced a three-year renewal of its partnership with Opendorse, the leading NIL technology, data, and service provider. ETBU was one of the first NCAA Division III schools to partner with Opendorse and has continued to invest in meaningful NIL support for student-athletes ever since.
As part of the renewal, ETBU is adding Opendorse Deals+, an enhancement that removes barriers for donors and supporters to get directly involved in providing NIL opportunities for Tiger student-athletes. This addition reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to helping athletes build their brands and benefit from NIL.
“We are excited to extend our partnership with Opendorse and add Deals+ for the ETBU Athletic Department and our student-athletes,” said ETBU Senior Vice President for Campus Life Ryan Erwin. “Opendorse has provided ETBU with a great product over the last three years, and we look forward to continuing our work together to educate our students on building their presence on social media and navigating the NIL space. ETBU Athletics strives for excellence, and we are blessed with high-caliber student-athletes who desire to be part of a Christ-centered program.”
Since the beginning of the partnership, ETBU has shown a clear commitment to setting its athletes up for success. The university has delivered more than 280,000 pieces of media to student-athletes through the Opendorse platform, helping them grow their audiences, engage fans, and maximize their NIL potential.
“East Texas Baptist has consistently demonstrated what it looks like to invest in student-athletes at the DIII level,” said Jake Daugherty, Opendorse Manager, Collegiate Partnerships. “They’ve been ahead of the curve since day one, and we’re proud to continue this partnership as they keep raising the bar in the Division III NIL space.”
With this extension, ETBU continues to lead by example. NIL success is not limited by division but defined by the investment schools make in their athletes.
About Opendorse
Opendorse is the technology, data, and service platform powering the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) industry for colleges, collectives, consumers, and commercial partners. More than 150,000 athlete influencers use Opendorse to build, promote, and monetize their personal brands through the largest athlete media network.
For media inquiries, contact Opendorse SVP, Collegiate Services & Marketing Julian Valentin at julian.valentin@opendorse.com.
